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Please
sign our petition to save dropped OU sports. Click
here. If
your current circumstances or position with Ohio University do not require
anonymity, we
request that you sign with your name rather than as "Anonymous"
as some have. Thank you and thanks to the Women's Lacrosse blog
for setting up this petition.
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Unanswered
Letters and Other Issues Raised by Dropped Teams -- No Responses from OU's Administration
ELOQUENT WORDS FROM UNITED SWIM PARENTS
Letter to the Editor
In their own words:
“You will graduate a Bobcat swimmer.”
“Ohio University is committed to its Men’s Swimming program.”
“Ohio University is committed to Olympic sports.”
“There are no Title IX issues at Ohio University.”
The current issue on the table is whether President Roderick McDavis and
Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt are men of integrity, willing to stand by
promises made to induce high school swimmers and divers to sign letters of
intent and after enrollment, to encourage student athletes to remain in the Ohio
University swim program. The above statements reflect repeated promises made to
current men’s swimming and diving team members regarding the program
throughout their tenure at Ohio University.
On Jan. 12, 2006 Athletic Director Hocutt sent a letter on Ohio University
letterhead to a number of swimmers “as a follow up to Coach Werner’s
conversation with you regarding a very difficult situation.” The conversation
that Mr. Hocutt referred to included all of the quotes above. Mr. Hocutt states
in the letter: “I want to assure you that the Athletics Department is behind
the Men’s Swimming & Diving program and will support you with all
available resources. As reflected in our five-year plan referenced above, it is
our department’s goal to ultimately return Men’s Swimming & Diving to
its 2004-2005 scholarship totals.”
Ohio University’s Core Values and Guiding Principles are outlined on pages
20 and 21 of the Vision Ohio document: “Interactions among all individuals in
the university community should be built on standards of civility, integrity,
caring, and collaboration.” Webster’s online dictionary defines
‘integrity’ as a firm adherence to a code of moral values. Integrity
involves honesty, honor, honoring your word and honoring your commitments.
On behalf of the United Swim Parents, Brad Stetson and John Schaefer met with
President McDavis, Athletic Director Hocutt and Associate Athletic Director Rob
Andrey on Feb. 16. We discussed the topics above and recommended a phase-out
option for the programs that were cut to allow the current athletes to complete
their athletic eligibility. This is the only fair course of action in light of
the specific representations by the swimming coaches and Athletic Director
highlighted above. Simply put, Ohio University has an ethical, moral and legal
responsibility to honor the words and commitments of its own representatives.
Current team members await President McDavis’ decision regarding whether
promises made will be promises kept.
—United
Swim Parents
Your Turn: Administration needs to own up to decisions,
face real issues
The recent sports cuts have demonstrated that the Ohio
University administrators are lacking in leadership skills. The cutting of four
varsity sports is a huge decision that affects many students here at our
university; yet when those affected try to ask questions, they get the run
around or are ignored all together. Statements given by President McDavis,
including “I’d rather not get into the specifics,” is an unacceptable
answer. The decisions made by university officials affect many lives and the
administrators who make those decisions need to be held accountable.
I find it very disconcerting that officials at Ohio
University time after time refuse to answer simple yes or no questions. “Does
a university with a core value of integrity have an obligation to honor its
words and commitments to its student-athletes?” It is a simple question, yet
no one in the administration seems to have an answer. It is the responsibility
of the administration to answer the question; it is your job. The students whose
lives you have negatively altered deserve an answer. And the fact that
administration officials would have the audacity to even suggest that the
students asking these tough questions are immature is outrageous. The
administration made a choice in cutting these sports, and it is their job to
explain their reasons for that decision. In the case of cutting four sports, it
seems there is an overwhelming amount of information that shows this decision
was not the correct choice of action.
Our university is in a fiscal emergency, and the only
solutions given have been cuts. These deficits have not appeared over night;
there has been serious mismanagement by this and the former administration.
Cutting programs and cutting sports does not fix the problem; it just prolongs
finding a solution. The administration has been trying to put a Band-Aid over
its grave lack of fiscal responsibility.
Cutting sports with very low budgets and small
scholarship opportunities has an extremely detrimental affect on the school’s
financial situation. For example, men’s swimming and diving brings in more
than a half million dollars a year in tuition. Yes, the university saves a
$30,000 budget, but then also risks losing more than $470,000 dollars in
tuition. It is a very simple concept: $30,000 dollars pales in comparison to
$470,000 dollars. Yes, cutting a few sports has a short-term appeal, but it does
not provide a long-term solution and also negatively affects the university’s
budget in the long run.
