Women get boost at UMass Proposal calls to add crew, water polo teams - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

The University of Massachusetts has made another move to complywith the federal Title IX gender-equity rules.

The university is proposing to add two new varsity sports forwomen -- crew and water polo -- for the 1994-95 academic year andincrease scholarship aid by $500,000 to $1.6 million per academicyear for many of its existing and new women's varsity sports.

Said athletic director Bob Marcum in a statement, 'One of theuniversity's goals is to be in compliance with Title IX within thenext five years. The addition of these two varsity sports for womenis a very positive step in that direction.'

Said UMass president Michael Hooker, 'I am committed to having theUniversity of Massachusetts in full compliance with Title IX. Theactions announced by the Amherst campus are an important step towardthat goal.'

This year, UMass reinstated varsity women's volleyball, lacrosseand tennis as part of an out-of-court agreement with femalestudent-athletes.

Associate athletic director Al Ruff said, 'This will give us 15sports for women. Right now, in the fall we have field hockey,cross-country, soccer, volleyball and tennis. In the winter, we havebasketball, swimming, gymnastics, track and skiing. And in thespring, softball, lacrosse and track.'

Carol Barr, a UMass sports-management doctoral candidate, servedas a Title IX consultant for the athletic department.

Said Barr, 'A lot of institutions on a national scale areundergoing these Title IX reviews and settlements, if you want tocall it that. I think what should be pointed out from this one --which is pretty unique -- is that it really is the meaning of whatTitle IX is in that we are increasing our women's numbers and notdecreasing our men's numbers, which a lot of institutions have beenforced to do.

'Being a former female student-athlete, I know what's needed. Iplayed field hockey. I worked for the UMass administration last yearand I see both sides.'

Barr conducted a study for the department that targeted threeareas of athletics: participation, scholarship aid and programcomponents. Participation was targeted as the top priority for theuniversity because Title IX requires that the ratio of male/femalestudent-athletes be equal to the ratio of male/female undergraduates.

With the addition of women's crew and water polo, which isprojected to cost no more than $374,000, the athletic ratio for1994-95 is projected to be 54.8 percent male to 45.2 percent female.University enrollment is 52/48 percent male/female.