REGENTS ABANDON MEN'S TENNIS AS MOVE TOWARD GENDER EQUITY; UNIVERSITY PURSUES ECONOMIC CENTER

The Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents axed men's tennis Friday, eliminating the program as part of a move toward greater equity in funding men and women's sports at the school.

The decision was unanimous and came on the recommendation of the university administration, including Athletics Director Richard McDuffie.

McDuffie said the move had the backing of the athletic department and its coaches, the university athletics committee and the booster club board of directors.

Eliminating men's tennis is expected to save the university about $20,000 in the first year and about $55,000 the second year, he said.

The money saved from eliminating men's tennis will be used largely for more women's scholarships, McDuffie said.

The move will leave Southeast with eight women's sports and seven men's sports, which would still meet NCAA Division I requirements. The NCAA requires schools to offer a minimum of seven men's and seven women's sports or six men's and eight women's sports, McDuffie said.

University officials incorrectly reported last week that the move would leave Southeast with six men's sports.

The recent resignation of Allen Hope as the men's and women's tennis coach and changes in Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) and NCAA team sports requirements opened the door for the university to move toward greater "gender equity" in Southeast's athletic programs, McDuffie said.

Effective with the 1993-94 school year, men's tennis will no longer be a required conference sport in the OVC, McDuffie said.

In a memorandum distributed to the regents, McDuffie said: "The NCAA gender equity task force will soon publish its final report. It is important as we look to future years that we understand and plan for greater equity between male and female sports.

"Changes in funding patterns will occur either by choice, NCAA legislation or by federal court decisions," he wrote.

Leonard Clark, assistant to the president at Southeast and the one who handles equal opportunity and diversity issues, advised the regents that federal Title IX laws of 1972 prohibit discrimination in education on the basis of sex.

In 1988, Congress passed a further law making it clear that Title IX applies to all operations of colleges and universities, which receive any federal funds.

As to Southeast's efforts to promote gender equity in athletics, Clark said: "My perspective, at this point, is that we are moving in the right direction."

University President Kala Stroup said efforts to achieve gender equity depend somewhat on "the good faith of the institution."

"Some of the questions will be answered in the courts," she added.

Following the meeting, McDuffie said that complying with gender equity laws "will require some alterations in our funding patterns."

He said it's important to proceed now rather than wait for court mandates.

Currently, about 65 percent of Southeast's athletes are men, McDuffie said.

"I think it is prudent for us to look ahead," he said.

Women's tennis will remain and the team will have a part-time coach, he explained.

Even though the men's program is being eliminated, the 10 men on tennis scholarships will be allowed to continue receiving that financial aid for the coming school year, he said.

Scott Giles, student regent, welcomed the decision of the school to honor the scholarships for one more year. As to the elimination of the tennis program itself, Giles said: "The timing and everything was unfortunate for the students."

In other business, Stroup said the university has submitted a proposal to house a regional economic development center for the state of Missouri. Southeast officials want to incorporate the state facility with that of the Small Business Development Center.

The development center is housed in a former bank building at 222 N. Pacific.

The regents Friday approved plans for transferring the property from Boatmen's Bank to the Southeast Missouri University Foundation. Banking laws require the bank to dispose of property not being used for banking purposes, officials said.

The university had been renting the facility at a cost of $250 a month. Boatmen's Bank has been paying the same amount to the university for rental of space in the University Center for its ATM machine. In connection with the property transfer, the bank will now rent the University Center space for $1 per year.

In other action, the board approved:

Submission of a $74.1 million, fiscal 1995 operating budget request to the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education. The financial wish list includes a core budget of $56.9 million and $17.2 million for "major needs" including increased funding for the Bootheel Education Center at Malden.

An agreement for Southwestern Bell to use the future KRCU radio tower on campus for cellular telephone transmissions. In return, the telephone company will pay Southeast from $7,200 to $9,583 a year over the next 20 years.

A revised policy regarding employee leave.