This administration, throughout every problem that has
arisen, has tried to take the easy way out. Unfortunately, the easy way out
usually comes with the most negative outcomes. Our university is in trouble, and
our administration keeps running from the real issue. This institution has a
lack of leadership and integrity, plain and simple. The current administration
continues to make poor decisions that it cannot defend.
There needs to be more accountability for every action
taken by this administration from now on. I’m tired of half-hearted answers
and complete avoidance to every question posed to this administration. McDavis,
remember a public university is a university that is predominantly funded by the
public, and the students pay your salary.
Branden Burns is a
freshman political science and recreation management major.
Your Turn: Code of conduct needs to go to athletes who
violate it, not cut teams
Letter to the Editor
On March 2, 2007, Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt sent a
letter to all parents of the men’s swimming and diving team (and all sports
that were impacted by the university’s decision to eliminate four varsity
sports). The purpose of the letter was to provide the parents and athletes
“with documentation affirming the commitment of Ohio Athletics and Ohio
University to support your son to the extent we are able to….” Is commitment
really the right word to describe the actions of the Athletic Department?
Mr. Hocutt attached the Ohio University Student-Athlete
Code of Conduct and Discipline Policy because “student-athletes that receive
athletic financial aid, and choose to remain at Ohio University, are expected to
adhere to the Student-Athlete Code of Conduct.” According to this code,
“student-athletes at Ohio University are expected to uphold at all times, high
standards of integrity and behavior, reflecting well upon themselves, their
families, coaches, teammates, the Department of Athletics and Ohio
University.”
The first irony is that since Mr. Hocutt announced the
final decision to eliminate four sports, neither he nor President McDavis has
demonstrated a shred of character or integrity. That Mr. Hocutt would send a
letter to the parents of the men’s team, the vast majority of whom do not
receive any athletic financial aid, and attach this code of conduct, is highly
insensitive. These men would like nothing more than to compete for Ohio
University and, if the university honored its words and commitments — in other
words, demonstrated the integrity that it demands from its student-athletes —
they would have that opportunity.
The second irony is that Mr. Hocutt would feel the need
to send the code of conduct only to the parents and athletes of the cut
programs. Our sons (and all of the athletes that were cut) have represented Ohio
University at all times, both before and after the announcement, with “pride,
class and dignity.” These were the words that the athletic director of a rival
MAC school used to describe our team and fans after the recent MAC Men’s
Championship Swimming and Diving meet. Of course, unlike the other schools that
participated in the championship meet, Ohio University had no representation
from its Athletic Department — they abandoned the team a month prior. Rather
than send the code of conduct to our sons, we suggest that Mr. Hocutt visit with
the athletes and coaches who have embarrassed the university with repeated
violations of its conduct code.
We would also like to take this opportunity to remind Dr.
McDavis that he still owes us an answer to the following question: Does a
university with a core value and guiding principle of integrity have an
obligation to honor its word and commitments to its student athletes?
Tim and Jan Herlehy
write from Batavia, Ill., and are members of United Swim Parents.
Editorial: Swimmers, divers epitomized class, integrity
at last meet
The headlines for the MAC Men’s Swimming and Diving
Championships that took place this past weekend in Buffalo read that Eastern
Michigan won the championship for the 27th time, followed by Miami and Ohio in
second and third place, respectively. In a factual way, this certainly described
the results of the meet. Unfortunately, it fails to describe the real story of
the weekend. That story is the class, dignity and competitive spirit
demonstrated by the Bobcat team following the announcement that the university
would no longer sponsor a men’s swimming and diving program.
In the pool, the Bobcats swam their hearts out. The Ohio
University point total was higher than it has been in more than a decade. The
team posted sixty career bests, and there were a number of great individual
performances by both swimmers and divers. In the stands, a large crowd of
parents, fellow students, nearly the entire Bobcat women’s swimming and diving
team and alumni gathered to pay tribute to this team and do whatever they could
to support their effort. At the request of the fans of the other teams, a
petition was circulated to “Save OU Swimming.” In the end, more than 400
people, the vast majority fans of other teams, signed the petition.
A casual observer of the three-day meet would have been
completely unaware this was anything more than a championship swim meet. The
cheers from the Bobcat team itself and the fans were at least as loud as the
other teams’. The team showed the same enthusiasm for each of their team
members, whether they were competing in an exhibition heat or a championship
race. They shared in each other’s disappointments and achievements just as
they always do. Although invisible to the casual observer, we also witnessed a
team supporting each other to overcome their own feelings about how and why the
university they are so proud to represent had turned its back on them.
