Gender Parity, at Home and Away

When the University of Massachusetts facedbudgetary problems three years ago, it decided tocut costs by dropping three intercollegiatewomen's athletic programs--lacrosse, tennis andvolleyball. The teams responded by threatening alawsuit.

This October, the school reinstated the sportsto varsity status and promised to bring itsprograms into compliance with Title IX regulationswithin five years.

"These sports should not have been cut," U.Mass. President Michael K. Hooker told The BostonGlobe. "The athletic department was underhorrendous budget cuts, but we've got to make sureto achieve parity."

Ivy schools have not escaped unscathed: BrownUniversity went to federal court this fall toexplain why it dropped two of its women's varsitysports in 1991. Brown officials insist these cutswere necessitated by budgetary problems. The caseis currently pending.

Harvard, however, has made no such drastic cutsin funding of either men's or women's sports.Henry says she is confident that the departmenthandles men's and women's sports in a "prettyequal" manner. "Overall, we feel very comfortableand very good about our opportunities to women,"she says.

Women's Swimming Coach Maura Costin Scalise '80says she thinks the men's and women's swim teamsare treated fairly by the department.

"We share the same facilities, we travel thesame way," Scalise says. She says the departmenthelps the team out if it runs short on funds butadds, "You can't come in thinking that, `I'm thewomen's team and Harvard has to give us moneybecause of some law.'"

Most women's coaches, like Scalise, applaud thedepartment's efforts to support women's teams.

"I don't think there's discrimination," saysCaples. "The department shows concern for ourathletes and responds to our needs."

And women's basketball coach Kathy DelaneySmith says she chose to work here because ofHarvard's reputation for actively supportingwomen's athletic programs.

"I would personally not stay in a situation ifI didn't think there would be adequate support,"she says.

But Smith acknowledges that inequities infunding between men's and women's teams do exist.Asked whether she felt the athletic director haddone a good job of helping women's teams, Smithsays she does not want to be critical of thedepartment's policies.

"I don't know if [Cleary] has been here longenough for me to make a statement on that," Smithsays. "Certainly, he has come in under verydifficult financial times."

Cleary succeeded John P. Reardon Jr. '60 asathletic director in 1990.