Dr. James E. Lyons Sr., the university’s interim president, proposed ending the school’s overall participation in the NCAA in an effort to divert the $4 million spent annually on intercollegiate athletics to other academic programs and services at the struggling Historically Black College and University.
“To me, this is not about defeat,” said Lyons, who was appointed last March by the trustees to lead the D.C. flagship university after its former president, Dr. Allen L. Sessoms, was fired abruptly. “I try in all things to keep my eyes on the prize. This is not about being anti anything, but figuring out how we build a quality institution with a positive reputation across the board that is trying not to do everything but doing some things well.”
Lyons was successful in convincing trustee members to eliminate 17 academic programs where majors have consistently been low. The list of programs scheduled to be gutted in the near future includes sociology, economics, history and physics. The streamlining of the academic curriculum, Lyons said, was necessary to ensure that the university remained competitive in the future.
“It’s painful to be in a situation where we have to make recommendations to eliminate things,” he said. “But, at the end of the day, it makes sense to have fewer baccalaureate programs but stronger programs of excellence.”
From the onset, Lyons’ proposal was met with fierce resistance and protest from students, faculty and some alumni. Even Dr. Elaine Crider, the board chairwoman and an ally who was largely responsible for convincing Lyons to come out of retirement to lead the university earlier this year, sided with six other trustees to table the proposal on eliminating athletics. In the final vote, five trustees sided with Lyons.
“Athletics is a discussion that needed to take place at UDC,” said Lyons, who is a member of the NCAA Division II President’s Council. “We have to decide if this is worth committing to at the expense of hiring faculty members in electrical engineering or to help the business department move toward accreditation.”