And then, at the conclusion of the last event of the
championship meet, something happened that none of us will ever forget. The
Eastern Michigan team and fans began to cheer ‘OU’ and form the letters with
their arms. Almost immediately, the rest of the crowd and the team members and
coaches from all the teams on the swim deck joined them — for one minute the
entire natatorium was cheering for Ohio University. The other teams and fans
then began cheering “Save OU.” Later, when the Eastern Michigan team stepped
onto the podium to accept their awards, they began to cheer for OU again — a
spontaneous outpouring to honor the effort, class and dignity displayed by our
team in this most difficult of circumstances. Eastern Michigan took home the
championship trophy, but what their team and fans were trying to communicate was
that the Bobcats were the true champions this weekend in Buffalo.
We ask that Ohio University recognizes this display of
class and effort by the men’s team by displaying a like amount of integrity.
Specifically, we ask the university to honor its word and commitment to the
swimmers and divers and to allow the current team to complete their eligibility
as was promised before they came to Ohio University. —United
Swim Parents
Your Turn: Athletic department debacle
shows no class, integrity
Letter to the Editor
President McDavis,
It has taken me two days to absorb your
letter; a polite letter in so many words telling us to get lost! What truly
irritates me is that you did not answer our question, which you said you would
after you had time to deliberate.
We asked you, “Does the university with
a core value and guiding principle of integrity have an obligation to honor its
words and commitments, written and verbal, to its student athletes? As John
Schaefer pointed out in our meeting, it is a simple “yes” or “no”
answer. I would have thought a man of your standing would have responded; why
have you not? Does the university, does the administration, does the athletic
department have integrity? Please respond to this question as you promised you
would.
If you need an example of integrity you
should have showed up at the MAC Conference meet last weekend. Sportsmanship and
integrity were the guiding principals of the Ohio men’s swimming and diving
team. Not only did they show integrity, but so did the members of the girls’
swimming and diving team who supported the men the entire weekend. More class
and dignity were demonstrated by the parents and the members of Eastern
Michigan, Ball State, Miami and Buffalo than anyone from the Ohio administration
or athletic department.
I was disappointed for the members of the
men’s team when I was told there were no words of encouragement from the
administration or the athletic department prior to or during the meet. Not only
does it appear that you are unable to demonstrate any level of integrity, you
also seem to be unable to demonstrate any level of class or compassion to your
own student-athletes. Compassion was the Eastern Michigan parents and swimmers
cheering OU, OU, OU, which was immediately followed by the parents and swimmers
of all teams participating. While our men tried to join in, they couldn’t —
their faces were buried in their hands with tears coming down. The girls were
crying knowing they lost their brothers and workout partners, and the parents
were crying thinking this might be the last time they see their sons swim. That
was truly compassion.
Your letter talks about “careful”
considerations, “passionate” responses and the “charge” the Board of
Trustees has given to you. All of which are very hollow words in that there was
no careful consideration as was evidenced by the weak, vague and incredibly
slanted PowerPoint presentation produced by Mr. Hocutt. Passionate! The
administration and the athletic department has shown no passion whatsoever since
the announcement in late January. Careful consideration? Obviously not too
careful since you have not responded to our question on integrity. The Trustees!
At a meeting, one of the Trustees asked Hocutt if members of the cut teams could
join other teams. With all due regard to the Trustee, she has no understanding
of college athletics yet sits on one of your committees that reviews athletic
department issues. Give me a break; is this part of the “careful”
consideration?
President McDavis, this entire
announcement and the process the athletic department followed has been a
complete debacle, and it will come out for everyone to see and understand. It
will be a complete embarrassment for the university, the administration and the
athletic department once all is said and done. The excuses of fiscal
responsibility and Title IX compliance are getting old. Fiscal responsibility is
not solved by cutting a program that might cost $25,000-$30,000. Title IX is not
an issue, as I have come to understand from sources more knowledgeable than I.
These are buzz words given to the trustees and to uninformed audiences to make
them think they understand.
Integrity — do you have it or not? It
is a simple “yes” or “no.”
W.
Bradley Stetson, SaveOhioSwimming
Your Turn: OU should honor commitment to
athletes with phase-out
Letter to the Editor
Reasons to phase out men’s swimming and
diving:
Ohio University has the most talented
team in 13 years under Coach Greg Werner. The team won the Akron Invitational in
December 2006 — a first under Werner. They scored more points at the MAC than
any other team under Werner. There are no seniors — how good could they be
next year. Give them a chance! There is a lot of positive press from this team
and these coaches.
OU has a retention problem. Men’s
swimming and diving offers a sense of belonging and family. These men will stay
the duration and graduate, helping to raise retention rates, which I understand
have plummeted. Many will leave without a swimming and diving program.
