Our letter to the Davis Division of the Academic Council in Support of PE

December 8, 2020

Davis Division Academic Senate Executive Council

Dear Members of the Executive Council,

The Board of the Davis Faculty Association writes to express support for the Physical Education Program and opposition to the proposal on the part of the campus administration to disestablish the PE program, an action it took without consultation with stakeholders or any specific proposal to mitigate the harm that would be done. Although the administration agreed to convey what it asserted was a decision to the Academic Senate, to the best of our knowledge, the administration has yet to agree that it is obligated to engage in consultation or account for the input from faculty, the PE program, or the 4,000+ students who signed a petition in support of retaining PE.

Since Executive Council has received previous correspondence in support of PE from many interested parties, we do not intend to reiterate the details of the points that have already been made. Here we simply summarize the main issues as we see them.

The Physical Education program benefits the campus in several important ways. Individual students have access to academic courses providing instruction in specific sports and more generally supporting wellness of mind and body.

In addition, the PE Program must also be viewed in a broader context. PE is the critical link that connects intercollegiate athletics (ICA) to the core academic mission of the campus. This connection supports the educational model for ICA, which promotes high ethical standards in athletics. It includes both the student-athlete and the teacher-coach models, which together ensure a program that maintains academic oversight and the integrity of athletics on our campus. The importance of these were emphasized in the unanimously adopted 2012 Academic Senate report on ICA and its relationship to PE.

The administration’s main argument is that it can save money by terminating the program and firing lecturers who are involved. However, the savings are disproportionately small in relation to what would be lost. And if the administration were to follow through with an effort to mitigate any of the harm done, then the cost saving would evaporate.

One benefit of the recent discussions has been to re-identify the documents and individuals with first-hand accounts that conclusively show there was a common understanding that the funding that students provide for ICA ($23.5 million per year) will also have the effect of maintaining the PE program and lecturer-coach model. Students have been a key part of this discussion, and the ASUCD student Senate has passed a strong pro-PE resolution.

It is important to support student wellbeing and assure integrity of ICA while honoring the commitments to the campus that this and previous administrations have made. Thus we believe that the Academic Senate should state its clear opposition to the administration’s proposal. The board of the Davis Faculty Association chooses to align with the interests of students and the larger campus community by supporting PE and opposing the administration’s proposal.

Sincerely,
The Executive Board of
The Davis Faculty Association