Brown University fencing alumni have started to organize to save the fencing program following the release of a committee report recommending the elimination of the school’s fencing, wrestling, and ski teams.
The Athletics Review Committee recommended that the school eliminate the men’s and women’s fencing teams along with the wrestling and women’s ski teams and use that money to increase the budget for the remaining programs by 10%. (Full report available: http://www.brown.edu/web/athletics-review/documents/Athletics-Report_April-2011.pdf)
The review was undertaken to assess the role of athletics at Brown and to prepare a plan that ensures university resources are being used according to the university’s academic mission, according to the report.
Brown, in Providence, Rhode Island, has the third-largest athletic program in the Ivy League in terms of the number of sports offered but the smallest budget at $15.2 million. (2009-2010 Equity in Athletics report.)
University President Ruth Simmons and the school’s governing body may make a decision on eliminating the sports as early as next month, and the teams would be eliminated for the 2011-2012 academic year.
The review committee said fencing would require “a large investment in facilities, infrastructure, and coaching” to bring the program up to par.
In the 2010-2011 fencing season, Brown’s men’s fencing team posted a 1-4 Ivy league and 8-8 overall record. The women’s team went 1-5 in conference and 3-14 overall.
Brown University fencing alumni have started to organize to save the fencing program.
The Athletics Review Committee recommendation is open to feedback until 4/27/2011. Feedback may be sent directly to the review committee at this address: athleticsreview@brown.edu
The review committee will have another meeting on 4/27/2011 to finalize their recommendations. We presume that they will consider feedback received between now and the meeting. The final recommendation will be made over Memorial Day weekend to the full Brown Corporation.
The alumni are also urging letters be written to University president Ruth Simmons (Ruth_Simmons@brown.edu or president@brown.edu) and athletic director Michael Goldberger (Michael_Goldberger@brown.edu).