OU’s enrollment projections were far
below budget. The men’s swimming and diving program attracted 28 men to Athens
just to swim — 14 men from out of state. When a school has a special niche
that attracts students from Illinois, West Virginia, Texas, Pennsylvania,
Arizona, Indiana, New York, Wisconsin and Michigan, something special is
happening and the program should be kept. Best value and investment on campus!
Recruiting for women’s swimming and diving will be compromised without the
men’s program.
OU’s budget is swimming in red ink.
Revenue generated by men’s swimming and diving — only tuition money.
Fourteen out-of-state students multiplied
by $16,308 equals $228,312 per year. Fourteen in-state students multiplied by
$7,992 equals $111, 888 per year. NCAA gives $22,000 to OU for each athletic
program it offers. That’s a grand total of $362,200 per year plus room and
board revenue.
Mr. Hocutt stated, “Little would be
saved ($25,000) in canceling the program rather than phasing it out.” What is
the real issue? Can’t admit you made a mistake and did not know about your
athletic department’s written promises? OU needs to demonstrate integrity and
do the right thing, not the face-saving thing!
Swimmers just want to swim and compete;
they aren’t there for the money, the free ride or the five-year academic
program. They just love the sport, the competition and the camaraderie (no
scholarships this year for freshmen and only 1.3 scholarships for the rest of
the team — a minimal investment). Many have been swimming since they were five
years old.
OU should honor the commitment their
administration made to these men in writing who chose this university based on
the assurances they received. Our men brought Bobcat pride to the MAC this past
week. OU can be proud of their performance and how they represented their
university with integrity, class and dignity. They chanted their “OU Fight
Cheer,” wearing their OU warm-ups in spite of knowing their university did not
support them Show them the integrity they showed you, Mr. President! Don’t let
your student body know you don’t have the courage to fix what you got wrong,
now that the facts are in.
President McDavis, initiate the phase-out
and turn down the heat on campus. Get this university back on track by
demonstrating moral principles, uprightness, honesty and sincerity. As stated in
The Post by a soon-to-be alumnus,
reverse the “crumbling esteem” and “frightfully downward slope” this
university is on under your watch.
Jan
Herlehy is with United Swim Parents.
Read the
OU Board of Trustees' response to the Herlehy's letter at
this link.
Your Turn: McDavis, Hocutt’s decision
lacks acceptable explanation
Letter to the Editor
President McDavis,
I think it is deplorable that you
haven’t responded to the question posed to you by the United Swim Parents.
Does the university have an obligation to honor its words and commitments? You
promised to answer the question after you had time to deliberate. The question
was asked Feb. 16. We’re waiting ...
Brad Stetson’s letter was very thorough
and to the point. I could repeat or reinforce his comments, but that isn’t
necessary. The fact your administration and athletic department didn’t
encourage or support the men’s swim team before, during or after the MAC
Championship is pathetic. It clearly shows you don’t care about those
student-athletes at all.
I can’t help but re-read the letter my
son, Robert, received from AD Hocutt written Jan. 12, 2006. “As you know the
Athletics Department has implemented a five-year plan that identifies
administrative, philosophical and financial directives that will enable Ohio
Athletics to rise to the forefront of the Mid-American Conference.
“I want to assure you that the
Athletics Department is behind the Men’s Swimming & Diving program and
will support you with all available resources. As reflected in our five year
plan. ...” The letter is signed by Kirby Hocutt, Director of Athletics.
President McDavis, what happened to the
five-year plan? What happened to “all available resources?” We want answers.
These young men came to Ohio to swim, and
commitments were made to them by your Athletic Department to encourage and
convince them to attend Ohio. This happened under your command.
They did their part and honored their
commitment to you, the Athletic Department, Coach Werner and the university.
It’s time to do yours.
Instead, you are throwing them under the
bus. That is unacceptable to us.
Robert
Ihasz is with United Swim Parents.
LETTER DELIVERED TO BOARD
OF TRUSTEES FEBRUARY 13, 2007
Note:
The Ohio University Board of Trustees took up this issue at its February 13,
2007 meeting and endorsed the decision to cut teams. Unfortunately, we are
not aware of any action they have taken to address the instances of inaccurate
and misleading information used to make this decision we point out below.
We
asked them to address those specific instances of inaccurate and misleading
information as should be required of them in their oversight responsibilities.
We
have not received a response from them about our specific questions nor have we
heard of any action by the Board to address what we believe are material
misrepresentation of facts.
The Team Coordinators and their team constituents sent a detailed letter to the
OU Board of Trustees on February 13, 2007.
