MANKATO, Minnesota, April 21. PRESIDENT Richard Davenport has decided not to approve a suggested student fee increase that would support four intercollegiate athletic programs scheduled to be eliminated at Minnesota State University, Mankato.
However, he said the university will continue to support one of the four programs – women's tennis – in order to honor the university's commitment to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
Women's tennis is a championship NSIC sport; the other three – men's tennis, women's bowling and men's swimming – are not.
"We need to continue to offer the full complement of NSIC championship sports," Davenport said today in announcing his decision.
"I cannot support an athletic program student fee increase," he said. "Students are being asked to bear a significant burden of higher education appropriations cuts through increased tuition, and an athletic fee increase would make that burden too great."
Last year administrators identified four sports programs as candidates for elimination, to help the university reduce its fiscal year 2012 expenditures by $8 million.
Officials identified the sports after examining each of the university's 21 intercollegiate programs based on gender equity impact, potential economic impact, alignment with competitors' programs and other factors.
On April 12 Minnesota State Mankato students, in an advisory referendum, voted 1,796 to 1,287 in favor of raising student fees by 75 cents per credit – approximately $20 per student per year – to keep the four sports programs viable for three years.
"In not approving a fee increase, I have considered several factors," Davenport said. "Only 12 percent of the student body voted in favor of the advisory referendum. Bowling, men's tennis and men's swimming are not Northern Sun championship sports. And a student fee increase to support these programs would be temporary, and does not address the overall budget issue."
"I respect the grassroots effort to save these programs," Davenport added. "The athletes in these programs are wonderful students and great competitors. But budget reductions are the new reality, and that means fewer programs in athletics as well as academics."
The reduction in sport programs is part of an overall budget-cutting effort intended to reduce athletic expenditures by $560,000 over the last three years. The sport program reductions will amount to about one-third of that total.
Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive university with 15,393 students, is part of the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities system, which comprises 32 state institutions.
The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World Magazine. It has been posted in its entirety without editing. Swimming World offers all outlets the chance to reach our audience by contacting us at Newsmaster@swimmingworldmagazine.com. However, Swimming World reserves the right to choose what material is posted.