DUE WEST, SCÑ Erskine College leads all South Carolina private schools in gender equity, according to a Gender Equity Report Card recently released by the Women's Sports Foundation.

The report listed the results of 767 schools concerning the state of gender equity in intercollegiate athletics during the 1995-96 year on an institution-by-institution basis.

Each school was graded in four areas: percentage of females among a school's undergraduate enrollment compared to the percentage of student athletes that participate on women's teams; percentage of athletic scholarship dollars awarded to participants on women's teams; percentage of the athletic recruitment budget spent on participants of women's teams; and percentage of the athletic operating budget spent on women's teams.

Letter grades were calculated and assigned according to a rank-ordering of schools that reflect the percentage of resources and opportunities allotted to women athletes in proportion to their numbers in the student body.

Each institution was then assigned an overall grade point average (based on a 4.0 scale) computed from the averaging of these four area grades. Only 16 schools nationwide received a perfect 4.0 grade.

Erskine received a grade of B with a 2.98 GPA. Erskine was second among all South Carolina schools, with Francis Marion University grading a B-plus at 3.25.

Erskine competes at the NCAA Division II level in 10 different intercollegiate sports, five for men and five for women. A member of the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference, the Lady Fleet participate in women's soccer, cross country, basketball, tennis and softball.

At its most recent meeting in July, the Erskine College Board of Trustees approved a five-year plan to bring its athletics department into full compliance with Title IX. The plan calls for increased funding for women's sports in two areas: athletic scholarships and coaching salaries.

"Our Board's approval of this plan shows its committment to gender equity in athletics at Erskine. Of the 13 areas of athletics Title IX deals with, we are in compliance in 11. This plan will allow us to meet the standards in all 13," said Chip Sherer, Erskine Athletic Director.

In 1972, Title IX of the Education Amendments to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed. Title IX stated "no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance"

Erskine receives Federal student aid, making it subject to compliance with Title IX.