The purpose of this letter was to tell the Trustees our side of this story
before they met in Chillicothe, Ohio on February 15 and 16, 2007.
They wished to avoid a hurried Trustees' decision to ratify or otherwise endorse
the action the University has taken to dissolve these teams. They asked
the Trustees to reverse this decision.
In the letter, the Team Coordinators and their team constituents provide a
comprehensive synopsis of our position and relevant material supporting our
position appearing on this website.
Thank you for your support of our campaign to Save OU Sports.
Presented
to Ohio University Student Trustees February 13, 2007
To: The
Board of Trustees of Ohio University
From:
Coordinators for varsity sports teams recently cut by Ohio University:
·
Lacrosse: Allison Brennan,
Megan Sanders and Catherine Shelley
·
Men’s Swimming and
Diving: Matthew Temple, John Schaefer and the United Swim Parents
·
Men’s Track and Field:
Justin Kempe and Mark Mecum
Subject: Request
of the The Board of Trustees to review material submitted
herein and reverse the decision made by Ohio University to cut varsity
sports teams.
Attachments:
Linked Internet documents available on website www.SaveOUSports.Org
Dear
Ms. Allen, Mr. Mitchell, and Ms. Gerthoffer:
We,
the coordinators of the recently dropped varsity teams' working groups --
Women's Lacrosse, Men's Swimming and Diving, and Men's Track and Field –
the student athletes of those groups, alumni, parents, and other interested
parties, are working together in an umbrella organization, www.SaveOUSports.org,
to oppose OU's recent decision to cut these sports programs. A tremendous
amount of work has already begun. We
are in this for the long haul and, if necessary, we are prepared to do far more
to save these teams.
Please
take this action immediately
We
encourage you to review all the material aggregated on the web site at www.SaveOUSports.org
so you will be as fully informed as possible.
IMPORTANT:
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE: We
also ask you, as soon as possible via email and phone calls, to invite the
members of the Board of Trustees to read this letter and view the website at www.SaveOUSports.org,
in sufficient time in advance of the February 15-16, 2007 OU Board of Trustees
meeting in Chillicothe, Ohio, so they may be informed of our side of this
situation.
We
hope you will see the merits of our position and support us with a resolution by
the Board of Trustees to:
-
Halt
this decision immediately;
-
Reinstate
the dropped teams;
-
Take
immediate action to help the lacrosse team immediately resume its aborted
season;
-
Embark
on a more comprehensive effort to explore all the options available by a
less partisan group/committee than was apparently undertaken by the OU
Athletic Department including the input from outside sources who are not so
closely tied to the interests of the sports who would benefit from the
elimination of the “non-revenue” sports; and,
-
Implement
the most promising and very practical options already enumerated by
prominent alumni to place OU Athletics on a sound financial and
administrative footing.
There
are a wide array of options open to OU as prominent and generous alumni explain
on our website. OU can solve its Athletic Department financial problems
without resorting to such drastic action. The
Athletic Department, by reallocating resources through a more fiscally
responsible approach, can maintain these sports with very little impact to the
“major” sports programs.
We
believe the Board of Trustees will see that this situation is so serious and so
detrimentally impacts the integrity of the University in the view of many
persons who are supportive of and are ambassadors for the University that they
must act quickly.
Who
we are
We
formed a group named Save OU Sports.Org. Our website can be found at this
link: www.SaveOUSports.org.
We also consist of separate Team Groups under that umbrella that are
comprised of students from each of the dropped teams, team alumni, parents, and
other supporters.
Our
documentation and reference material justifying our position
On
our website, www.SaveOUSports.org and
on the separate team websites linked on our site, we have gathered in one
Internet location, for anyone to review, official OU documents we have
received so far along with a substantial amount of other documentation and
reference material. We are in the process of collecting substantially
more.
The
Ohio Public Records Law requests and requests for official OU documents,
emails, and other correspondence supported by Ohio law are posted as well.
Research
of the first set of these documents used to arrive at the decision to drop these
sports reveals inaccurate and what appears to be misleading information
presented to OU officials charged with either making the decision or endorsing
it.
Inaccurate
information and a flawed process used by OU to make this decision
If
the extent of the erroneous, inaccurate, and misleading information that we
have found so far in our analysis is indicative of the quality of all the
information used in this process, the rigor of research, and the
thoroughness and depth of analysis that went into preparing that information,
then we believe the decision based on it is grossly misinformed.
Here
is but one example of very inaccurate information appearing in official OU
documents that were apparently provided to OU decision makers as they either
made the decision or endorsed it:
The
Executive Committee document says:
...
