In Monday's letters to the editor, Scott Erker brought up an interesting point about UF President Bernie Machen's salary. Mr. Erker wrote that the University Athletic Association, among others, should contribute money to the academic side of the university. Mr. Erker, like many UF students, must not realize how much the UAA has already contributed.
The UAA has donated almost ,40 million since 1990. In August, it was announced that the UAA was going to donate ,6 million, the largest single contribution the UAA has ever made to UF.
Even more impressive than the dollar amount is how it was allocated. The UAA gave ,4 million to the Florida Opportunity Scholars Program, a program for students who are the first in their family to attend a four-year institution and who come from families that have annual incomes of less than ,40,000. The program provides these students with tuition, room and board. Sounds good, right? Well, the state also matches those funds, so the UAA's donation will actually provide ,8 million worth of scholarships.
After giving to the Florida Opportunity Scholars program the UAA still has another ,2 million to distribute. UF could use that money to hire more academic advisers, pay faculty salaries or even help alleviate the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences' debt.
I don't know about Mr. Erker, but I think that's a fair balance between helping pay Machen's salary and the ,10 million worth of benefit UF and its students will receive from the UAA.
