STATEMENT BY
DR. DEBORAH DAHLEN ZELECHOWSKI
BEFORE THE
SECRETARY OF EDUCATION’S
COMMISSION ON OPPORTUNITY IN ATHLETICS
CHICAGO TOWN HALL MEETING
THE DRAKE HOTEL
SEPTEMBER 17, 2002
Robert Morris College is a non-profit institution of higher learning that grants applied
associate and bachelor degrees. Located in Illinois, our multi-campus institution serves a
commuter population of 6,000 full-time students, 90% of whom are first-generation
college students. Our mission is to provide applied education in a collegiate environment
to underserved communities.
Robert Morris College has earned the distinction of granting more associate degrees to
minorities than any other four-year institution in the nation; we also graduate more
minorities than any other institution in the state of Illinois. These distinctions have been
attained with the assistance of our athletic program. The College has nine women’s
teams and five men’s teams. Currently, the College complies with Title IX by showing a
history and continuing practice of adding women’s sports—nine teams in eight years.
Robert Morris College is an evolving institution. The demographics of our student body
have dramatically changed, as have our academic programs and student services. Fifteen
years ago, we served a female population of secretarial students. Today we serve a
diverse student body of Hispanic, African-American, and Caucasian students who truly
reflect the ethnic demographics of the community. The change in our student profile is
consistent with other single-sex educational institutions – survival depended on becoming
a co-ed institution. To meet the needs of the community and to remain viable, Robert
Morris College made cultural and institutional changes.
Now we find two aspects of Title IX in particular create challenges for evolving
institutions with our mission and history. The guidelines and interpretations of both
proportionality and student interest have put us in an awkward position of complying
with Title IX. Specifically, regardless of ethnic or racial background - all males are
treated as one group. Second colleges whose student bodies are shifting from a singlesex institution to include males students are caught in a statistical anomaly. Third nontraditional students are treated the same as traditional students even though their interest
in athletics is not the same.
Eight years ago, as part of our strategic plan to improve the collegiate environment and
increase male student enrollment, the College added student clubs, activities, and an
athletic program for men and women. Since the creation of the athletic program in 1994,
our institutional enrollment has increased 171%, and our male enrollment has increased
250%. The college credits our athletic program with assisting in attracting males. Today,
our male enrollment is 36% of our student body and 36% associate degree graduates are
also male.
Nationally, male bachelor degree recipients represent only 43% of graduates. Male
associate degree graduates represent only 40% of graduates nationwide. These
percentages decline drastically for minority males. Whereas black and Hispanic males
represent nearly 15% of the U.S. population, they receive only 5% of the nation’s
bachelor degrees and only 7% of associate degrees. Minority males in higher education
are grossly underrepresented when we look at their demographics.
According to the
Justice Policy Institute on state spending for prisons, there are more African-American
males in prison than in higher education. In fact nationally there are 188,000 more
African-American males in prison than enrolled in college. At a time when America
needs to increase the graduation rate of minorities—but particularly the graduation rate of
minority males—more can be done to increase their participation in education. Equal
opportunity needs to consider ethnicity as well as gender, because minority males
historically have not had the same opportunities.
Educational institutions moving from a history of primarily serving females to include
males find themselves in an awkward position. The first question the Commission on
Athletic Opportunity wishes to address, namely: “Are Title IX standards for assessing
equal opportunity in athletics working to promote opportunities for male and female
athletes?” is extremely difficult for RMC to answer. The College is in some ways in a
Catch-22: to attract more male students, we need more male athletics. Yet, we cannot
offer more athletic teams for males because we do not have more male students enrolled.
Robert Morris College also serves a non-traditional student body. Our students are
primarily commuter student and many are older working adults. Many of these students
have no time or desire to participate in sports. They choose to go to college to earn a
degree as fast as they can. There needs to be a way to address proportionality that
considers these students.
To the second question offered by the Commission, “Is there adequate Title IX guidance
that enables colleges and school districts to know what is expected of them and to plan
for an athletic program that effectively meets the needs and interests of their students?”
RMC has a ready answer: We need a clear definition of interest and a clear way to
measure it.
The letter of the law of Title IX is interfering with the spirit of the law. If the intention is
to create equal opportunities, it is preventing us from creating equal opportunities for
minority men. Second how is equal opportunity to be determined for institutions moving
from single-sex institutions to include males? Finally, non-traditional students who have
no interest in athletics need to be considered differently. The College needs additional
guidance on how to honor the spirit of Title IX while meeting our institutional mission to
address the greater needs of underserved students – especially minority males and nontraditional students.