"[only] 8 high school lacrosse programs in the OH/WV/PA/IN/MI
region."
We
have no idea where they came up with this statistic.
Are they referring to conferences or individual high school programs?
There are hundreds of individual high school lacrosse teams in that region.
According
to LaxPower.com there are 63 high school girls lacrosse teams in Ohio alone.
This number is only for girls’ teams.
There are also at least as many boys teams.
There
are 136 girls’ lacrosse teams in Pennsylvania, 46 in Michigan and we're
working on the number for Indiana and West Virginia. (Source:
http://www.laxpower.com/update05/bingrl/natlrating.php)
Based
on our discovery of this and more inaccurate information alone, we believe the
Board of Trustees (BOT) would have good reason to halt further execution of
this decision until several activities can be undertaken. We enumerate
those activities further below. In
addition to inaccurate information, there are many more reasons for the BOT to
reverse this decision as we enumerate further below.
Furthermore,
it appears that this process, despite claims to have involved thirteen months of
effort, was more political cover to arrive at a conclusion wanted by the
Athletic Department and other officials in the university, than it was an
objective, systematic development of all viable alternatives.
Following
the Ohio Public Records Law, a request has been submitted to the University
requesting detailed information that could add proof to this belief. We
base this belief on, among other things, comments from an attorney who reviewed
the documents we have received so far. His comment on the consultant's
report is posted on the website at this link:
For
your convenience it is provided here: He said:
"We
are surprised with the lack of depth of the report. The report appears
to be more of a "rubber stamp" of decisions that OU already wanted
to make rather than an analysis of what potential alternatives might
exist."
Financial
problems and Title IX cited by OU
The
University cites financial and Title IX problems as the main reasons for this
decision. We understand that OU has financial problems.
From the documents we obtained, we learned that OU has had these
financial problems for approximately five years.
However,
it would be naďve to believe that the sports being eliminated caused the
financial problems; a more pragmatic analysis lends itself to fiscal
mismanagement and waste in those sports that consume the most revenue.
Further, the stakeholders in this recent decision process were left in
the dark about possible consequences to them from this serious financial
situation.
Financial
problems – donors who could have made a difference kept in the dark on team
cut – prominent donor offers viable options
We
published a letter on the website from the President of the OU National Capital
Alumni Network -- a substantial Bobcat contributor -- at which he expresses
outrage at the fact that alums were not told during the recent successful fund
raising campaign that these sports were on the chopping block. His
letter may be found at this link:
In
this letter and below it from the petition online (that he signed and commented
on at this link: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ohiouniversitysports/index.html --
see comment number 176 by Robert Walter) (we believe there is a hall at OU named
for his Mother possibly paid for by Mr. Walter and his family but we are not
sure), he offers up multiple alternatives for solving the Athletic Department's
financial problems that avoid cutting teams.
These
are creative and viable alternatives to cutting teams and damaging student
athletes’ college careers from a long-time, generous President of one of
OU’s largest Alumni Networks. We
believe his concerns and his professional recommendations deserve your respect
and attention.
This
is just one alum, albeit a very prominent alum. Many more on our online
petition make similar observations. Indeed, many state they are ceasing
their contributions until these teams are reinstated.
Please
see the website pages listed below at the following links for expert
observations on these two issues – finances and Title IX. The official
response to OU's decision from Phil Whitten, Executive Director of the College
Swim Coaches of America is particularly enlightening. See his remarks
about OU in a nationally published interview at this link: http://www.saveousports.org/reactions_to_ou_decision.htm
We
believe you will see that citing these reasons for dropping the teams is a
position that lacks ballast when held up to objective scrutiny.
We
stake out our basic position about both the financial problems and Title IX
problems as bracketed interjections in the published official statement by
Athletic Director Hocutt on this web page:
Here
is only some of the material used to rebut AD Hocutt’s positions on how OU
must solve its Athletic Department financial problems and questioning an
aggressive Athletic Department spending program as it cuts teams:
From
an interview with Phil Whitten, Executive Director of the College Swim Coaches
of America about OU’s decision to drop sports teams:
"As
for the issue of the budget deficit, ... Yes, the Ohio University Athletic
Department has built up a $4 million deficit over the years. This is not
something that happened overnight. Didn't anyone notice?"
"Aside from that, you have to ask: what impact would cutting men's
swimming have on the deficit? It turns out that the incremental cost of having
a men's swim team -- in addition to the women's team -- comes to roughly
$35,000 a year. Let's see: at $35,000 a year, it would only take a bit more
than 114 years to erase the deficit. And,
that's assuming zero inflation and zero interest on the debt."
