Report of the Faculty Athletics Representative
To the Faculty Council of the
I. Introduction
In recent years the faculty athletics representative has customarily met with the Faculty Executive Committee and appeared before the Faculty Council periodically, often on behalf of the Faculty Athletics Committee. The resolution referenced in the Committee’s report that was adopted by the Faculty Council on April 23, 2004, calls for an annual report by the faculty athletics representative to the Faculty Council. Submitting this first report pursuant to that resolution as a supplement to the annual report of the Faculty Athletics Committee seems appropriate. In a very real sense, the activities of the faculty athletics representative parallel those of the Committee because of the interests of the members of the Committee working on behalf of the faculty.
II. Activities of the Faculty Athletics Representative
The Committee report describes many activities in which the faculty athletics representative participates within the University. The list below will suffice to provide a sense of scope.
o Serve on the Faculty Athletics Committee (ex officio if not an elected member)
o Participate in exit interviews of student-athletes (with members Faculty Athletics Committee and staff of the Department of Athletics)
o Serve with the other faculty members on the Admissions Subcommittee that advises on student-athlete admissions)
o Consult with the staff of the
o Monitor the academic progress of student-athletes and participate in the meetings with head coaches that review these results
o Participate in the University’s compliance program regarding NCAA regulations
o Chair the Athletics Council, an advisory group to the director of athletics, composed of faculty, alumni, staff, and student representatives
o Other duties as requested (e.g., NCAA certification, Title IX Committee, planning committee for the
Within the Atlantic Coast Conference four individuals from each member institution are the primary participants in conference deliberations and decision making. They are the chancellor/president, the director of athletics, the senior women’s administrator, and the faculty athletics representative. On specified issues the conference bylaws direct that the chancellor/president shall cast the institutional vote. However, it has become a frequent practice on operating matters within the conference for the chancellor/president to delegate the voting authority to the faculty athletics representative, with appropriate consultation within each member institution. The officer positions within the conference are held by faculty athletics representatives on a set schedule. This year I serve as Secretary-Treasurer and chair the Finance Committee. These assignments change annually.
In addition to the usual operating issues, the most significant new activity at the conference level has been the assimilation of two new member institutions and the preparations for addition of the twelfth member in July 2005. This work has included resolution of complex scheduling issues that has been done almost entirely by the athletic directors, completion of the new conference TV contract for football, selection of the site for the first conference football championship, and budget and financial planning for the increased membership.
Since restructuring in 1997, National Collegiate Athletic Association governance has been led by the Board of Directors (chancellor and presidents), the Management Council (athletic administrators, conference officials, and faculty athletics representatives) and two Cabinets and numerous committees that discharge numerous operating responsibilities of the membership. Institutional participation is through conference representation instead of the former one-school, one-vote structure. The Atlantic Coast Conference has one position on the Division I Board of Directors and three positions on the Division I Management Council. At the request of the Atlantic Coast Conference, I serve in one of those positions on the Management Council.
III. Significant National Activities
The NCAA Division I Board of Directors has mandated the development of a system that would result in improved academic performance by student-athletes, specifically graduation, in high profile sports that have been the subject of adverse publicity. The design work for this system has occurred through the structure outlined above. Now in place and in the first stage of implementation is a three-part system, outlined below, that is designed to achieve this objective.
1. New standards for initial eligibility and progress toward degree
2. New measurements of progress
3. New penalties for poor academic performance and incentives for good performance
Chancellor Moeser, Director of Athletics Dick Baddour, and I have all contributed at the national level in the design stages of this work. In addition I serve on the NCAA Committee on Academic Performance that is implementing this system.
Activities of the Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics (COIA) and the involvement of UNC-Chapel Hill with its work are summarized in the report of the Faculty Athletics Committee. NCAA President Myles Brand has created an informal group of representatives of the COIA, the Association of Governing Boards, and the NCAA to shape this work on athletic reform. At President Brand’s invitation, I serve on this group and have participated in a number of the discussions in the continuing work on the COIA framework for reform.
Respectfully submitted,
John P. Evans
Faculty Athletics Representative