The SIUC athletic program will get a monetary boost from the state, as Gov. Jim Edgar signed into law gender equity based Senate Bill 269 on Thursday.

The Illinois Board of Education estimated that $508,400, which is one percent of SIUC’s tuition earnings, would be used for waivers as replacements for athletic scholarships.

The money allocated in the budget for the scholarships would then be freed up for any number of athletic investments, such as purchasing more equipment, adding to the coaching staff or augmenting the women’s athletics programs with more athletes.

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As well as SIUC, 11 federally-funded universities would be affected by the bill’s passage, including the University of Illinois, Illinois State University, SIUE, and Western Illinois University.

Before SIUC can be granted any tuition waivers, the athletic department must first file a plan with the IBHE regarding the status of the

Title IX issue on campus.The bill earmarks five topics to be submitted to the Board:intercollegiate sports opportunities available to both men and women, activities to be undertaken by the institution to achieve gender equity in intercollegiate athletics, identification of the barriers to achieving and maintaining equitable intercollegiate athletic opportunities for men and women, progress in achieving sports equity in compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and the use of tuition waivers for attaining gender equity in intercollegiate sports.

Charlotte West, associate athletic director for SIUC, said the plan will have to be approved by both President John Guyon and Chancellor Ted Sanders before the University can submit the plan to the Board.

I am planning to submit the plan sometime in late August, West said.

But the plan does not have to be presented to the Board until December.

We are very pleased with the opportunity to have the waivers to help reach gender equity.

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