JMU BoV catching flack
Brent Finnegan -- January 18th, 2007
I was somewhat surprised to read that JMU’s Board of Visitors has been catching some flack this week over the Title IX sports program cuts — a decision they made back in September. Students recently appealed to the 17-member board to save the programs, and the board rejected them.
In a Breeze editorial Tuesday (entitled “Board of Visitors clearly just visiting”) the eds wrote, “The saddest part of Friday’s BOV meeting was the disregard for the students and the realization that these members are out of touch with those they are appointed to represent.”
An editorial in Swimming World Magazine today lambastes the board for hearing, but not listening to the student athletes, and “[giving] Vice President Charlie King the permission to seek an amendment to the state budget that would set aside $5 million toward the construction of a new baseball and softball complex.”
The baseball complex is in reference to the field next to the old HHS where the Turks play. The plan is to clear out Memorial Stadium and put a new field there. You can read more about it on the Valley League blog.
-finnegan
I know of at least one pissed off parent. His kid was on a track scholarship because he was recruited from his highschool to be on the JMU team. Now that program is cut. Furthermore, one of this parents biggest complaints is how financially it doesn’t make sense. I don’t have the numbers but most of the sports that were cut don’t have no or small scholarships associated with them. Cutting these programs doesn’t free up very much money. A big reason some of these programs may have been cut is the parity laws regarding equal numbers of both sexes in the athletic programs on the whole. Does anyone know what I’m talking about and can put an name on the law or stipulation I’m referring to? I know it exists. Anyway, they cut archery too. I used to love sitting out on the field and watching them practice. What a f#@*ing waste! Fire the board of visitors.
Yeah I didn’t read all the links before I posted. Title IX regulation it’s called and most of what I said in the previous post was talked about on the links. But can you imagine being good enough to be recruited to a college team only to have that college cut your sport? What a rip off!
Many students are mad at the BoV, but it has about as much effect as Bush’s 30 percent approval rating: they may be unpopular, but doesn’t change their actions.
Science,
You are correct in your finding of Title IX being the reason for the cuts. From my feeble understanding, it has little to do with financial sensibilities.
Does anyone closer to the conflict know some of the alternatives that were proposed?
Yes, if there is a JMU student reading this, please chime in with your thoughts.
On top of the Title IX cuts, the BoV also voted to increase summer tuition last week.