Targeting Gender Equity

Aim game: archers, circa 1950. Photo: Duke University Archives

The number of women varsity athletes, as well as the amount of athletically related student aid to women continues to climb steadily at Duke, according to its annual report on equity in athletics.

The report, completed in compliance with federal requirements, said 41.2 percent of the $8 million in student aid for athletes in the twelve-month period ending in mid-October went to women, up from 40.1 percent in 2000-01. Of the 695 students participating in intercollegiate athletics at Duke last year, 43.1 percent were women, up from 42.1 percent the previous year.

The athletics department's goal is to reach 48 percent--the percentage of female undergraduates attending Duke--for both student aid and participation. "This report represents one year in the development of an athletics department that is in the process of dramatically increasing athletic financial aid and participation opportunities for student athletes," says Chris Kennedy Ph.D. '79, senior associate director of athletics. "We fully anticipate that the rates of aid and participation for women will match their enrollment rate in the near future.

" Meanwhile, we continue to be dedicated to the other, less quantifiable measure of equity: how it feels to be a Duke student athlete. While statistical compliance is an important barometer of the state of the program, it is at least as important that our students' everyday experience is rich and satisfying, regardless of gender."

Duke completed its first report filed under the act in 1996 for the 1995-96 year; at that time 27 percent of athletically related student aid was awarded to women and 34 percent of the varsity athletes were women. The university now has thirteen men's varsity teams and thirteen women's teams. Football continues to have the largest number of athletes, with eighty-four men on the team.

Overall, the university spent $32.1 million on athletics, not including interest and capital expenses. Overall income was $31.8 million. Men's teams generated most of the revenue directly attributable to specific teams--98 percent of $18 million. Men's basketball earned the most for the university, with revenues of $9.3 million and expenses of $4.8 million. Football generated $6.4 million and spent nearly $6.3 million. Women's basketball produced $321,905 in revenue and spent nearly $1.7 million.

Duke spent a total of $2.95 million in game-day expenses to support the twenty-six teams during the past twelve months, and 36.7 percent of those expenditures, which include travel, lodging, and uniforms, went to women's teams.

The report said Duke spent $592,493 on athletic recruiting last year, with 69 percent spent on men's teams and 31 percent spent on women's teams. There were eight full-time and three part-time male coaches of men's teams, earning a full-time-equivalent (FTE) average of $117,392. For women's teams, there were four female full-time head coaches, three male head coaches, one female part-time coach, and two male part-time coaches, earning a FTE of $67,442.

There were thirteen male full-time assistant coaches and eight male and one female assistant coaches of men's teams, earning a FTE of $55,347. For women's teams, there were ten full-time female and three male assistant coaches and four female and one male part-time assistant coaches, earning a FTE of $29,645.