University of Montevallo cuts tennis, swimming packages after monetary points

MONTEVALLO, Ala. (WBRC) – Big adjustments are taking place on the University of Montevallo.

The college voted Friday to consolidate some departments and utterly lower each the boys’s and ladies’s tennis and swimming groups.

Luke McVeigh, a freshman on the swim group, watched Friday because the bulletins had been made.

“I’m just ashamed a little bit, honestly, of our university going about it this way,” McVeigh mentioned. “And I know it’s a tough decision, and that is apart of their job, but I just don’t think it was handled in the best possible way.”

Now, McVeigh says a few of his teammates are going to different universities whereas he stays at UM, however his mom will not get to cheer him on on the collegiate degree.

“For high school graduation, I had a year to prepare for that. I knew that was coming. This, we didn’t know this was coming. This was a shock. Did not have time to process. There’s a lot of parents that, we’re grieving,” Angie McVeigh mentioned.

The board first talked about reducing the groups in February, however tabled dialogue till May to additional take into account. A college spokesperson says the pool wanted about $1 million in repairs alongside different upkeep prices.

“And we know how difficult of a process that’s been for the student athletes and having to make some really difficult decisions,” mentioned Wesley Hallman with the college.

Hallman says the tennis program was lower as a consequence of to low roster dimension and problem making a revenue. Additionally, the board merged the music and theater departments.

“And that’s really just about delivering our academic program in a more efficient way.”

Parents really feel if the college acted sooner, this might have been prevented.

The college says they’re now in good monetary standing, and had been in a position to repay a $10 million mortgage used to remain afloat this 12 months. It has additionally balanced a funds by means of the tip of the fiscal 12 months.

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