April 13, 1987

President Fergusson and the Athletics and Grounds staffs held a forum on athletics, discussing the budget for athletics, the college community’s interest in sporting events and other problems faced by sports programs. All forum speakers agreed that the athletic budget of $144,500 was not sufficient, and President Fergusson promised to speak with the trustees about the athletics program.

Coach Roman Czula said, “It’s going to take an unusual, artificial step in terms of the budget process to solve the problems in athletics…A three or four hundred thousand dollar increase would bring us back into the ball game with our comparable institutions. Now, unfortunately, in athletics Vassar clearly does not represent the quality which we espouse we represent.”

The Miscellany News

In the fall of 1987, President Fergusson gave “several thousand dollars” more to the athletic budget. She explained, “It was not a question of an enormous number of additional dollars being extended to the department…. It was just meeting some needs that existed, concerning the safety of students and the dignity of students as they were out there representing Vassar.”

The Miscellany News