I am not a member of the Colby College Rugby team, but I am writing this because the way in which this decision was made is upsetting; the rugby teams at Colby are great and deserve all of our support. In the colleges most recent update (11/22 at 4:45ish) Dean Kletzer outlined an argument that has sound reasoning: the budget for the club sport is skyrocketing, and we cannot afford to maintain a club at that funding level. However, I want Colby College to consider the fact that the appropriate comparison to make here is not to other clubs on campus (some of which have very limited scopes), but instead to the varsity sports on campus. After all, what other club has a coach (or adviser equivalent) and the kind of competitive schedule, travel and equipment costs of Rugby? None! You know who does? All the varsity sports on campus. The rugby team is not a bunch of guys and gals who like paying 100K to screw around on a pitch. They are committed athletes who train tirelessly, compete vigorously and personify many (if not all) of the qualities Colby espouses. They are a team, and a successful one a that, having risen to become one of the best small college programs in the country. I think Colby should reconsider its commitment to this sports team. It is after all a team that is doing right by Colby and that should be rewarded. If Rugby were a sports team, in an official sense, then $115,000 would seem like nothing - how much do our swim, track, football, lacrosse and other programs - all of which are comprised of the same kinds of committed students and athletes - cost? In that frame of reference this funding makes a lot of sense! Now, at the end of the day, maybe the college will not change their mind; I have seen this happen many times. Sometimes, no matter how well thought out and organized the opposition, the decision is what it is. After all, these are administrators who are doing their honest best to run the college the right way. But this brings me to my second point - why was the decision making process fumbled? When you are going to cut a club from the college, I think it is prudent to inform the students, those most impacted by the decision, before the decision is finalized. Was there an effort to involve students in the process? Was there a dialogue about how to find a path forward to fund the program before the decision to cut it was made? From what I hear, and it may all be hearsay amongst the student and alumni communities, these steps were not taken; the student voice, again, brought into the fold at the end of the process. Now, the school is relying on these students to do their own fundraising, suggesting they endow a program of which they are a part! To me it just doesnt make sense and the process seems to have been rolled out in reverse. Note: I also point out here that Colby has issues with this for a lot of clubs and activities and should consider support costs before just approving a club. The college kind of shot itself in the foot. I am inclined to believe that if the notice of the decision to end the program also included some messaging about the decision being reached after meeting with the captains, the athletic director and the development office to develop a fundraising plan, that the alumni community, though still upset, would have at least stepped up immediately in a positive way to take action to save the program. Action that would have bolstered the college financially. Now, the sentiment is one of anger and distrust, which will only serve to hurt the Colby community, the Colby Fund, and, most importantly, the students affected by a rash and poorly managed decision. Ok...its Friday; I am now stepping off of the soap box.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Nov 2013 22:10:21 +0000
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