Penn State released its updated Gender Equity Action Policy as the University continues to work towards meeting mandates established by the Big Ten's Council of Presidents.
In an Aug. 5 announcement, University President Joab Thomas announced that he had forwarded the University's Policy to the Council of Presidents, and he provided details about how the University would continue to improve women's athletics at Penn State, including an upgrade in women's soccer from club to varsity status.
"Penn State comes to this challenge in a position of strength," Thomas said. "We offer intercollegiate athletic opportunities to nearly 300 female athletes and we are on a path to expand those opportunities. We have in place, for example, a plan to add women's soccer to our intercollegiate program."
The addition of women's soccer for the 1994 fall season gives the Penn State athletic department 14 women's sports, compared to 15 for the men. The elevation of women's soccer is helping to bridge the gender gap in the University's athletic program.
In a policy adopted by the Council of Presidents last spring, all Big Ten universities must achieve a male/female athletic participation ratio of 60/40 percent. Each Big Ten member is required to meet this deadline by June 30, 1997.
Male athletes currently constitute 66 percent of all Penn State athletes, a figure that is far ahead of most other universities, both in the Big Ten and throughout the NCAA. Only Iowa has a ratio substantially closer to the Big Ten's 60/40 mandate with 63/37.
"Penn State has always taken a leadership position in the sponsorship and support of women's athletics," said Associate Athletic Director Ellen Perry. "This decision (to add women's soccer) underlines the University's commitment to that principle."
The University is also taking a number of other steps beginning during the 1993-94 season to help draw closer to the 60/40 Big Ten mandate, which include the following actions:
--The Athletic Deparment must drop several grant-in-aid savings from men's sports because of new NCAA guidelines. But instead of cutting these grants altogether, the Deparment will transfer these grants to women's sports to increase female participation.
--The Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics Department will conduct an internal interview to ensure that the University is not in violation of Title IX.
--The University will encourage all women's head coaches to attract the maximum number of team members allowed by the NCAA.
--Penn State will increase funding in women's sports for promotions and for marketing in an effort to increase visibility to promote the entire University athletic program.
--Pending legislation by the NCAA, the University will consider instituting participation caps in men's sports.
And Penn State's Gender Equity initiatives aren't going unnoticed.
"It is encouraging to see Penn State embrace the initiatives articulated by the Gender Equity Report to make a very good program even better," said Dr. Jill Fendeis, associate professor of agricultural economics and past-chair of the Commission for Women. "We have been working with the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and the administration to move in these directions for the last several years."
