Noel Cabrera
Editor in Chief
As we continue to live in this battle with COVID-19, we start to see the economic downfall around our country. We are seeing this affect the education systems as well, and with that comes the cutting of certain departments such as athletics.
We are witnessing many universities and colleges across the nation be affected economically and have to get rid of certain sports teams and some even cut their entire athletics departments.
Broward College has been strongly affected by this and cut their entire athletics program. After many attempts to save the program by coaches, players, staff, and even friends and family of those involved, as well as a petition that was created and received over 3,000 signatures, it was all not enough.
On June 30, the Broward College District Board of Trustees came to the final decision of discontinuing the athletics department as part of the 2020-21 budget plan.
Broward’s athletic program has an annual total cost of $1.6 million, accounting for 147 student athletes with an annual cost of $11,009 per athlete. This budget cut will consist of also having the ability to terminate 20 part-time employees and four full-time employees could be at risk of losing purpose at Broward.
As for student-athletes, whose final year this was, they were able to dodge the effects of this decision at the right time, but for the athletes who still have time left they either have the option to transfer to a different institution or continue their education at Broward College and will receive their scholarships for an additional year.
Athletic Director Michael Goodrich will remain at the school for another year and will assist remaining student-athletes in guiding them through this hectic time.
The money being saved in this budget cut is supposed to be used for the hiring of additional academic advisors and tutors and establishing food pantries after 28 percent of students in a 2020 survey said they were sometimes worried food would run out in their household.
The athletics program has been a part of Broward College since 1962. The achievements and awards won since that time show how much of a positive impact athletics has had on the college and the opportunities it has given these athletes to succeed.
“I know that we will come through this prioritization process focused on ensuring the greatest impacts and outcomes,” College president Gregory Adam Haile said in a statement to the Miami Herald. “Though difficult, these decisions reflect a focus on maximizing our capacity to transform lives and enhance our community. It is not enough just to know that our minority students and low-income students underperform compared to their counterparts or just to know that we do not have enough advisors to maximize the outcomes for our students. We must make material investments to close the gaps.”
Broward College accounts for 63,000 students and this budget cut is ensured to improve the services provided for these students.
In addition to cutting athletics, BC also closed the Early Childhood Laboratory (“ECL”) School, suspended operations at Bailey Hall, OMNI and the Planetarium (“Venues”), and had a reduction in force of faculty counselors (approved by the Board in April 2020).
