Congrats Dartmouth on finally stemming the tide of colleges destroying programs. I hope the model Dartmouth constructed can be used to save programs at other schools and maybe to help the St. Johns track program as well. Dartmouth has finally given some hope that this force can be stopped.
Dont be too hasty to congratulate Dartmouth's Administration. The President and his staff are NOT supporters of athletics. For years they have been trying to "Harvardize" Dartmouth. They probably thought they could get away with dropping a minor sport like swimming, and were caught by surprise with the outpouring of anger from students and alums. The bottom line is that some alum who regularly donates several hundred grand must have stepped up and threatened to pull his financial support. That is the onnly way to get things done in athletics at Dartmouth.
The administration at Dartmouth has been trying to get the school to switch to Division III in sports for years as well. (Dartmouth only has 4000 students) This would be a travesty as all of the Ivies have long prided themselves on competing well at the Division I level, despite the fact that they give out no athletic scholarships.
"I AM A DARKMUFF CERTIFIED DIVER..."
Schoplifter wrote:
For years they have been trying to "Harvardize" Dartmouth.
What are you referring to? (Just curious.)
link to rick telander column re dartmouth swimming team
The Dartmouth administration feels Dartmouth has too much emphasis on athletics, especially in cutting breaks to athletes in admissions. The admissions office stopped letting in "marginially qualified" student-athletes (SAT's of "only" 1100-1200 instead of the average 1400)around 1992. Please note this is the same time Vin Lananna left Dartmouth.
It was termed Harvardization at the time, probably because the former president Freedman came from a position at Harvard.
Schoplifter wrote:
The Dartmouth administration feels Dartmouth has too much emphasis on athletics, especially in cutting breaks to athletes in admissions. The admissions office stopped letting in "marginially qualified" student-athletes (SAT's of "only" 1100-1200 instead of the average 1400)around 1992. Please note this is the same time Vin Lananna left Dartmouth.
It was termed Harvardization at the time, probably because the former president Freedman came from a position at Harvard.
This is a problem...?? A "marginally qualified" student-athlete is not likely going to be able to handle the workload AND the sport. If they do poorly enough grade-wise, they might be booted off the team! There are plenty of smart athletes who CAN handle the work.
I spent time at an Ivy school as a graduate student. I taught several undergraduate seminars. While this is not characteristic of ALL the athletes, in my experience, many of the athletes in my classes had been admitted with a "marginal" resume and struggled. Almost all the students I taught who were on academic probation coming into the class were athletes. Perhaps it was a characteristic of the specific students I taught, who knows... but all I'm saying is, would someone rather be constantly struggling and constantly over-stressed and overwhelmed at Dartmouth? Or happy and doing well at another school?