Xavier in Trouble!!!

[seemehaha]

I recieved this in my e-mail from my coach Newt Engle.

Fellow Rifle Supporters,

It has not hit the wires yet, but the student athlete instant messages have been buzzing with the news. The rumor was that Xavier University (Ohio) was going to eliminate their rifle program. It is with a heavy heart that I inform you this is not a rumor. I called Xavier Athletics yesterday and was informed the team will finish this season and then, the program will be eliminated. The reasons given to me was budget and facility (ventilation) issues. I called but could not reach my friend, coach Alan Joseph, to hear from him what we could do. I also know we can not allow time to pass allowing Xavier administrators to think this is an acceptable course of action.



I can not begin to tell you how personal this is to me. Coach Alan Joseph and I competed as collegiate athletes in the 70’s and started coaching our respective schools soon thereafter. We grew up together as athletes, as coaches, and as friends. Alan has dedicated his life to his program and has made Xavier one of the most sought after colleges for Olympic rifle athletes. I have to stop now because I could fill your screen with praise for Alan and his school. But I have a much more important issue to address with YOU. That is right, each and every one of you. You are getting this message because you are one of the more than 450 people on my list-serve who has expressed interest in the sport of rifle. I have never used this list-serve for anything other than periodic press releases but feel I must now diverge and ask for your help. We as representatives of our sport MUST make our voice heard. West Virginia University tried to eliminate rifle, but the outcry was so immediate and so over whelming the decision was reversed. It is imperative we repeat the performance for Xavier. As a start, I have pasted some contact information below about the Xavier administrators who have the power to re-evaluate this decision. Please take a moment to tell them how you feel. I implore you to represent our sport with respect and dignity by composing your remarks in a polite but direct manner. These administrators NEED to know how we feel. Next, I request you forward this message to as many persons as you feel comfortable asking for help and ask them to forward this request. Hopefully this is the beginning of a VERY large tree. If you have any questions for me, I can be reached at the numbers below, or at mengle@uakron.edu . Thanks in advance for taking the time to click on the addresses below and make our voice heard. My best advice is “Do It Now.”

Most Sincerely,


Newt Engle

Department of Athletics

Coach Newt Engle
146 Hill Street
Akron, Ohio 44325-0402

330-972-6182 Office
330-972-5552 Range
330-972-7772 Fax
330-325-7244 Home Akron Rifle - Go Zips!

Xavier Contact information:

lang@xavier.edu Joseph A. Pichler, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Xavier University

graham@xavier.edu Michael J. Grahm, President of Xavier University

kucia@xavier.edu John F. Kucia , Vice President over Athletics

rogers@xavier.edu Dawn Rogers, Athletic Director



More detailed information below:



Xavier University Home Page: http://www.xu.edu/



Check out what Coach Alan Joseph has accomplished: http://athletics.xu.edu/rifle/coaches.cfm?program=Rifle





==============================================================

MR. JOSEPH A. PICHLER,

Chairman of the Board of Trustees

Lang@xavier.edu

(Beginning September 24, 2004)

Retired Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, The Kroger Co., Cincinnati, Ohio

==============================================================



Michael J. Graham, S.J., President



Rev. Michael J. Graham, S.J.




Title:
President

Phone:
513 745-3502

Fax:
513 745-4223

Email:
graham@xavier.edu




Michael J. Graham, S.J. became the 34th Jesuit president of Xavier University in January 2001. Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Graham earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa. He also holds Master of Arts degrees in American Studies and psychology, and a doctorate in American Studies from the University of Michigan. Graham entered the Society of Jesus on Sept. 3, 1978 and was ordained a priest on June 11, 1988. Graham's path to the presidency at Xavier began with an assignment as an adjunct professor of history in 1984. He spent a year and a half at Xavier before leaving to undertake a master's degree in divinity at The Weston School of Theology. He returned to campus four years later, in 1989, serving as an assistant professor of history and later as director of the university scholars program. In the spring of 1994 he was promoted to the rank of associate professor.

In the fall of that year, Graham accepted an appointment as vice president for university relations and served in that capacity until1999 when he was promoted to executive assistant to President James E. Hoff, S.J. In his role in university relations, he directed the offices for development, marketing and public relations, alumni and parent relations, special events, and the WVXU radio station. During his tenure as vice president, Graham managed The Century Campaign, the most ambitious fundraising campaign in Xavier's history that ended in 2001. The five-year fund drive raised $125 million.

