Sacramento, CA . . . Two California Community Colleges in different regions of the state continue to make strides with the mandates required by Title IX. The colleges being featured in this first article include Foothill College of Los Altos Hills and Los Angeles City College.
Located in the high-tech heart of California's Silicon Valley, Foothill College is home to fourteen intercollegiate sports teams and over 250 student-athletes. The hiring of athletic director Sue Gatlin in 1996 marked a commitment by the Foothill administration to gender equity and the fair distribution of the school’s athletic resources.
“The Foothill College athletic department is very lucky to have an administration that is so in-tune with this issue and realizes that what we’re trying to do is simply what’s fair and right”, Gatlin said. “Our administration has been very supportive, with budget dollars and staff support, of our efforts to increase athletic opportunities for women while maintaining our commitment to our men’s programs.”
Following a thorough program review shortly after Gatlin’s hiring, a strategic plan was developed to establish an equitable athletic environment and ensure Title IX compliance for years to come. In the last three years, Foothill has added five full-time coaching positions, bringing its current coaching roster to fourteen, nine of which are full-time. Over the last six years, the school has added four new women’s teams: golf, soccer, softball and water polo.
Foothill’s commitment to a fair playing field extends to the everyday operations of the athletic department. Practice time is assigned during a general scheduling meeting, attended by all coaches, with preference given to part-time coaches whose schedules are less flexible than their full-time counterparts.
Foothill administered a second comprehensive self-review in 1999, and has maintained its proactive approach to fair play. Using the results from required annual financial reports, as well as surveys of incoming freshmen, the department is able to assess its progress each year, keeping gender equity a focal point of its long-term plans.
“The issues at community colleges are not the same issues facing four-year schools,” said Gatlin. “You can’t compare them with the same rigid set of standards; one needs to look at what is fair and reasonable.”
Home to sixteen intercollegiate sports, nine women’s teams and seven men’s, LA City College has demonstrated a commitment to fair and equitable distribution of its athletic resources.
“Our commitment in this area starts from our President (Mary Spangler) on down the line,” said athletic director H. Ric Fonseca. “LA City’s administration has its ear to the ground on gender equity issues, and that allows our athletic department to take a proactive approach.”
Following a study by the Office of Civil Rights, LA City was found to be in full compliance with Title IX guidelines in March, 2002. The school annually reviews its programs to ensure the athletic opportunities offered to LA City students are equitable and fair.
The scheduling of practice time at LA City is a process that requires some sports to share a facility. However, scheduling preference is given to the sport which is “in-season”, and this alleviates any issues that might arise concerning preferential treatment.
“Compliance with gender equity is not the painful process many institutions perceive it to be,” said Fonseca. “It is simply the right and fair way to administer an athletic program.”
To view the latest news, information and updates of all 23 COA sanctioned sports, as well as the information about the COA’s role in gender equity, please visit www.coasports.org.
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