Following a lack of administrative communication that resulted in a failure to properly allocate funds to club sports, the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate on April 10 passed a resolution calling for the university to appoint an administrator who would oversee the finances of the Athletics Department. The miscommunication — which occurred over the past two years and involved confusion between the Senate and athletics administrators regarding which funds went to Tier I and Tier II club sports — resulted in $10,000 of the club sports budget remaining overlooked and unused.
The failure to properly allocate these funds reflects a need for an administrator to oversee the management of funds for club sports, and the university should follow the Senate's recommendation. Currently, various members of the Athletics Department work to manage the budgets for sports at all levels, including varsity teams, Tier I club sports and intramurals (Tier II club sports aren't guaranteed funding), yet it is clear that club sports tend to fall by the wayside in this setting. Due to the sheer amount of money that is involved in the club sports budget, as well as the complexity of the programs various entities, it is necessary that someone oversee the budget as a priority, rather than relegating this task as a secondary job to several athletics administrators who have other responsibilities. Because so many different teams fall under the club sports umbrella, it is already innately difficult to keep track of how the budget is being balanced, and the fact that this responsibility is spread out only adds to the confusion.
Club sports are treated as student organizations, and, as such, their budget comes from the Student Activities Fee. The unspent $10,000 means that students who are graduating this year will never get to reap the benefits of the money they contributed to it due to administrative issues. If administrators are going to be in charge of these funds, it needs to be ensured that the handling of student money will take priority.
According to TCU Treasurer Kate de Klerk, the senator who authored the resolution, there are some differing opinions regarding whether the Senate and Athletics Department should propose a business director to oversee all of athletics' financial operations, or if the position should focus solely on club sports. In a conversation with the Daily, de Klerk, a junior, explained that while the Senate's resolution encourages the installation of a business director to oversee the finances of the entire department, the Athletics Department has tended to support a position that would focus primarily on club sports. She added that the Senate and the Athletics Department would have to meet and agree on a shared goal before lobbying the administration.
The Daily supports the appointment of a business director specifically charged with the overseeing of the club sports budget, as opposed to one who would be involved with all athletics finances. The Athletics Department currently has full-time staff members in charge of finances, and there is no reason to alter a system that is already functioning well. Additionally, if a business director were to oversee the finances for all of athletics, it may lead to the continued tendency to put club sports on the back burner, which is the exact problem that this position's purpose would aim to avoid.
Tufts' club sports program is a complex operation that encompasses a large portion of the student body, and it is a large enough entity that it merits its own financial director. Student interest in club sports is only increasing, and the Senate has reacted accordingly in passing this resolution. It is time for the university to do its part to help sustain club sports and ensure that student money is properly handled and allocated.
