COUNCIL On the Agenda for April 24, 1996

Year-End Report of the Committee on Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics, 1995-96, March 25, 1996

Recreation & Intercollegiate Athletics:
Questions and Topics in 1995-96

Question on Athletics and Student Debt:

When athletes graduate how does their debt compare with the debt of other students?

Mr. William Schilling, Director of Student Financial Services, spoke to the committee on three occasions regarding the ways that students at Penn finance their education. Mr. Schilling provided the committee with an analysis of the debt incurred by financially aided students and financially aided athletes. The summary statistics for the two groups were:

All Aided Students: Aided Athletes: Average: $16,264 $16,702 Median: $16,655 $16,875

The committee felt that even if these differences were statistically significant that they were small enough to not raise a concern that the athletes were required to incur a significant amount of debt in order to participate in athletic programs.

During the year the committee received information on the NCAA Accreditation, the Gender Equity lawsuit brought under Title IX, and the administrative restructuring from Mr. Bilsky, the Director of Athletics.

NCAA Accreditation:

The first meeting of the NCAA accreditation committee was held during February 1996. Two members of the CRIA committee are on this committee.

Gender Equity:

A Gender Equity Oversight Committee has been created and a member of the CRIA committee is a member of the Gender Equity Committee chaired by Dr. Ruth McCorkle.

Administrative Restructuring:

The Department of Athletics is investigating changes in accountability and coordinated scheduling as two ways of increasing the efficiency of the Department of Athletics.

Finally, we investigated the current state of the athletic facilities by inviting comments from the various user groups. Information was collected and discussed by the committee and forwarded to the Director of Athletics.

Further, Dr. Larry Moneta provided to the committee a current list of the various additional recreational opportunities available in the residences.

The committee supports the efforts of the Office of the Vice Provost for University Life to continue their actions to find solutions to the problems caused by the limited space at the University regarding the opportunities for recreational athletics.

-- Submitted by Ed Lusk, Chair

1995-96 Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics Committee: Chair: Edward Lusk (statistics); Faculty: Stephen Gluckman (infectious diseases); Peter Hand (vet); Alan Heston (economics); Martin Pring (physiology); Kenneth Shropshire (legal studies); Walter Wales (physics); One to be named; Administration: David Espey (English); Robert Wagner (strength coach); A-3: Walter Benjamin (admissions); Regina Cantave (UMIS); Alumni: Gay Lacy (assistant director, alumni council on admissions); Hunter Lott (assistant development officer, athletics); Students: Larry Kamin (Col '98); Kelly McCollian (Col '96); Jeff Pettis (CGS); One graduate/professional student to be named; Ex officio: Steve Bilsky (director, division of recreation & intercollegiate athletics); Larry Moneta (associate VPUL); Willis Stetson (dean of admissions)

Almanac

Volume 42 Number 29
April 23, 1996

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