"On
top of that, we have learned that even as the A.D. is crying
"poverty," he plans to move on with building a $20 million indoor
football practice facility. When
asked, he says "most" of the $20 million will come from
"private donations." But
he's unclear about how much "most" is.
It could be just pennies more than $10 million.
Or it might be 11 to 12 million, or maybe even 15. Whatever it is, it
will only add to the deficit, perhaps doubling or even tripling it."
"As a former college professor, I would have to give the OU
administration an "F" for research and transparency."
OU’s
use of Title IX to justify cutting sports does not hold up to scrutiny.
Furthermore,
we believe there are convincing rebuttals to OU's claim of compelling Title Nine
problems on this page:
Phil
Whitten's comprehensive interview addresses it here: http://www.saveousports.org/reactions_to_ou_decision.htm
Then, please scroll down past Phil Whitten's interview to the official
response by the NCAA to OU's claims of Title IX problems
Here
is his statement confirming that OU ranks 21 out of 119 Division One schools in
Title IX compliance. He cites
the Women's Sports Foundation, probably the leading advocate for Title
IX adherence: http://www.saveousports.org/reactions_to_ou_decision.htm
“Last
year, Ohio University ranked first out of the 119 Division I schools in Title
IX compliance. This year, it ranks 21st – still better than more than 80
percent of Division I schools. So why does the athletic director
maintain that his department is not in compliance? I believe there are only
two possible explanations: Either his analysis was seriously flawed or there
was a deliberate attempt to misstate the facts…”
Myles
Brand, the President of the NCAA, said recently. "I certainly hope no
University cuts sports to comply with Title IX. There are always alternatives.
The NCAA is always ready and able to work with an athletics department to
identify acceptable alternatives to cutting sports. It should not be the case
that men's participation opportunities are diminished to comply with Title
IX."
"Second,
OCR [Office for Civil Rights, US Dept. of Education] hereby clarifies that
nothing in Title IX requires the cutting or reduction of teams in order to
demonstrate compliance with Title IX, and that the elimination of teams is a
disfavored practice."
Stakeholders
excluded from secret decision process in violation of OU policy
Of
particular concern to us and what has us, Bobcat alumni throughout the nation,
Ohio citizens, and many others outraged is the complete exclusion of the
stakeholders with the most at stake in the outcome in the secret decision
process over the last thirteen months:
-
You
and Student Government officials were apparently excluded, in apparent
flagrant violation of official OU policy.
-
Student
Athlete Representatives were excluded, apparent violation of OU policy.
-
Student
Athletes working hard at their studies and at advancing their teams and
sport were excluded.
-
Generous
active alumni were apparently excluded (It is possible that a case could be
made that these contributors were duped in the recent campaign by the
withholding of information about these teams).
-
Parents
who not only pay college costs but also pour funds and substantial amounts
of their time into supporting the teams -- and other OU sports as well --
were excluded.
The
exclusion of these groups worked to the detriment of a valid, equitable,
respectable and thorough analytical decision-making process.
One could hardly expect support of the decisions under the circumstances.
Decisions made behind closed doors by few seldom win the support or earn
the respect of many.
Damage
to stakeholders
And,
perhaps most distressing, student athletes optimistically embarking on their
college careers were recruited for this year and next by coaches who are
believed to have been kept in the dark about the fates of their teams. If
this is true, then these coaches were misled, their reputations within their
professional community were apparently damaged, and these innocent youngsters
who may have passed up other offers in order to come to OU are now left to
scramble to find alternatives.
Absence
of responsible leadership
It
may have been difficult for OU's leadership to announce this set of problems and
the possible outcomes thirteen months ago;
but,
it would have been the right thing to do.
This
demonstrates, in our opinion, a deficiency of character in those who lead this
institution. More than management skills, public relations-fund raising
skills, or the depth of knowledge of education systems and other experience,
character is the most important qualification the leadership of this university
must have.
This
failure to give sufficient advance notice to so many people who stand to lose so
much, we believe, demonstrates an absence of character and is unforgivable.
Board
of Trustees
We
do not believe that the eminent citizens who comprise the Ohio University Board
of Trustees were fully informed of this process and the potential outcome that
is now growing into public outrage within local and national circles, and OU’s
alumni base.
Had
they been fully informed, knowing their reputations, standings in the community,
and reputations as top leaders and managers of substantial character, we believe
they would have seen the inevitable consequences and would have taken corrective
action well in advance to avoid the current state of affairs.
We
believe further, that what appears to be OU’s leadership’s failure to fully
inform the Board of Trustees of the potential – and now reality – of the
reaction demonstrates a profound lack of judgment and foresight by OU’s
leadership and Athletic Department.
