University of Toledo President Rebuffs Men’s Swim Team, Even Though They Have Raised the Money to Fund the Team. Swim Community Asked to Write to Board of Trustees

By Phillip Whitten

TOLEDO, Ohio, April 25. AFTER meeting with supporters of the axed University of Toledo swim team and listening to their plan that in one week raised the funds needed to sustain the team for an entire year, U.T. President Daniel Johnson apparently has decided not to support the effort to save the men's swim team.

The President's reasons are not clear at this point as he has not yet issued a statement explaining why he would reject a proposal that spoke specifically to the rationale behind his original decision. After all, if a budgetary shortfall were really the reason for cutting the team, and supporters raised sufficient funds to support the team, then there is no longer a reason to cut the team.

Despite President Johnson's apparent decision, supporters of the beleaguered team are pressing on. Last night they met with the Student Government and the Student Body President has chosen to support the plan.

The next step will be a meeting with the U.T. Board of Trustees next Wednesday.

Accordint to a spokesman for the team, "it will be the president's recommendation to the Board of Trustees that the men's swim team be eliminated for budgetary reasons."

The Board of Trustees can be reached at: BOT@utoledo.edu.

Supporters hope that if the Board hears of the support and concern for the swim team from within and OUTSIDE U.T., they will chose not to cut the team.

In similar cases in the past, Boards of Trustees have proven themselves to be responsive to such support. The entire U.S. swimming community should rally in support of the U.T. program as it did for Dartmouth.

Write to the Board of Trustees at:
BOT@utoledo.edu.

The outcome of this case is critical as the Mid American Conference (MAC) charter requires six participating schools to have a MAC-sponsored sport. If UT eliminates men's swimming, the MAC will be left with only five schools that offer men's swimming. This could possibly lead to a ripple effect that kills five more programs.

Sit down and write tonight!!!

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