CRITICS BLAST CSUN CUTS.

Byline: Rizza Yap Daily News Staff Writer

An open budget meeting Friday sparked an impassioned discussion about the credibility of Cal State Northridge administrators in the wake of the elimination of men's baseball, volleyball and swimming teams.

A fourth men's sport - soccer - initially was cut also, but financial support from the community enabled the university to keep the program going for another year.

Several Northridge residents attended the University Budget Advisory Board meeting and criticized the school's decision to drop the men's teams.

``This university is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley where kids who want to play baseball and soccer can go without leaving home, and you've taken away that opportunity from them,'' said Becky Leveque, a Northridge alumna.

``People are very upset, and don't mistake the strength that lies within this community. We are not trusting of this university any longer.''

University officials made the cuts to comply with a gender-equity agreement and to prevent an athletic department deficit.

The athletic department had to meet the terms of a deal the California State University system reached with the California chapter of the National Organization for Women to get the male-female ratio of sports participation more in balance with the student population.

On Friday, Lee Kanon Alpert, former president of Northridge's Athletic Association, said administrators might have to reinstate some eliminated sports in the future in order for the school to rebuild its image.

``There is truly an issue of credibility concern in this community,'' Alpert said. ``The real concern I had was everything hit all at once. This athletic program is going to have to show that it is competitive and, in the future, will need to bring some of these sports back.''

For Shahid Ansari, a faculty member of the advisory board, the way to save Northridge's image is to start from scratch and reverse the decision to eliminate the men's sports.

He said that students and members of the community should be able to vote in a referendum to decide the direction the athletic department should take.

Ansari said the university should commit to keeping the sports selected in the referendum for at least five years.

``The depth of response to the sports cut has taken everyone, including me, by surprise,'' Ansari wrote in his proposal.

However, a university official defended the curtailments.

``We are not surprised by the comments made today,'' said student affairs vice president Ronald Kopita, who along with university President Blenda J. Wilson and athletic director Paul Bubb decided which teams to cut. ``We anticipated the outcry, but I think we took the course of action that was, in our judgment, the most appropriate.

``Clearly, there would be some doors shut, but the degree to which there will be backlash, only time will tell. I know that those who support the programs we have now will continue their support.''

The athletics department expects to spend $5.36 million for the 1997-98 season. Since the university will honor scholarship and salary commitments at least one year for students and coaches of eliminated sports, it will save only $47,000 in operations costs this year. After the commitments are fulfilled, the department expects to save $575,000.

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2 Photos

Photo: (1--Color) KOPITA

(2--Color) Northridge student body president Brad Marsh listens as community members assail the university's decision to cut baseball, men's volleyball and men's swimming.

Evan Yee / Daily News