The number of scholarships for female athletes climbed a percentage point last year to 41.2 percent, according to a new report released by the University Wednesday.
Despite the small increase, officials said they could reach their ultimate goal of 48 percent as early as next year.
The report, which is required of all universities by the Higher Education Act, showed continued growth in the number and the percentage of scholarships for women, total expenditures on women's teams and revenue generated by the women's basketball team.
About 91 scholarships were awarded to women athletes for the 2001-2002 season, according to the report. Chris Kennedy, associate director of athletics, said about nine more scholarships have been added this year in rowing and track and field, and six more could be added in 2003-2004.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, mandates that participation opportunities for male and female students should be substantially proportionate to overall enrollment percentages. Duke's undergraduate female enrollment last year was 48.7 percent.
Kennedy said that to reach the goal of proportionate representation, the department developed a plan in 1998 to add 34 new women's scholarships, with the ultimate goal of adding 106. Kennedy said those additional scholarships needed to be strategically distributed and the total number can fluctuate depending upon recruitment success and athlete transfers to other schools.
"There are all sorts of variables," Kennedy said. "You can have your nice little tidy numbers, but you are always going to be off."
At an average of $36,218 per scholarship, the University allots the greatest total scholarship funds to students in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Kennedy said it is difficult to compare Title IX compliance success with other ACC schools because of the wide range of undergraduate enrollment breakdowns.
"You need to measure compliance with what the female athletes think," Kennedy said. "Do they feel like they are being equitably treated? I think we're doing pretty well compared to other places."
Expenses and revenues of the University's 24 teams were also included in the report. Men's teams accounted for 98 percent of the total revenue and 43.9 percent of total expenses.
The men's basketball team took in the most revenues at $9.3 million, which is 29.2 percent of total revenue, and incurred expenses of $4.8 million. The football team had $6.4 million in revenues and $6.3 million in expenses. Other men's teams garnered $65,087 in revenues and $3.1 million in expenses.
Women's basketball, which made it to the Women's Final Four of the NCAA Tournament last year, more than doubled its revenue from 2000-2001 to $321,905, with expenses of $1.7 million.
"The revenues for women's basketball are going up and the interest is going up," Kennedy said. "There is a lot of potential there, and we are going to be very good this year, so it should continue."
The numbers also documented the breakdown in gender of head coaches of women's and men's teams. All 12 men's teams had male head coaches, but the 12 women's teams were split evenly between male and female head coaches.
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