Working in higher education has many positives, including the daily energy and optimism of students who are creating a bright future. This is a particularly exciting time to be at Cal Poly Humboldt, where we often find ourselves falling back on a pretty simple summary: “It’s an amazing time to be a Lumberjack!”

Campus arts, music, dance, and theater provide students opportunities not only to learn, but to share their skills through performances that are open to the public. These areas bring vibrancy and enrich the quality of life on the North Coast.

Another area that enriches the quality of life is intercollegiate athletics and club sports. An area where this is most true is in women’s intercollegiate athletics, where ongoing success has intersected with the 50th anniversary of Title IX, which created the basis of gender equality in college athletics. Imperfect as some efforts nationwide have been, this law has led to incredible progress, and we are able to see that on a daily basis.

In fact, you could make a good case that Humboldt is a shining example of the sort of college athletics program that was envisioned so long ago.

• More than 55% of all intercollegiate athletes at Cal Poly Humboldt are women.
• 8 of our 12 intercollegiate sports are women’s sports.
• Our newest NCAA sport, added in spring 2022, is women’s triathlon.
• 4 of Cal Poly Humboldt’s 6 National Championships are women’s sports (rowing in 2012 and 2014, and softball in 1999 and 2008).

This fall, we’ve been privileged to cheer on our women’s teams and enjoy their competitive spirit. There was cross country, an inspiring team that pushed each other to do better each week. They were the first to request the “Big Ax” be brought out for their home meet in McKinleyville. We joined a volleyball team full of relatively young players for a trip to the Bay Area, where they came up just short of a big upset of Cal State East Bay. Women’s triathlon finished its historic first season. Women’s soccer pulled off what few expected, beating Chico State at home and heading to their first playoff appearance since 2006 (where they lost the first game in double overtime).

We can’t wait to see what’s next. Women’s basketball recently had its home and conference opener, and is currently tied for the lead in the California Collegiate Athletics Conference (CCAA) standings. Rowing is looking forward to a strong season in the spring that will include a home regatta at the Humboldt Bay Aquatic Center in Eureka. Softball’s home opener is set for March 3 vs. Dominguez Hills, and track and field will open their season at home. For each team, we’ll continue to pick at least one contest to have a special gathering of alumni and boosters, recognizing the team, hearing from the coaches, and adding an extra bit of energy to the crowd.

Like parents everywhere, when we think about our children and their futures, we want them to have every possible opportunity. From the time they are born, we want them to be happy and to have success as they define it. We try to help and to clear away barriers. This was exactly the perspective that led to Title IX a half-century ago. Before this, women were often overlooked in sports and did not receive nearly the same support as men. They were not offered athletic scholarships, there were no women’s championships, and they struggled with funding. As of 1972, there were just 30,000 women competing in NCAA athletics compared to 170,000 men.

Title IX, a federal civil rights law, aimed to change that narrative. It states: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

Title IX requires that schools provide scholarships to male and female athletes proportional to their participation, they must work to expand opportunities for female athletes, and treat all genders equally. It created a more equal playing field for male and female athletes, something that did not exist before. It finally allowed women to get the recognition they deserved. It has brought about advances that are crucial in beginning to reverse a long history of sexism.

As of 2021, that gap in NCAA athletic participation has shrunk considerably, with 218,000 women and 275,000 men.

More than 150 of those women are competing this year at Cal Poly Humboldt. We encourage you to come see them in action, cheer them on, and enjoy the camaraderie. While you’re at it, spend a minute or two thinking about the history that has been made and the history that is still in the making.

Dr. Tom Jackson Jr. is the president of Cal Poly Humboldt. Cooper Jones is Humboldt’s executive director of intercollegiate athletics and campus recreation.