Review process into UBC varsity program gets failing grade

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Posted February 28, 2014 8:59 pm.

This article is more than 5 years old.

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Some stinging criticism is being levelled at UBC, on the day it announced which sports would continue to be part of its varsity program.

A former member of the university’s athletic committee, and a former athletic director at BCIT, says the university’s review process is providing a good example of how to make enemies out of your friends.

“They chose to not approach this in a collaborative way,” says Dr. Derek Swain. “The objectives of this review have been very questionable,” he continues, saying UBC vice-president of students Louise Cowin conducted the review with an agenda, although Swain says it’s not clear what kind of agenda it was.

He’s particularly disappointed that women’s softball lost its varsity status.

“This is a sport that a sponsor was asked to bring to the university a few years ago. He raised several of hundreds of thousands to make that a reality. Shelving the program was quite unfortunate and quite inappropriate.”

He says donors are plenty unhappy with the entire process.

“I know for sure that it’s affecting donations. I received an email from a former student saying that he’d had enough of this nonsense. He feels the teams and the alumni have been extorted by the university.”

Confirmed Vancouver campus varsity teams

Among confirmed varsity teams, UBC will focus enhanced resources (specifically sport science and medicine, management and marketing) on teams that have been assessed most ready to achieve excellence across the criteria.

Teams to receive enhanced support (seven)
Basketball: men and women
Football: men
Swimming: men and women
Volleyball: men and women

Teams to receive current support with some limited enhancements (thirteen)
Cross country: men and women
Field hockey: women
Golf: men and women
Ice hockey: women
Rowing: men and women
Rugby: men
Soccer: men and women
Track and field: men and women

Teams, each in unique situations, given more time to pursue hybrid funding (four)
Baseball: men
Field hockey: men
Ice hockey: men
Rugby: women

Teams realigned to competitive club* (five)
Alpine skiing: men and women
Nordic skiing: men and women
Softball: women
*Varsity teams realigned to competitive clubs will have permission to continue to compete with the Thunderbird name. The branding for other clubs joining the competitive club strand will be determined for 2015-16.

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