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November 25, 2002

DARTMOUTH ANNOUNCES ELIMINATION OF
VARSITY SWIMMING AND DIVING PROGRAMS

HANOVER, NH – As part of planned College-wide budget reductions, the Dartmouth Department of Athletics and Recreation has announced the elimination of its varsity men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs effective at the conclusion of the current competitive season in March 2003.

The Dartmouth athletic department faces a $260,000 reduction of its $10.8 million annual operating budget. The permanent elimination of the swimming and diving programs will reduce the athletic budget by $212,000 annually beginning in 2003-04. The department had already pared down administrative budgets, increased revenue expectations, and required reductions to intercollegiate, recreation and maintenance budgets the previous year. The athletic department is a part of the Dean of the College area, which has sustained a $1.15 million reduction overall.

Projected deficits for both 2003 and 2004, resulting from the economic downturn that caused a net investment loss of 5.7 percent on Dartmouth’s endowment last year, have forced College-wide budget reductions totaling $4.9 million for fiscal 2003 and $5.7 million for fiscal 2004.

Information on the athletic budget is being communicated outside the regular budget process in order to give the affected students and prospective students as much time as possible to consider their options. The College-wide process calls for the budget committee, chaired by the provost, to approve all reduction plans, and the committee has approved the athletic department’s plan. Information on plans involving the other divisions of the College will be communicated during the winter term. (For complete online information on Dartmouth’s current budget situation, see www.dartmouth.edu/~news/budget).

Dartmouth faces challenges similar to other Division I institutions in attempting to balance a broad array of intercollegiate and recreational programs and the resources available for them.

Even with the elimination of men’s and women’s swimming and diving, Dartmouth will continue to offer one of the nation’s most extensive Division I athletic programs with 32 varsity sports — 15 men’s, 15 women’s and two coed — involving opportunities for more than 900 student-athletes, while having one of the smallest enrollments in Division I with 4,300 undergraduates. The 324 Division I institutions sponsor an average of 19 varsity sports, have an average of 398 student-athletes, and have an average undergraduate enrollment of 9,224.

“This is a difficult decision, but we feel it is a decision that has the most promise for preserving the quality of our entire intercollegiate program,” said Director of Athletics and Recreation JoAnn Harper.

“We have determined that it is better to eliminate one program than to ask all of our other intercollegiate teams to make sacrifices in their programs. By devoting our resources to a smaller number of programs, we will be better able to provide quality experiences for our athletes and teams.”

Facilities were also considered in the decision. Dartmouth’s Karl Michael Pool, which was on par with other Division I facilities when it opened in 1963, is now considered substandard in Division I swimming and diving. Bringing Dartmouth’s aquatic facilities up to modern competitive standards would require an additional investment estimated at as much as $20-25 million, including the possible relocation of some other athletic facilities.

The discontinuation of the varsity swimming and diving programs will result in the elimination of three full-time coaching positions. The College will honor the remainder of the three current coaches’ contracts through June 30, 2003. Under a policy established for employees displaced by budget reductions, the College will offer severance packages and job search support and counseling. The discontinuation will also eliminate a part-time assistant coaching position.

“We recognize the hardship this places on our coaches and students, and we are fully prepared to assist them in any way we can,” noted Harper.

The program cut will affect a total of 53 student-athletes. Of the 26 men and 27 women currently competing on the respective varsity teams, three men and six women are seniors scheduled to graduate in June 2003. The elimination of the program also will affect prospective student-athletes who have applied for early-decision admission to the Dartmouth Class of 2007.

“There is never a good time for eliminating a program,” said Harper, “but we feel the timing of this announcement, at the beginning of the 2002-03 season and at this stage in the admissions cycle, will allow current and prospective student-athletes the time to explore their options. We hope our students will remain at Dartmouth, and that the prospective students will choose to join the Dartmouth community.”

“I appreciate the effort that the athletic department has put forth in facing this challenge and I support this decision,” said Dean of the College James A. Larimore. “These choices are never easy. Josie Harper, her staff and I have carefully reviewed all the options available to us and ultimately, we believe, we made the best decision for the department to maintain the quality and integrity of our intercollegiate programs.”

Dartmouth President James Wright said, “I am very disappointed that the current economic environment forces us to make decisions of this sort. I particularly regret the impact on our students and coaches. However, times like this require us to set priorities, and we must make some hard choices. I support Josie Harper and Jim Larimore in this difficult decision. Dartmouth will continue to move forward, and we will do everything we can to bolster Dartmouth’s intercollegiate athletic program.”

For more information, see "Q & A: Swimming and Diving"