As President of Xavier, Graham has invigorated the University's 171-year old tradition of serving society by educating students intellectually, morally, and spiritually, with academic rigor and compassion, toward lives of solidarity and service. Since completion of the newest structures on campus, including the Gallagher Student Center, Graham is focusing on academic excellence. As part of his strategic plan the University has established an academic vision, increased the number of full-time faculty, enhanced interdisciplinary study, and expanded academic service learning. Fulfilling his vision of the "University as Citizen," Graham has also initiated the Community Building Collaborative at Xavier, which coordinates activities that connect the University to the surrounding neighborhoods and larger community. A goal for the University is to partner with both local and regional organizations and for Xavier citizens to become more active participants in the community.

As a parish priest active at both Good Shepherd Catholic Church in suburban Cincinnati and with Xavier student groups, Graham carries out his Jesuit pastoral activities as celebrant for weddings, baptisms, and retreats as well as weekly Sunday worship. He has maintained as well an active presence in the classroom since becoming President. "I'm a priest and I'm a teacher," says Graham. "My gifts and experience intersect with Xavier University at this particular moment in time in such a way that what I think I'll be able to contribute is an enhanced sense of the University's excellence as a university, per se, and as a distinctly Jesuit-Catholic university."


John F. Kucia, Administrative Vice President

Dr. John Kucia




Title:
Administrative Vice President

Phone:
513 745-3997

Email:
kucia@xavier.edu




John Kucia is administrative vice president at Xavier and the principal assistant to Xavier President, Michael J. Graham, S.J. As administrative vice president, Kucia is responsible for the University’s intercollegiate athletic program, community and government relations and the Cintas Center. Kucia has earned a bachelor’s degree in political science (1969) and a master’s degree in guidance and counseling (1972) from Xavier, and will earn a Doctorate in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania in May 2004. He was named director of alumni relations in 1984, assistant to the president in 1986 and has served as vice president since 1990. Kucia and his wife, Mary (MEd, '76), have five children: Kristin ('91), John ('93), Peter ('95), and twins Emily ('02) and Ellen (Loyola, Chicago '02).





Ms. Dawn Rogers

Title:
Athletic Director

Phone:
513 745-3417

Fax:
513 745-4390

Email:
rogers@xavier.edu

[Peter Dorn]

The following is what I recieved as a reply to my email.



Thank you for your e-mail concerning Xavier’s decision to discontinue our Rifle Program. As I am sure you can imagine, this decision was extremely difficult for our University, coach and student-athletes.

Xavier University is just completing its strategic planning process. This process required each division on campus to make significant budget reductions to enable the University to reallocate resources and fund future initiatives. For the Department of Athletics, these cuts meant difficult decisions had to be made. Discontinuing any program is especially hard on the coach, student-athletes and alumni, and for that the University regrets having to make this decision.

Please know that we have always embraced our Rifle Program and our long-time and dedicated Coach Alan Joseph who will continue as an employee of Xavier. Alan has done an outstanding job and our student-athletes have always represented our University with class. In the near term, Xavier intends to commemorate the success and many proud accomplishments of the Rifle Program, its athletes and coach with a significant presence in an Athletic Hall of Fame display being planned for installation in the Cintas Center.

I appreciate your support of our athletic program and wish there could be a different outcome for Xavier Rifle. Right now we are concentrating our efforts on helping our student-athletes move forward. We will be meeting with each of the student-athletes to help them manage through this decision period. We believe this will serve to ease the transition and enable us to understand the unique issues of each individual. To that end, it is important for you to know that all nine members of the Rifle Team will continue to receive their athletic financial aid as long as they continue to meet the University’s and the Athletic Department’s requirements toward graduation. The student-athletes’ non-athletic financial aid is, as always, at the discretion of the University’s Financial Aid Office, but is not affected by the decision to discontinue the Rifle Program. Immediate permission to contact other collegiate rifle programs will be given should any student-athlete wish to pursue the possibility of transferring to another university, although we are hopeful that a good number of these young men and women will decide to remain at Xavier.

In closing, I thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.

Best regards,

John F. Kucia, Ed.D.
Administrative Vice President
Xavier University
3800 Victory Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45207-4511
Work: 513-745-3501
Fax: 513-745-4223

[sureshot007]

If you haven't already, sign the petition!

http://www.petitiononline.com/XURifle/petition.html

[wrc177]

This is what I heard when I was at Xavier last weekend for the Walsh:

All departments were asked to cut their budgets by 3-5% in order to create seed money for a multi-million dollar building program. The athletic dept chose to free up their portion of the $$$ by simply eliminating the rifle team, rather than making cuts in each sport.

BTW - While ulterior motives were being discussed as the reason for the cut, Coach Alan Joseph remained his usual calm & diplomatic self, and wouldn't fan the flames. They were going to keep us in touch via TargetTalk.