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Date Posted: Fri April 15, 2005 18:15:47
Author: JCC
Subject: Ram'69: You're right about how athletics can complement and support academic improvement. Just one more point: It's not just a coincidence that the schools with top athletics (like several cited in the Annual Fund letter) often get better financial support from their alumni. Long after people have graduated from a school, following that school's sports programs builds interest and a sense of involvement. Maybe that's not necessary at the Ivies, but we're not at that level yet. In my view, the poor alumni giving at Fordham can be linked to three factors: (1) Our tradition of educating upward-bound city folks rather than well-heeled suburbanites; (2) The fact that Fordham was predominantly a commuter school for many years; and (3) Administrative actions that deemphasized athletic programs and demoralized alums who were interested in them. More attention to athletics would not only attract potential students, but potential donors as well.
In reply to: Ram'69 's message, "Virtually all of us want Fordham to stress academics over athletics. But what the administration--and some posters here--seem to overlook is that the two can be mutually supporting. Obviously, a good basketball team won't turn an inferior commuter school (like St. John's) into an academic powerhouse. But athletics have certainly helped to raise the national profile (and expand the applicant pools) of schools like Duke, BC, ND, and Georgetown. The years when these institutions were on the rise athletically were the same years when they were coming into their own academically. Fordham has a lot of things going for it--outstanding academics, Jesuit traditions, a renowned faculty, three beautiful campuses in the "capital of the world," a growing population of resident students etc. The one piece missing is the athletic one. Is it a coincidence that the era when Fordham's was THE preeminent Catholic university was the same era when our athletics brought us national attention?" on Fri April 15, 2005 15:03:41


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