Gender equity concerns settled by college

A settlement to a protracted government inquiry into the gender equity of Oberlin athletics has been reached, and softball will not be added to the College's varsity offerings in the forseeable future.

"We're completely squared away with the Office of Civil Rights," President Nancy Dye said. "There are no outstanding charges or investigations."

The Department of Education's final report was received by the College on March 20, 1996.

Dye said, "We have no equity concerns in terms of the varsity program."

Last year, the College signed an agreement with the Office of Civil Rights that required it to make some small changes to the athletic department budget and review Oberlin's compliance with gender equity laws. The consulting firm hired to evaluate the athletic department found disparities in some areas of the department, specifically the amount of money spent for recruiting in men's and women's sports.

The firm also recommended that Oberlin either drop a men's sport or add a women's sport. Based on that recommendation, the ad hoc committee recommended that if a sport were dropped, it be baseball and if a sport were added it be softball.

Last spring, the Ad Hoc Athletic Programs and Policies Committeee was formed to evaluate whether equal opportunities for female athletes exist at Oberlin. The committee recommended that softball be made a varsity sport. This recommendation was based on the evaluation of an outside consulting firm the committee had hired to perform the evaluation.

Softball existed as a club sport for one semester last spring.

These evaluations and recommendations were the result of a Title IX investigation, conducted by the Department of Education's Civil Rights Office, that the College was subjected to after two female athletes lodged a complaint with the Department of Education in early 1994.

After the Title IX investigation was launched, the College agreed to evaluate and possibly alter its athletic program.

Title IX, of the 1972 Education Amendments, prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender by any institution that receives government aid.

When the ad hoc committee's recommendation was made last spring, people voiced their support, saying that it made more sense to add a sport than drop one. At that time, Dye said, "I don't really like the idea of dropping baseball."

But it wasn't until this spring that it was officially decided that softball would not be added. Before the final settlement was reached, a search for a softball and volleyball coach was already underway.

Earlier this semester, a job description advertising for someone qualified to coach both softball and volleyball was sent out.

Director of Athletics Don Hunsinger said he received permission to begin a search for a softball coach from then-dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Mary Ella Feinleib. After the final settlement was reached, "circumstances seemed to change," Feinleib said, because adding another varsity sport, or eliminating one, was no longer necessary.

To conform to these changing circumstances, Hunsinger wrote letters to those who had already applied for the volleyball/softball position explaining that it was no longer available, but that, if applicants wished, they could still be considered for the volleyball position. Hunsinger said he also sent out a new job description advertising for someone to coach volleyball only.

Hunsinger said he received 47 applicants for the volleyball position. Interviews for the position will be conducted in the beginning of May and the position will be filled following that.

As part of its settlement with the Office of Civil Rights, Oberlin has to monitor and report next fall on several items - access to and availability of practice equipment, staffing and the existence of "various kinds of support systems," including funds for recruitment and equipment for varsity teams, according to acting dean of the College of Arts and Sciences James Helm.

"We're making a serious effort to make those [areas] equitable, and I think our report will show that," Helm said.

The ad hoc committee did not meet or exist this year, according to Feinleib. While at Oberlin, Feinleib worked with the outside consultant, legal counselors, Hunsinger and Dye to reach a final settlement.

Hunsinger said he believes that there are advantages and disadvantages to adding softball, and added that he doesn't have an opinion as to whether the sport should be added or not. "Having it's good, not having it isn't the end of the world," Hunsinger said, pointing to the fact that none of the varsity teams are currently fully subscribed.

Hunsinger said, "We're definitely committed to making sure both groups - men and women - get the treatment they deserve."