Daily Campus article on AD deficit

[mustangdm]

Last I knew, the paper only received its money through advertising and donations. No money from SMU goes to the Daily Campus.

[Get_Some_Ponies]

A college Athletic Department should be evaluated as a running commercial for your university and alumni outreach program. SMU's program-especially this year-does a better job of that than the rest of the university combined.

My understanding is that SMU applications this year are up considerably largely based on success of the football team. Stallion is right that athletics are important for student recruiting particularly for the private colleges.

How did you get that information and how do they correlate the boost directly to the football program? Application deadlines were hitting before we went bowling. Seems like it would have more of an impact next year.

[Stallion]

I thought the number was higher-it was reported on I believe a Channel 8 story which quoted Turner, Orsini and Jones. It was previously posted on this board.

[Mexmustang]

One of the problems is how a unversity does its accounting, it is not the same as a for profit orgainization. While proper, accounting for "non-profit is virtually a funds accounting sysem.
Secondly, under this system no one operates at a surplus, not a department, a school or university, rather the school has to suppliment the various budgets by annual contributions and earnings from the endowment. Annual contributions and earnings from the endowment are truely somewhat nebulous--from what activity are they derived? What motivates a donor? Is it football? a favorite professior? or where John met Mary? Obviously the athletic department can't run at a huge deficit every year, etc. But, programs, departments, activities and the school as a whole just aren't "profitable" on the same basis in which we think as businessmen, without these contributions to offset their "operating losses" the university would not exist in the long term. It is no secret that universities, especially private universities, depend greatly on annual giving and earnings from their endowment to suppliment the shortfall in tuition, fees and revenue.

[couch 'em]

All I know is that while I can understand an article of this kind during the dark Bennett years, it is unacceptable under the New Era we are in.

Someone should collect all the Daily Campuses and burn them for this disloayalty.

[Bergermeister]

Someone should collect all the Daily Campuses and burn them for this disloayalty.

I say we put Guy Morriss in charge of this project.

[Mestengo]

Is there enough alcohol in this world to suffice all of the bean crunchers?

[Stallion]

actually I find it refreshing that the article appeared in both the "dark Bennett years" and the June Jones era where we have enjoyed some success. Its called Freedom of the Press-look into it- the Press fills an important role in informing the public. We all should be aware of these funding issues-its what you do with the information that is important.

[Mexmustang]

Your are absolutely right, all I was pointing out is that you could substitute "English Department", "Dedman College", the "university" for "Athletic Department" in the article, they all run at a deficit and require contributions from annual giving and income from the endowment fund to fund the deficits. Obviously each department head, including Orsini must be challenged to reduce the deficits and manage to strict operating budgets. Trying to measure how annual donations are generated and what might motivate a donor is a very subjective proposition. I happen to beleive that a successful atheltic program enhances this giving. One important ingredient to the financial success of the school is getting alumns interested in the school, getting them back on campus, tail gaiting and supporting a successful team.

[abezontar]

actually I find it refreshing that the article appeared in both the "dark Bennett years" and the June Jones era where we have enjoyed some success. Its called Freedom of the Press-look into it- the Press fills an important role in inciting the public. We all should be aware of these funding issues-its what you do with the information that is important.

FTFY

[smu diamond m]

Another problem I had with this article: IT IS A PRIVATE UNIVERSITY. Why would you expect transparency? When all these people applied to SMU and accepted our Alma Mater's offer, they knew it was going to be expensive, private school tuition. Maybe they should've thought about that?

[planoponyfan]

Poorly written article that really goes nowhere. Where do they account for things like this: http://www.wfaa.com/sports/The-June-Eff ... 02522.html

I know it's hard to put stuff like that in black and white figures, but it really does matter. The school is better off with a solid athletic program than without it. The good news is that Turner understands this pretty well.

[72mustang]

Having worked for Stanford for 16 years no one in a university wants to know what the costs of eduction for various disciplines are

[ponyscott]

If we want to credit the Athletic Dept to advertising for the University as a whole, then we will have to consider the following estimated publicity facts that came about as a direct result of SMU playing in the Hawaii Bowl on December 24th, 2009:

· Value of publicity received by SMU related to the Hawaii Bowl - $30,476,130.71

· Reach of publicity received by SMU related to the Hawaii Bowl - 503,955,166 people

· Applications to SMU were up 35% in January 2010 over January 2009 (immediately following SMU’s bowl win)

· Web traffic for SMUMustangs.com was up 143% in December 2009 over December 2008 and traffic for SMU.edu was up 45% Dec. 24 - Jan. 7 from 2009 to 2010 (immediately following SMU’s bowl win)

[peruna81]

ponyscott,

thank you, sir.

source(s)?