The Gatepost - FSC's Weekly Independent Student Newspaper

April 22, 2005

Title IX: a work in progress
By Ashley Thomo staff writer
Currently, FSC is not in compliance with Title IX regulations.
However, according to Tom Kelley, director of the Athletic Department, the college is making an effort to promote equal opportunities for men’s and women’s varsity sports.
Kelley said, “We’re not in compliance, unfortunately. But we continually try to offer opportunities for women.”
Kelley said the Athletic Department offered women’s spring tennis and track, but there was not a lot of participation. “Every couple of years, we try to add a sport so we can get our participation numbers up.”
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Title IX, which was passed in 1972, states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”
According to last year’s athletic budget, funding for FSC’s men’s varsity sports was $192,000. However, funding for women’s varsity sports last year was $104,000.
Football was the most expensive men’s varsity sport and had a budget of $57,000. The next expensive sport was hockey, with a budget of $56,000.
Women’s field hockey and volleyball had budgets ranging from $15,000 - $18,000 each.
According to Carey Williams, associate director of athletics, the budget for each sport differs each year. Some years, for example, more money will be spent on certain teams if they need new equipment or uniforms.
According to Kelley, the Athletic Department tries to implement Title IX in different ways.
FSC varsity sports, which are funded by the Athletic Department, are members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
Although it has never has been recognized by the NCAA, last year, cheerleading was funded by the Athletic Department. Last semester, women’s lacrosse, which is recognized by the NCAA, was funded by SGA.
To strengthen FSC’s compliance with Title IX, a switch was made.

Cheerleading is now funded by SGA, while women’s lacrosse is funded by the Athletic Department.
If a sport is not recognized by the NCAA, it does not help a college’s gender-equity numbers or its observance of Title IX.
Kelley said, “Cheerleading was never varsity. ... It’s not recognized by the NCAA. We would have loved to have them because their numbers are great and it would have helped our gender-equity numbers.”
He added even though cheerleading was funded by the Athletic Department, the fact that is not recognized by the NCAA did not show the college’s effort to enforce Title IX.
“I hated to lose them [cheerleading], but you have to look out for the betterment for the Athletic Department, and sometimes you have to subtract to add.”
Courtney Bailey, a sophomore and psychology major, is trying to get the women’s lacrosse team underway.
“We only have like seven girls who said they were interested. We don’t have a coach, so it’s still in the works. ... They [Athletic Department] are trying. We just don’t have enough girls to participate in it right now.
Bailey added, “Carey Williams has been working with us. This year is basically trying to figure who we have on the team or who is interested in playing. If we have a couple practices and get a coach this season, then next year, we will have a better idea of where the team is going.”
When Kelley was asked about the possibility of dropping a men’s varsity sport to bring FSC into compliance with Title IX, he said the Office of Civil Rights does not encourage dropping a men’s varsity sport to balance a women’s varsity sport.

“They’d rather you had more opportunities for women.”
State Senator Karen Spilka of Ashland said there are a number of ways to see if a college meets the Title IX requirements, such as how the college has expanded its athletic opportunities and the percentage it spends on women’s varsity sports.
According to Spilka, “Another way to meet the Title IX requirements is to show that what the school has to offer meets or accommodates the interests of the women at the school. … It has to be more than effort, though. That’s when you look at what is offered.”
The federal government does not offer specific guidelines in how much money should be allotted to either men’s or women’s teams.
“It doesn’t have to be an exact quota, because certainly you have segregated sports teams,” said Spilka, “but are there generally the same participation opportunities [for women] as there are for men? There are different ways a school can show it has met Title IX requirements.”
She added, “It’s not a cut-and-dry analysis. … All schools have a ways to go.”
Sophomore Karin Knutsen, a varsity soccer player, believes joining a women’s varsity team at FSC is a positive experience.
“I think it’s a really good way to make friends and meet people … a good way to spread out your time.
“Carey Williams would come to all the home games. They [Athletic Department] have been really helpful.”
Junior Bryce Guilbeault, a communication arts major and varsity hockey and football player, said, “I think [women’s] sports at this school are very competitive, and they have great results.”
Teana Siv, a sophomore and fashion design major, plays women’s varsity basketball for FSC.
“I think that we get just as much or as little as the male athletics at our school do,” she said.
“I mean, it obviously costs different amounts for different sports, like hockey and football equipment costs more than other sports. But I think that they [Athletic Department] try to offer equal numbers of sports as well. ... Like, they are trying to start up a women’s lacrosse team.”
Senior Stephanie Poitras, a business major and varsity women’s volleyball player, disagreed. “I think the guys are provided more benefits despite the fact the records over the past couple years show that the women’s sports have improved.”
Stephanie Manzo, a sophomore and varsity women’s basketball player, said, “There is no equality. Almost all the funding for athletics go to football and they haven't won a game since Clinton was president. But we can't even get a table to put in our locker room.”
Kelley acknowledged there is room for improving how FSC meets the requirements for Title IX. “Women’s programs have done very well the last five years. We’re very proud of them. Now we ask, ‘Where can we go next?’ ... Rest assured, we are very much in tune to the needs of this campus.”