NEW: Brown Cutting Athletic Admissions Beginning Next Year
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Brown University plans to cut athletic admission slots beginning in 2012-2013. The plan would lower admission slots reserved for athletes by 9%, from 225 to 205. The cuts are being made to realign academic representativeness of athletes. Brown had more sports with athletes’ average Academic Index (AI, a formula consisting of GPAs and standardized tests) below those of their peers at Yale, Penn, Dartmouth, Harvard, Columbia, and Princeton. “The primary reason for reducing slots is not to correct a misalignment with peers but, rather, to appropriately rebalance academic goals and athletic interests in the Brown context.” Simmons said.
The plan to make these cuts is still to be determined. “It is essential that whatever plan is devised to achieve this reduction be seen as judicious and that it take into account the needed balance between men and women’s sports,” Brown’s president Ruth Simmons said in her response. “The Athletic Director should submit a plan for accomplishing this reduction to the Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services." Eliminating the 20 slots will be a gradual process completed in 2016 at the latest.
Cutting athletes admission seats is not the only change being made in Brown athletics. The school plans to raise the AI for admitted athletes and eliminate fencing, wrestling, and skiing as university funded sports. "The three teams recommended for elimination – wrestling, fencing and skiing – should be given the chance to demonstrate that their supporters are able to endow their sport at the level deemed necessary by the University. These sports should demonstrate over the course of the year that they have assembled gifts and pledges that, when combined with existing team-designated support, constitute an income stream sufficient to generate no less than 100% of the current annual budget for that sport,” Simmons explained.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTThe report has upset many in the Brown community who have written counter-proposals, letters, and emails to the committee and President against cutting university teams and athletes. There are many mixed reactions between the students. “I understand why they had to do it. I mean when you look at the amount of slots, say football, gets its kinda ridiculous,” one athlete said about the admission cuts. Another student participating in several different athletic clubs at Brown said “I understand times are tough, but I don't see why student sports should be what's cut. Aren't there other places we can trim?"
“I’d be for a cut in athletic admittance. I understand that factors like alumni donations are potentially tied to athletics at Brown, but I believe that Brown, as an educational institution, would do well to focus more on accepting applicants of high academic caliber and not give those spots to recruited athletes who are for the most part under-qualified or less qualified than their non-athlete counterparts.” A freshman studying at Brown said. “As far as cutting teams goes, I’m not in favor of that. I believe it’s important for any university to offer its students a broad range of experience and provide a more equal experience within Brown athletics.”
The cuts in fencing, wrestling, and skiing funding will take effect next year as the cuts in admission slots begin to be reduced.
