The campus has officially declared its intention to explore a move from NCAA Division II to Division I athletic competition after undergraduates voted last week to raise student fees to provide athletic grants-in-aid.
In a letter dated Monday, Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef notified the National Collegiate Athletic Association that the campus will continue to explore reclassification to the higher-ranked level of competition. NCAA rules require a campus to declare by Dec. 1 its intention to explore the move and then to decide by June 1.
In another development, the association's Big West Con-ference let it be known that it has an invitation for UC Davis to join in its pocket. Last Friday, the chancellor received a letter from the conference commissioner. Dennis Farrell wrote that UC Davis would be issued an invitation to join the conference if and when the campus is in a position to accept the offer. The conference wants to know UC Davis' intention by March 1.
Vanderhoef said in an interview that the student vote was an important step as the campus proceeds toward a decision on Division I. "It made it clear that if we do go D-1, we will do so on a firm financial foundation."
The student vote on Division I, however, is advisory only, and the chancellor emphasized that faculty members and other constituencies will be consulted before a decision is made.
In an Associated Students of UC Davis election with a record 8,744 votes cast, undergraduates voted 54.1 percent in favor of raising fees to support a package of projects including $4 million annually in grants-in-aid for Division I competition, a new "Principles of Community Center," a Coffee House expansion, Unitrans improvements and increased funding for intramural and club sports. A total of 4,638 students voted for the fee increases and 3,929 voted against them.
Together, undergraduates and other students - graduate, MBA, law, veterinary and medical students - voted 6,719 to 2,724 or by 71.1 percent to raise fees for a new student health center.
The votes will add as much as $20 to an undergraduate's quarterly fees next academic year, $132 by 2006-07and $173 by 2008-09. But it's only if the campus decides to move to Division I that undergraduates would be assessed that portion of the above fees: $15 beginning next fall and $61 by 2006-07.
Graduate, MBA, veterinary and medical students voted 442 to 432 in favor of increasing their fees to boost funding for intramural and club sports, and they decided 593 to 274 against raising fees to support the proposed Principles of Community Center.
In most cases, the fees that students considered provide for about 20 percent to 25 percent to be returned to financial aid to offset fees for students in need.
In all, a record 9,874 students voted - almost doubling the number of voters for any previous election.
Regarding the proposed move to Division I, the chancellor said, "There is still much work to do, especially regarding consultation with the faculty. We must hear from them before we decide," he said. "Staff, alums and community members are among the others we will contact."
Associate Vice Chancellor Bob Franks of student affairs said the chancellor has met with the executive committee of the academic senate and invited questions about the proposed move to Division I. And student affairs is currently responding to financial questions submitted by Professor Ted DeJong, chair of the academic senate's committee on academic planning and budget review.
Today, faculty and staff members will have an opportunity to learn more about the proposed move and share their thoughts at a forum from noon to 1 p.m. in Memorial Union II.
The student votes are advisory only to the administration for the grants-in-aid, the Principles of Community Center, the Coffee House expansion, Unitrans improvements and increased funding for intramural and club sports.
Franks said students will play a major role on planning committees, to be established next quarter, for the new capital projects. Upon completion of the projects, an oversight committee will assist with major planning decisions affecting the facilities and activities funded by the votes. The majority of the oversight committee's members will be students and include student representatives of all voting constituencies.
Katie Barbero, chair of ASUCD's election committee, said the results of the voting will not be official until at least Monday.