General | June 29, 2021

PHILADELPHIA - La Salle University's Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation will launch a gender equity review this forthcoming academic year and enact a gender equity plan for 2022-23 - two measures designed to maintain and strengthen Title IX compliance across all aspects of the University's intercollegiate athletics program. 

The initiative is part of an agreement reached between La Salle University and attorneys retained by members of La Salle's women's volleyball team to re-affirm La Salle's commitment to bring all aspects of its intercollegiate athletic programs in compliance with Title IX for the 2022-23 academic year and beyond. 

Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 is a federal law that, in part, requires colleges and universities to provide equitable participation opportunities in sports and equal treatment of female and male student-athletes. La Salle University plans to hire a third-party consulting firm to conduct a comprehensive review of La Salle Athletics, including soliciting input from current and former La Salle student-athletes, from which recommendations will support an implementation plan and subsequent status reports for the years to follow. 

In September, La Salle announced a reduction in the number of its intercollegiate athletics teams. The goals of this strategic effort were: 

• a reallocation of the University's investment to strengthen the student-athlete experience and the creation of a more sustainable environment for the University's athletics department;  
• improvement in the competitiveness and overall quality of La Salle's intercollegiate athletics programs and department; and 
• better alignment with the average number of intercollegiate athletics teams sponsored by members of the Atlantic 10 Conference (19) and the entirety of the NCAA (18). 

Title IX was at the core of the University's decision, said Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation Brian Baptiste, J.D. The agreement reached with attorneys for the women's volleyball team to launch the gender equity review and form an implementation plan is in keeping with and will expedite reaching those strategic goals, he added. La Salle will not be required to reinstate any teams in the immediate future as part of the settlement agreement, but will continually review its participation numbers in the 2021-22 academic year, and will return a program to meet the requirements of Title IX if necessary. 

"Title IX compliance is at the forefront of our daily work and served as a critical component in the University's decision in September and the reinstatement in May of men's swimming and diving," said Baptiste. "Our careful planning always accounted for a thorough review of our department and the execution of a subsequent action plan to strengthen our Title IX commitment. We are fully committed to delivering meaningful opportunities for all. We are confident in our ability to achieve this goal and maintain this standard, and we will provide regular updates throughout this process." 

"The plan set forth by La Salle Athletics required thoughtful consideration for the betterment of the department and the well-being and best interests of our student-athletes," said La Salle University Interim President Tim O'Shaughnessy, '85. "The reinvestment of our athletics budget to address the overall experience of our student-athletes and ensure equitable opportunities and treatment was featured prominently in this plan. We are excited about the future of La Salle Athletics."