February 24, 2001
Dear
Bucknell Crew Alumnus/Alumna,
As fellow
alumni of Bucknell and the crew team we are writing you to address the future
of the Bucknell Varsity Crew Program.
Over the course of the last eighteen years we have all
placed our hearts and souls into building the Bucknell crew team. Many of us have been passionate about
creating a rowing team at Bucknell, elevating it to varsity status, and seeing
it compete on the national and world stage. It has been a continuous climb since the team's inception,
yet at this moment the men's program is facing the possibility of this climb
taking an abrupt turn.
In
November, we sent an e-mail to all alumni for whom we had addresses, where we
explained the details of the situation regarding Title IX and gender equity
legislation. If you did not
receive this e-mail, it can be accessed at the following web site; http://bucknell.vh.shore.net. This e-mail outlines the details of the
issues facing the University and the crew team for Bucknell to become compliant
with Title IX. There is no
question that Title IX has been extraordinary in making inroads for women in
athletics. However, Bucknell and
other universities are facing the reality that strategies used to achieve Title
IX compliance jeopardize the status of men's athletic programs. The need to create gender equity is
essential, but the way compliance is playing out at Bucknell, which lacks the
resources to finance additional women's sports, is creating the need to
reconfigure the status of men's sports.
In trying
to meet the guidelines set forth in Title IX, the University is considering
changing the current status of men's crew from varsity to club, while
continuing to support women's crew at the varsity level. Attached is a proposal drafted by our
group, which seeks to establish a new team status within the athletic
department so that the men's crew team may continue to have a strong presence
on campus and allow the team to grow as it has during its first eighteen years. Our group has recently met with the
Committee on Athletics and with upper administration to present the proposal,
and it is currently being reviewed by these constituencies.
This is a critical moment in
the history of Bucknell Crew. We
ask that you please review the proposal and reflect on it in terms of what you
know about the team and its value to the student experience at Bucknell. We would appreciate an e-mail or letter
endorsing the proposal by March 19.
Your correspondence is invaluable to this process and to the future of
the team.
Thank you
very much for your support, and we will keep you informed of our progress
through e-mail. If you did not
receive the e-mail we sent in November, then please include your current e-mail
address with your letter of support.
We are
excited about the future potential of both the men's and women's teams. We believe that this plan, if supported
by current stakeholders, including students, alumni, parents, and university
administration, ensures that the team will have a long and successful future
ahead. Please do not hesitate to
contact us if you have any questions or comments regarding this matter. Our contact information can be found on
the last page of the proposal.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
The Men's
Crew Alumni Committee
