Travelers on the Title IX Compliance Highway: How Are Ohio’s Colleges and Universities Faring?

Abstract

As a measure of progress, the experiences today of women athletes in the state of Ohio are far different from those attending institutions of higher learning just after the passage of Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972. But how different, and how much progress has been made? The purpose of this study was to assess the level of progress made by compiling and analyzing data available through the Equity in Athletics Disclosure reports filed by 61 junior colleges, four year colleges, and universities in the State of Ohio over a four year span of time for the academic years 2002-2006.2 The template for this study was the report completed by the Women’s Law Project examining gender equity in intercollegiate athletics in colleges and universities in Pennsylvania (Cohen, 2005), the first study of its kind. Similar to that effort, this study assesses the success with which intercollegiate athletic programs in Ohio have collectively responded to the mandates of Title IX in areas of participation opportunities and financial allocations in the form of operating budgets, scholarship assistance, recruiting and coaching.3

Gender equity in two‐year athletic departments: Part I

“…The gender inequalities seen in Maryland community colleges were also found in two-year institutions in Pennsylvania (Cohen, 2005) and Ohio (Staurowsky with Morris, Paule, and Reese, 2007). Using a measure called an "athletic equity difference," which represents the proportionality gap between female athlete participation and female enrollment, In Cheslock's analysis (2007) of college athlete participation in twoand four-year institutions in relationship to program expansion and secondary school participation nationwide between 2000-01 and 2004-05, schools in neither the NJCAA nor the COA fared well in terms of proportionality, reporting gaps of 16.3 and 19.4 percent respectively.…”

Title IX Literacy: What Coaches Don’t Know and Need to Find Out

“…Intended to be flexible, the means by which institutional compliance can be achieved affords higher education administrators considerable latitude to develop plans that best reflect the missions of their respective institutions, the composition of their undergraduate full time enrollment, and their economic circumstances (Staurowsky et al, 2007). While Title IX's general requirement that schools treat men and women equally throughout their athletic programs, it does not require that male and female athletes be treated exactly the same in every instance (Cohen, 2005).…”

“…While Title IX's general requirement that schools treat men and women equally throughout their athletic programs, it does not require that male and female athletes be treated exactly the same in every instance (Cohen, 2005). Program components that substantially affect the quality of the experience for athletes, and are subjected to Title IX analysis, include athletic training facilities and services, equipment and supplies, housing and dining services, locker rooms and facilities, opportunities to receive coaching and academic assistance, publicity, scheduling of games and practices, and equivalent travel and per diem expenses (Staurowsky et al, 2007). Further, schools are expected to distribute athletic scholarship dollars equitably as well (Bonnette, 2004;Carpenter & Acosta, 2005;Cohen, 2005;National Women's Law Center & DLA Piper, 2007).…”

“…Born of sincere and abiding differences in worldview and perspective, voices for both Title IX advocacy and opposition have developed and maintained positions not easily reconciled, one to the other (Hogshead-Makar, 2010: Gavora, 2003McErlain, 2010a;Ridpath, Yiamouyiannis, Lawrence, & Galles, 2008;Walton, 2003;Walton & Helstein, 2008). While much has changed in the gender balance within intercollegiate athletics programs over this span of time, with over 40% of college athletes now being females compared with two percent before the time of the legislation, broad national trends suggest that the vast majority of institutions of higher learning remain out of compliance (Acosta & Carpenter, 2010;Cheslock, 2007;Cheslock, 2008;Cohen, 2005;Monroe, 2007;Staurowsky, Lawrence, Paule, & Reese, 2007;Staurowsky & Moran, 2010).…”

Gender equity in two‐year college athletic departments: Part II

“…Although Title IX compliance must be done case by case, when this finding is considered in light of previous research it is clear that two-year athletic programs are not generally offering athletic opportunities to female students substantially proportionate to their enrollment (Beers, 1997;Beam, Faddis, and Ruzicka 2004;Castañeda, Katsinas, and Hardy, 2005;Cheslock, 2007, Cohen, 2005Mumford, 2004, Staurowsky, with Morris, Paule, and Reese, 2007. Previous research established that proportionality gaps from the mid-1990s through 2003 were 16-29 percent depending on the sector under investigation.…”