UNIVERSITY MISSION IS EDUCATION, NOT BUSINESS

There's a fine line between education and business. Southeast Missouri State University may have crossed that line with a decision to relocate a gymnastics academy on campus. Last Friday, Southeast's regents agreed to take over the operation of a gymnastics program for elementary school age children. That program has been run by the university's gymnastic coach as a community business the past 11 years.

Regent Ann Dombrowski expressed her doubts about the venture when regents voted Friday. She advised her fellow regents that the university should not become involved in a private business. We agree.

In effect, it forces other businesses to compete on an unlevel playing field. That's because the university can use staff and students to lower operational costs. Overhead will also be much lower with the business located in an existing university building, in this case Parker Gymnasium.

This is another case of good intentions, bad idea.

We can't fault Coach Bill Hopkins for wanting to increase the gymnastics budget. His top-notch team is able to compete with some of the best in the country. And yet the operating budget is just $14,000 and the scholarship allocation is well below par for such a program. The scholarship budget is around $42,000, when the NCAA allows around $78,000. The coach feels moving the gymnastics academy will help his team by improving the overall scholarship fund and budget. Coach Hopkins also maintains that many other top schools offer similar elementary gymnastics programs.

Under the plan, the gymnastics program would offer a revenue source for athletic scholarships. It's expected to generate about $86,000 in annual gross revenues, with about $30,000 of that going into the university's athletics fund. This program is not a summer camp, which lasts only a few weeks. It is a business, and business profits are the revenues that will fund scholarships.

More and more, college athletics is a business. It takes money to offer top-quality programs. So what's the harm of bringing another business aboard? We just don't feel this should be a mission of our colleges and universities. We have to wonder what a gymnastics program for elementary students has to do with a college education? If the thought is to provide intern~ship opportunities for students, then what's to stop the university from starting a myriad of businesses for the same purpose?

We concede that there is no other private gymnastic program in Cape Girardeau. But who's to say if this program shut down, another wouldn't open in its place. There are also similar programs in Perryville and Sikeston, which are located within the university's service area.

The regents make a point that they are not acquiring a business, because they do not plan to purchase any assets of the academy. But this seems a matter of semantics. They may not be buying the business in a strict sense, but it seems obvious the university will be operating a business with the same clients and similar equipment.

This isn't the first time concerns were raised over the university mixing business with education. The Center for Child Studies began offering night child care last year after student groups indicated a need. Some area day-care operators expressed concern that the university was treading on their turf. The program was later discontinued because too few students enrolled their children. Area business people also raised concern in recent years over a suggestion to construct a mini-mall in the Towers complex.

We believe the university should forge a partnership with business. Education should prepare students for business opportunities, not compete with local business.