CAMPUS ENTERPRISES SHOULDN'T COMPETE WITH THE COMMUNITY

Last week, the University Center at Southeast Missouri State hosted a traveling "warehouse" sale. A Kansas company set up shop for one day and peddled clothing to students, faculty and anyone else who wandered into the building at the corner of Henderson and Normal. Is this the best use of a state-owned facility? Is it in the best interest of university-community relations? In both cases, we think not.

Few university campuses are without a bookstore of some type; in an academic setting, it's necessary and to be expected. In most on-premise stores of this type, there is also a limited supply of clothing, food items and other goods that students might need convenient access to. Fine. Where we find some disagreement, however, is with the practice of a university engaging in marketplace competition, especially with one leg up because of its state-supported, tax-exempt position.

Imagine yourself as a business owner and knowing that you are not obligated to pay taxes on the money you earn. In addition, imagine having the latitude to try marketing strategies that might not succeed, all because failure won't result in business closure, but instead will be redeemed by taxpayers. Now, imagine your competition has this advantage and you don't. That's where a number of Cape Girardeau businesses stand.

While last week's University Center sale was above board, with rent collected by the university and business license fees paid ($500 and $50 respectively ... not bad overhead for a retail outlet), it carries a hint of tactlessness where the school's relation to the community is concerned. When the university reaches out its hand for assistance (as it did in recent years with a $25 million capital campaign undertaken by the school's foundation), it is the local business community that steps forward, checkbook in hand, to help. In allowing such a sale, Southeast assumes an air of indifference to the needs of many businesses.

None of this about last week's sale would be noteworthy were it isolated in nature; in fact, the university routinely operates enterprises that compete with local business people. A campus eatery promotes itself just like any community restaurant would. A student-supported, state-maintained recreation complex offers memberships to some who might patronize similar privately owned facilities. One idea (since abandoned) had the university building and operating a mini-mall in the Towers dormitory complex, one that would potentially take business away from local hair salons and other shops. A radio station carrying national programming is housed at the university and promoted through the school's fund-raising machinery, all the while vying for listeners with stations that depend on a listener base to keep their people employed.

For that matter, the traveling sales unit hosted at the University Center could light in some private venue locally. (This private facility would, in turn, pay taxes for this rental income; the university paid no such taxes.)

None of this is to devalue the significant economic impact Southeast Missouri State has on this community. We love the university and all the great things it does for Cape Girardeau. Still, some questions must be asked with regard to this recent sale. What was gained by hosting this? For $500, the university diminished itself in the eyes of some local retailers. Does the University Center have so many vacancies that it must resort to lingerie and sportswear sales by merchandisers who take in local dollars and leave the city limits before the sun sets?

We hope we never take the presence of this terrific university for granted. We also hope Southeast Missouri State doesn't take its local benefactors for granted.