Sports prowess and dividends

Coog power

Regarding “Athletics spending called a drain on UH” (Page A1, Monday), this has been an argument of the faculty for many years and will probably remain one for years to come. I am sympathetic to the need of the faculty, but they must understand that the average University of Houston alum who competes in his business life with others from universities with elite sports programs needs the pride promoted by a successful football program. That pride along with other factors will elevate the university. They must also accept the fact that most of the money spent on sports facilities is raised privately from successful donors whose only real connection with the university is through sports.

Academic programs may not be as high-profile as sports ,and the sources of private funds may be more obscure. But everyone must be working to find those funds, whether they are from private donors or grants to enhance academic programs.

I also believe the construction of new housing on the campus, along with a successful sports program and Tier I status will be the factors that will produce a new generation of alumni with a love and loyalty to the university that we have never seen in the past. The overall prestige of the university will continue to rise, attracting more world-class faculty and top-notch students to keep it all in balance.

If we were a private, elite academic university, the argument would be a good one, but we are not. UH is a diverse public university that has struggled to have its pride on the front page for years. Unfortunately, sports prowess is the thing that creates the bragging rights and the pride of the alumni to stand out among their peers.

Universities like UH that have been in the shadows for years and whose alumni have been hungry for recognition of their university must do what UH is doing to achieve the recognition we all seek. Surely that will come back to the university in future years. Leroy Hermes, former chairman, UH System

board of regents

Coming to town

Regarding the land purchased by the University of Texas System for a potential collaborative research center in the future, local officials should be applauding, not complaining (“UT tab for site nears $450M,” Page A1, Thursday).

The University of Houston has made great strides in recent years and a future UT system project poses no threat to that progress. Are we really going to pretend there’s not enough research to go around? That’s an incredibly small-minded and small-town kind of attitude, not the kind the fourth-largest U.S. city should be exhibiting.

High-level research brings forth tremendous economic opportunities and, given our continuing need to diversify our economy, Houston should welcome an institution of the UT system’s caliber into the fold.

Chris Bell, Houston