A District Fails Its Mission

Grim as they may be, the budget problems facing Cal State Northridge’s athletic department suddenly don’t seem quite so bad. At least not when compared to those at Mission College. Faced with a budget shortfall and the need to meet gender-equity requirements, CSUN last month axed four men’s sports--a move that appropriately caused an uproar on campus and in the community. Now the sports appear to have a savior in the state Legislature. But a few miles away at Mission, similar budget problems have forced not only the elimination of the school’s entire athletic program, but also the cancellation of as many as 200 academic classes and the community college’s citizenship program. Like CSUN, Mission may have a savior in the Legislature, but the cuts will still be severe.

Responding to CSUN’s cuts, state Sen. Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley) allocated $586,000 in the state budget to restore baseball, soccer, swimming and volleyball for at least another year. Although still hesitant about taking the money, CSUN President Blenda Wilson has reportedly told coaches that their programs will survive the 1997-98 season. Not surprisingly, some of the student athletes--the young people who were left scrambling after the school abruptly dropped the ax--are hesitant about returning for another uncertain year.

Wilson has rightly pointed out that keeping the sports alive will come at the expense of some other program--if not at CSUN then at another Cal State campus. Nonetheless, CSUN should accept the money. Then comes the real challenge: Administrators must use the extra year to straighten out the athletic department and keep the sports alive for good. Taking the money just to finance a farewell season would be a waste of public funds and would unreasonably raise the expectations of student athletes. It would require the time-consuming process of recruiting players and scheduling games--pointless endeavors for teams that have no future.

Assemblyman Tony Cardenas (D-Sylmar), meanwhile, is trying to salvage as much of Mission College’s academic program as possible. In a way, Mission was a victim of its own success in the Los Angeles Community College District, which allocates budgets based on past needs. Obviously, a rapidly growing school like Mission--where growth rates hit 30% while overall district enrollment dropped--deserves special budgetary treatment, particularly considering the huge capital expenditures it took to build the school’s permanent campus.

CSUN and Mission share many of the same types of students--local residents who often work to make ends meet. Another trait they appear to share is questionable management. In CSUN’s case, the athletic department has failed its athletes. But the community college district has failed Mission altogether.