Day Keeps Public in the Dark

San Diego State University President Thomas Day has some questions to answer.

For the last two weeks Day has imposed an information blackout on the university’s troubled athletic department that Richard Nixon would have envied. The problems in the program led to the firing of athletic director Mary Alice Hill. But it’s difficult for the media and the public--which Day expects to support the university and its sports teams--to analyze the situation when Day refuses to speak and forbids anyone with any knowledge from speaking.

Day defends his refusal to say anything meaningful about the events that led to Hill’s firing by saying it’s a personnel matter. But he can’t use that excuse in connection with a concomitant issue concerning the university’s use of “special admissions” for athletes who otherwise don’t qualify.

Among the basic questions Day has refused to allow to be answered are: How many athletes are enrolled because of special admissions? Are there rules or quotas governing special admissions? What percentage of student athletes are graduating?

Day seems to have forgotten that he heads a public university and has a responsibility to be open about its problems.