We
believe that this is a substantial disservice to the Board of Trustees as they
carry out their oversight and responsibilities to the University and citizens of
Ohio.
See
this web page on this exclusion and how it is already at the attention of
the national sports community:
"OU
Violates Its Own Policy"
A
synopsis of our position
Our
basic position in this campaign to save these teams is synopsized on this web
page:
What
we ask you to do
We
believe that you, as student leaders, have an obligation to bring this before
the Board of Trustees and demand, in the strongest possible language, that the
process of dissolving these teams be ceased immediately.
Please
submit a resolution to the Board of Trustees to reverse this decision
immediately with these elements:
1.
Immediately reinstate the dropped teams;
2.
Take immediate action to help the lacrosse team resume its aborted season
so they can play scheduled opponents. The
first game of their season is scheduled to begin February 16.
Their first two opponents, upon receiving the news of the canceled season
found other opponents. However
checking the university websites of their remaining 14 opponents indicates that
those teams have not yet scheduled alternative opponents.
There is time to salvage this team and its season but the Board of
Trustees must act right away;
3.
Embark on a much more comprehensive effort to explore all the options
available than was apparently undertaken by the OU Athletic Department;
4.
Implement the most promising and very practical options already
enumerated by prominent alumni to place OU Athletics on a sound financial and
administrative footing; and,
5.
Conduct an independent and outside review of OU's financial condition,
specifically the way the Athletic Department has spent and plans to spend its
budget must be conducted.
Need
for independent, objective, outside review of this decision and OU Athletic
Department’s financial condition and plans
We
believe that an objective, independent, and outside review of OU's financial
condition, specifically the way the Athletic Department has spent and plans to
spend its budget must be conducted.
It
appears that the main goal of the Athletic Department is to build a stronger
football program to bring in more revenue. We question the ability of OU's
market to generate sufficient revenue to offset what appears to be far more
spending on the program. The small number of tickets sold to OU supporters
to attend the GMAC Bowl is a telling indicator.
This
increased spending on "revenue sports" has already forced three (four
if you count indoor and outdoor track as two sports teams) out of existence.
If the aggressive spending continues with a poor outcome, how many more sports
programs might suffer?
We
do not oppose spending on revenue sports to increase the University’s
revenues, per se. However, with OU in serious financial trouble for five
years now, it is imperative that OU get its financial house in order before it
sanctions a spending spree using funds it does not have and which results in
destroying teams with long traditions at OU.
The
overspending on the trip to the GMAC Bowl and the shortfall of bowl and ticket
sales revenue to offset it is a glaring example of the future scenario we fear.
Time
is of the essence – There
is still time to save these teams and salvage the lacrosse team’s season.
Before
substantial future spending is permitted, and before these teams go out of
existence entirely, all of the possible options listed throughout our website
and many more that we believe will be offered up by active participants in our
effort must be explored.
See
this web page for an enlightening news report on OU's athletic spending that we
believe will help you understand our position:
Legal
action contemplated
As
a final note, you should be aware that people within our group are contemplating
legal action. Attorneys are now reviewing the material we have.
We
will give them the rest of the documents when we receive them from OU. We
do not wish to take this course and hope OU and its Board of Trustees will see
this situation more clearly and reverse this course of action.
Nevertheless,
we are prepared to take this case to court if attorneys advise us that we have a
case. We know that OU does not wish to be challenged in court and we do
not want to challenge them this way either.
We
are loyal to OU and do not wish to see it cast in an unfavorable light in a
legal contest.
We
hope an amicable solution to this situation can be found and found quickly
before further damage is done. Please see our statement to this effect on
the website at:
We
encourage you to review all the material aggregated on the web site so you will
be as fully informed as possible. We also ask you to invite the members of
the Board of Trustees via email and phone calls to read this letter and view the
website at www.SaveOUSports.org in
sufficient time in advance of the February 15-16 meeting, so they may be
informed of our side of this situation.
We
hope you will see the merits of our position and support us with a resolution by
the Board of Trustees to halt this decision and explore all the options.
We
believe the Board of Trustees will see that this situation is so serious that
they must act quickly
Thank
you,
Allison
Brennan, Megan Sanders and Catherine Shelley, Women's Lacrosse Team
Coordinators: http://saveohiolacrosse.blogspot.com/
Matthew
Temple, John Schaefer and the United Swim Parents, Men's Swimming and Diving
Team Coordinators: http://saveohioswimming.blogspot.com/
--
GO BOBCATS!!
| |
DROPPED
TEAMS
2006
Women's Lacrosse Team
Swimming
and Diving
and
Track
and Field
|
