Controversy within the Dartmouth community continues to escalate in response to the publication of a private letter Dean of Admissions Karl Furstenberg wrote four years ago calling varsity football programs "a sacrifice to the academic quality and diversity of entering first-year classes."
In the wake of the College football team's 1-9 season this year, some critics have called for Furstenberg's resignation.
A December Valley News article quoted parts of the letter that precipitated the outcry: a personal note to Swarthmore College President Alfred Bloom after the Pennsylvania school cut its football team.
"I am writing to commend you on the decision to eliminate football from your athletic offerings," Furstenberg wrote. "I wish this were not true, but sadly football, and the culture that surrounds it, is antithetical to the academic mission of colleges such as ours."
Furstenberg added that a "close examination" of Ivy League athletics would find other sports that detract from academics.
Some critics have blamed Furstenberg for the recent disappointing performance of the Dartmouth football team, which has amassed a meager 16-53 record in the past seven seasons. The team's poor perfo rmance culminated with the firing of Head Coach John Lyons at the end of this past season.
Furstenberg's defenders have pointed out that his 15-year tenure as Dean has witnessed a string of successful years for the Dartmouth football program. The football squad dominated the Ivy League until 1998, earning a 58-19-3 record from 1990 to 1997 and Furstenberg presided as the team reached its pinnacle in 1996. That year saw Big Green win 10 games, lose none and outscore its opponents by an average of greater than two-and-a-half to one.
According to Dartmouth Athletics Director Josie Harper, the comments in Furstenberg's letter were not representative of his interactions with the athletics department.
"That certainly wasn't the impression I got," Harper said of her relationship with the admissions dean. "Karl has worked very closely with us the whole time."
Harper said she was "a little bit surprised... and a little bit hurt" by the letter.
Following the release of Furstenberg's comments, the athletics department is aiming high in its search for Lyons' replacement. Former Cincinnati Bengals Head Coach Dave Shula '81 decided not to pursue the job, but former Dartmouth and Stanford Head Coach Buddy Teevens '79 is still in talks with Harper and other College officials.
Harper denied that the high-profile recruitment of a new coach is an attempt to fight the perception that Dartmouth and its Admissions Office have neglected football over the years.
College administrators have not taken action to replace Furstenberg.
President James Wright released a letter Dec. 20 that admonished Furstenberg for his comments but expressed continued confidence in his role as the admissions dean.
"That letter was a lapse in professional judgment," Wright wrote. "I very much regret the hurt that the Dean's statements have caused within the Dartmouth community."
Despite expressing his disappointment in Furstenberg's comments, Wright stated explicitly that Furstenberg has conformed to College policy.
"The Admissions Office does not determine Dartmouth's ambitions. Rather Admissions is charged by me and the Trustees to admit a class that will meet our ambitions," Wright wrote. "I am confident that the sentiments he expressed in the letter have never influenced his admissions decisions."
The Ivy League has strict rules for football recruiting. Each school is limited to an average of 30 football recruits per year over a four-year period. League rules also place limits on the allowed gap between the academic quality of football recruits and the rest of the class.
Furstenberg denied that Dartmouth's football woes are due to the alleged biases of the admissions department.
"We work closely with the coaches within the guidelines of the Ivy League," Furstenberg said. "The admissions policies of the institution are decided on by a wide range of people including the president, and it's my job to implement those policies."
In recent years, Dartmouth football players appear to have succeeded academically. Their graduation rate is routinely as high as that of the entire class.
"One of the things we've been able to do at Dartmouth is blend intercollegiate athletics and excellent academics," Furstenberg said. "The bottom line for us is that students have to have been successful academically."
Even though Furstenberg is confident that he has done the job he was hired to do, he was quick to apologize for his comments, which have offended current and former Dartmouth student-athletes.
"My overwhelming reaction is one of disappointment and regret," Furstenberg said.