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Cronan retiring confident about Lady Vols’ future

By WTOP Staff

STEVE MEGARGEE
AP Sports Writer

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Retiring Tennessee women’s athletic director emeritus Joan Cronan believes the school will withstand the adversity it’s encountered since consolidating its men’s and women’s athletic departments.

But she wants to make sure the Lady Vols brand and logo remain an integral part of the school’s tradition. The solid orange power “T” is used for the men’s teams, while a unique version features the words “Lady Volunteers” in blue for the women’s teams.

“That logo stands for so much,” Cronan said. “People talk about logos. McDonald’s wouldn’t give up its arches. McDonald’s (restaurants) are recreating how they look, but they still have that arch. Tennessee athletics is recreating how it looks, but I think the Lady Vols will still be a vital part of it.”

Cronan was the Tennessee women’s athletic director from 1983-2012, building one of the nation’s most respected women’s athletics programs.

She filled in as the school’s overall interim athletic director in 2011 before Dave Hart took over on a permanent basis. For the last two years, Cronan has been women’s athletic director emeritus and adviser and consultant to the chancellor.

Legendary coach Pat Summitt built the women’s basketball program at Tennessee and her teams won eight national titles before she retired in 2012 and became head coach emeritus.

“Joan Cronan’s vision, passion and tireless efforts to grow women’s athletics and to promote women’s opportunities made a huge difference across the nation for women in sports,” Summitt said in a statement released by her foundation. “Joan was the driving force in elevating the prominence and brand of Tennessee Lady Vol athletics through strategy, excellence and priceless relationships.

“Joan expected my best each day, and I expected her best each day. Over the years, Joan and I sharpened each other. I consider her a great friend and true champion.”

Cronan plans to continue speaking and fundraising for the university, but she also will devote more time to other interests, which include writing a book that discusses how lessons learned from sports can be used in life and business.

During her tenure, the Lady Vols also won two national championships in women’s indoor track. Tennessee is naming its new volleyball practice facility after Cronan.

“I feel the same way about Joan in this regard that I do Pat,” Hart said. “What they have meant — not only to the University of Tennessee but to women’s athletics nationally — is hard to adequately put into a statement. They’ve been pioneers. They’ve done wonders for the advancement of women’s sports.”

Cronan’s career plans began at 12 when she wasn’t permitted to play Little League baseball because of her gender.

“You know the Barbara Mandrell song, that she was country before it was cool to be country?” Cronan said. “Well, I was a tomboy before it was cool for women to be in sports. I knew I loved to play and I knew I loved to compete. When they wouldn’t let me play baseball, it made me mad. My thought was, ‘Why not?'”

Cronan is retiring at a delicate time for the department. Two lawsuits were filed against the university in the fall of 2012, after Tennessee consolidated its men’s and women’s athletic departments.

Debby Jennings, the former Lady Vols media director, is suing Tennessee and Hart individually over allegations that age and sex discrimination led to her forced retirement after 35 years. Her suit alleged that 12 of the 15 employees laid off as part of the consolidation of the two athletic departments were female.

Former Tennessee associate director of sports medicine Jenny Moshak, who spent 24 years at the school, and ex-Lady Vols strength coaches Heather Mason and Collin Schlosser filed a suit saying the university set up a “testosterone wall” that prevented female employees or people associated with women’s teams from earning equal pay.

Cronan, who isn’t a part of either suit, declined comment on the litigation but said she has no doubt Tennessee continues to care about women’s sports.

“Tennessee has been supportive of women’s athletics in the past and the present,” Cronan said. “That will continue into the future.”

The 70-year-old Cronan will maintain the emeritus title after Monday when she retires.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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