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LCCC to disband sports programs
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| Lake City Community College freshman Casey Medlen (left) gazes at the field Wednesday afternoon after being told that the athletics program has been shut down. JASON MATTHEW WALKER/Lake City Reporter |
College will use athletic scholarship money to build other programs.
By MICHAEL MITSEFF
mmitseff@lakecityreporter.com
Lake City Community College President Dr. Charles Hall announced Wednesday the college will disband its Timberwolves athletics programs at the end of the current season.
Tough financial times, Hall said, are forcing the college to end its three sports — baseball, softball and golf.
State-funding cuts and a lack of local and district-wide student participation in the program were among several reasons Hall gave for the elimination of the program.
“We know that state funding is going to be significantly reduced,
not only the rest of this year, but also the next two or three years as well,” Hall said.
“Also, the Department of Corrections has pulled back across the state and LCCC was one of the last places to be pulled out of, so we lost that training program,” Hall said. “That’s been a significant loss to the college and we’ve been told that LCCC is the largest training program for DOC in the state.”
The decision to cease athletics wasn’t made in haste, according to Hall, but it came about after the completion of a routine program review of the athletic program found that of the 41 scholarship student athletes competing this year, only three are local or from the five counties serviced in LCCC’s district.
The program elimination will affect only those 41 students out of a student body consisting of more than 7,500 enrolled at LCCC, Hall said.
“The athletic program has continually been a problem with gender-equity compliance, problems at the dorm and food-service requirements,” Hall said.
The cafeteria provides three full meals, five days a week all year round and is a requirement because of the dormitories used by the athletic program, Hall said. The cost of the meal service includes $48,000 annually paid in management fees to the food service company.
The cost to the school in fiscal year 2006-07 for the athletic program totaled $578,945.97, which includes personnel and operating costs of $283,325.62. Scholarships and FTE tuition exemptions total another $295,620.35.
“The athletes with scholarships will have their agreements honored if they choose to stay at LCCC after the season ends,” said Charles Carroll, vice president for instruction and student services.
A portion of the $295,620 representing student athletic scholarships and tuition exemptions along with other savings will be redirected to academic scholarship programs locally.
The college will attempt to make up the loss of DOC program money and recoup some of the funds at the state level.
About $283,325 will be redirected into starting new programs and hiring needed staff. This redirection of funds will help address the loss of DOC and state funding, Carroll said.
“We had received what are called Succeed Grants — money from the state authorized by the legislature — and with it we were able to purchase more equipment and hire nursing staff,” Carroll said. “That in turn allowed us to increase enrollment in our nursing programs.”
When the reorganization is finalized, the plan, according to Carroll, is to use some of the redirected funds to replace the money that will be lost when the Succeed Grants run out in June.
Although the college appears to be restructuring, Hall points to programs funded by scholarships and other programs that are thriving at the college that also underwent recent program reviews.
“A couple of years ago we offered a two-year forestry degree that had 19 students, but only graduated six by the end of the second year,” Hall said. “Even though the college was founded on forestry, we couldn’t continue to graduate less than half the class, so after review we changed the program to a one-year certificate. Now 19 start and 19 finish.”
The college also participates in the Governors Summer Program grant that provides $40,000 to benefit up to 25 high school students 16 and older.
The students are gifted or high achievers and are recommended by their teachers
to participate in the 24-day program of study.
“We can run the college without an athletic program, but we can’t run the athletic program without the college,” Hall said.
Tough financial times, Hall said, are forcing the college to end its three sports — baseball, softball and golf.
State-funding cuts and a lack of local and district-wide student participation in the program were among several reasons Hall gave for the elimination of the program.
“We know that state funding is going to be significantly reduced,
not only the rest of this year, but also the next two or three years as well,” Hall said.
“Also, the Department of Corrections has pulled back across the state and LCCC was one of the last places to be pulled out of, so we lost that training program,” Hall said. “That’s been a significant loss to the college and we’ve been told that LCCC is the largest training program for DOC in the state.”
The decision to cease athletics wasn’t made in haste, according to Hall, but it came about after the completion of a routine program review of the athletic program found that of the 41 scholarship student athletes competing this year, only three are local or from the five counties serviced in LCCC’s district.
The program elimination will affect only those 41 students out of a student body consisting of more than 7,500 enrolled at LCCC, Hall said.
“The athletic program has continually been a problem with gender-equity compliance, problems at the dorm and food-service requirements,” Hall said.
The cafeteria provides three full meals, five days a week all year round and is a requirement because of the dormitories used by the athletic program, Hall said. The cost of the meal service includes $48,000 annually paid in management fees to the food service company.
The cost to the school in fiscal year 2006-07 for the athletic program totaled $578,945.97, which includes personnel and operating costs of $283,325.62. Scholarships and FTE tuition exemptions total another $295,620.35.
“The athletes with scholarships will have their agreements honored if they choose to stay at LCCC after the season ends,” said Charles Carroll, vice president for instruction and student services.
A portion of the $295,620 representing student athletic scholarships and tuition exemptions along with other savings will be redirected to academic scholarship programs locally.
The college will attempt to make up the loss of DOC program money and recoup some of the funds at the state level.
About $283,325 will be redirected into starting new programs and hiring needed staff. This redirection of funds will help address the loss of DOC and state funding, Carroll said.
“We had received what are called Succeed Grants — money from the state authorized by the legislature — and with it we were able to purchase more equipment and hire nursing staff,” Carroll said. “That in turn allowed us to increase enrollment in our nursing programs.”
When the reorganization is finalized, the plan, according to Carroll, is to use some of the redirected funds to replace the money that will be lost when the Succeed Grants run out in June.
Although the college appears to be restructuring, Hall points to programs funded by scholarships and other programs that are thriving at the college that also underwent recent program reviews.
“A couple of years ago we offered a two-year forestry degree that had 19 students, but only graduated six by the end of the second year,” Hall said. “Even though the college was founded on forestry, we couldn’t continue to graduate less than half the class, so after review we changed the program to a one-year certificate. Now 19 start and 19 finish.”
The college also participates in the Governors Summer Program grant that provides $40,000 to benefit up to 25 high school students 16 and older.
The students are gifted or high achievers and are recommended by their teachers
to participate in the 24-day program of study.
“We can run the college without an athletic program, but we can’t run the athletic program without the college,” Hall said.
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Scott wrote on Mar 13, 2008 9:33 AM:
This is the worst decision the Board of Trustees could have ever made!!
"