June 9: Judith Bailey is hired as the seventh President of Western Michigan University

October 14 & 15: Public Forums were held with the charge of "to conduct a comprehensive study within the following parameters; the athletic program is to maintain NCAA Division 1A status, membership in the Mid-American Conference and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association, and comply with Title IX/gender equity requirement. "It was also made known that there was no predetermined number of sponsored sports and the committee should not seek a temporary reordering of sports at the University. Findings: Per Sports Sponsorship Review Committee (note title of committee is not athletic budget review committee) the basic themes that came from the forums were "one of keeping all sports going and trim the budget but save all sports." Result: Sports Sponsorship Review Committee recommended eliminating the Men's Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track teams.

November 30: Beauregard is quoted in the Kalamazoo Gazette before the Sponsorship Review Committee has even presented her with their recommendations. Paul Bowker writes in his column "Beauregard is clearly convinced that entire sports will be eliminated. "That is going to happen," Beauregard said.

December 1: The Committee report is handed to Kathy Beuregard, WMU Athletic Director, who in turn meets with Judith Bailey, WMU President.

December 3: Kathy Beauregard and Judith Bailey not only accepts the recommendation that Men's Cross Country, Indoor and Outdoor Track teams be eliminated but decides to eliminate Synchronized Skating Team as well. This is despite the committees recommendation that the sychronized skating team not be eliminated because " discontinuation of this sport sponsorship would result in a negative tuition cash flow to the University. " The athletes and coaches from these sports are herded into a large room and informed of this decision at 10 p.m.

December 4: Western Michigan University holds a news conference announcing the above decision.

December 5: Western Herald stops printing due to the Winter break and will not resume printing until January 5. Due to the timing of the anouncement this means that student body will not be informed of this decision in their own student paper until a month after it had been issued.

December 11: Board of Trustees informally meet to discuss issues which are supposed to be decided at December 12 meeting.

December 12: (First Day of Christmas Break): Board of Trustees meet and unanimiously vote to eliminate Men's Cross Country, Indoor, and Outdoor Track teams as well as eliminate the synchronized skating team. The vote occurs after several individuals point out minority recruitment issues, Title IX noncompliance, negative economic impact, loss of history, and personal impact of decision. Not one of the Trustees ask any questions of any of the speakers or inquire about any of information that was provided to them prior to the meeting supporting the programs being preserved. Editors of the Western Herald find out about the meeting only hours before the meeting despite requesting information about the meeting days in advance. Many of the athletes who do attend the meeting have to stay on-campus a few extra days because their classes had already ended.

December 15: Kathy Beauregard announces on public radio that the university has reversed it decision to eliminate sychronized skating and will bring it back as a club sport.

December 29: Kalamazoo Gazette publishes that "several alumni and others publicly denounced the cutting of men's indoor track, men's outdoor track, men's cross country and women's synchronized skating teams. In the days that follow the decision, calls and e-mails to Bailey and Beauregard have been "much less", Bailey said". Keep in mind the decision was made after the student body left for Winter break and many of the administrators were also on Winter Break.

Compiled by Peter Livingstone-McNelis