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Appendix C

Appendix C

Statement of the Role of the

Faculty Athletics Representative
Introduction

This statement has been developed to emphasize the strategic role that the faculty athletics representative (FAR) should play to ensure academic integrity, facilitate institutional control of intercollegiate athletics and enhance the student-athlete experience. Although chief executive officer (CEO) control of the intercollegiate athletics program is essential, this goal is more likely to be attained through appropriate delegation of both responsibility and authority on the campus. Of all of the major participants in the administration of the intercollegiate athletics program, those who represent the faculty are most likely to be independent of the financial and other pressures that create enormous incentives for competitive success in the revenue-producing sports. Senior faculty members are able to provide significant leadership in the governance of athletics programs on their campuses if they are empowered by their CEOs and their faculty governance structures to do so, and if they are provided adequate institutional support to fully discharge their responsibilities.

The common bond that links FARs across all NCAA member institutions is a commitment to academic integrity. Beyond this goal, FAR roles vary both among and within divisional classifications.

The roles of the faculty-dominated athletics boards or committees also may differ. In this statement, the “role of the FAR” should be broadly interpreted to include the activities of the athletics boards and committees that also are charged to represent faculty perspectives in the governance of intercollegiate athletics.

Obviously, this statement is not intended to be binding on either individual FARs or member institution. It does contain, however, guidelines that merit diligent consideration on the part of those who select or appoint the FAR and on the part of the faculty members who are asked to consider such appointments.

Academic Integrity

The academic integrity of an intercollegiate athletics program may be evaluated in a number of ways, including a review of: the admissions profiles of recruited student-athletes vs. all students who are admitted to the institution; courses and academic programs selected by student-athletes; the semester and cumulative records of academic performance of student-athletes and the rates at which they graduate. The FAR periodically should review appropriate records (for both individual student-athletes and for sport teams) to ensure that decisions related to admissions, academic advising, evaluation of academic performance and the extent of academic support services are made in ways that are consistent with the primary academic mission of the institution.

The FAR should ensure that the institution has in place effective mechanisms for evaluating whether student-athletes have met all of the academic eligibility requirements for practice, financial aid and intercollegiate competition established by the NCAA, the conference (if any) and the institution. The FAR need not perform these certifications personally, but should ensure that all certifications for both initial and continuing academic eligibility have been performed correctly, and with adequate documentation.

The FAR should assume an advisory and reporting role with respect to the academic preparation and performance of student-athletes. The FAR may prepare (or requires on the basis of FAR specifications) periodic reports on the academic preparation and performance of student-athletes. Such reports should be carefully reviewed by the FAR and discussed with the CEO, the faculty and the athletics department.

Compliance

Institutional control of intercollegiate athletics is a campus-wide responsibility. Unless the institution has designated an athletics compliance coordinator who reports directly to the CEO (or another senior-level administrator outside the athletics department), the FAR and the director of athletics should assume joint responsibility for ensuring compliance with all NCAA, conference (if any) and institutional rules. Consistent with the guidelines provided by the NCAA’s principles of institutional control discussion document, FAR responsibilities should include oversight of compliance-related activities undertaken within the athletics department and coordination of the compliance-related activities of the campus units located outside the athletics department. Such efforts could focus on academic-eligibility certifications (noted above), rules education and staff training, rules interpretations, and periodic spot-checks of records to ensure that all institutional compliance systems are engaged and functioning. Even if the institution has appointed a compliance coordinator who reports directly to the CEO, the FAR should retain significant responsibilities for institutional-control structures and activities.

The FAR should play a central role in any major institutional inquiry into alleged or suspected rules violations and in the preparation of any infractions reports submitted to the conference (if any) or the NCAA.

The FAR should receive the results of any periodic audits of the athletics department that may be conducted.

The FAR should play a major role in any NCAA athletics certification program reviews.

Intercollegiate athletics programs offer privileges that include financial assistance, team membership, competitive opportunities and numerous additional support services. Such privileges create a heightened visibility of student-athletes both on and beyond the campus. Hence, student-athletes must accept some additional responsibilities for their behavior that are not imposed on students generally. The FAR, together with the athletics administration, should ensure that appropriate standards of student-athlete conduct are established (for both on- and off-campus behavior), clearly communicated and consistently enforced.

Student-Athlete Experience

The FAR should promote a balance between academics, athletics and the social lives of student-athletes, which affords them opportunities to enjoy the full range of collegiate experiences available to students generally. Examples of such activities include a review of travel and competition schedules (to minimize missed class time), reviews of athletics scholarship cancellations or reductions (which might inappropriately limit opportunities for student-athletes to complete their degrees), periodic review of the mechanisms used to monitor the hourly and weekly limitations on athletically related activities, and the actions to encourage the availability of post eligibility financial support for student-athletes. The FAR should participate in student-athlete exit interviews, facilitate student-athlete participation on athletics boards and committees, and inform student-athletes about the FAR role as an independent source of counsel, assistance and information.

The FAR should encourage and facilitate interactions between student-athletes and mainstream institutional activities. At the beginning of each academic year, the FAR should address student-athletes as a group, or in individual team meetings, to emphasize the primacy of the academic mission of the institution and the responsibilities of student-athletes within that setting. Further, the FAR should utilize every opportunity to reinforce the principle that student-athletes are students who are to be afforded opportunities to participate in a variety of institutional experiences.

The FAR should encourage student-athletes to prepare for careers outside (or in some instances, associate with) their experiences as intercollegiate athletes. To this end, the FAR should ensure that testing, counseling, evaluation and other career-planning services are made available to student-athletes.

Communication/Administration

The FAR should play a central role in discussions of matters related to intercollegiate athletics at athletics board or committee meetings and at faculty or institutional senate meetings. At these meetings, the FAR should provide periodic reports related to matters of academic integrity, academic preparation and performance of student-athletes, rules compliance or violations, and other matters related to the intercollegiate athletics program. Faculty and other members of the institutional community should have an opportunity to learn about the work of the FAR and to raise relevant questions or concerns with the FAR. The FAR should serve as a member, or as chair, of the institution’s athletics board or committee.

The FAR should have access to complete budgetary information about the athletics department.

The FAR should play an important role in the shaping of institutional voting decisions on conference and NCAA legislation.

The FAR, as an appointee of the CEO, must have access to the CEO and must be recognized as a key advisor on athletics-related matters by the CEO and others involved in the administration of intercollegiate athletics. The FAR also must have access to a working relationship with the director of athletics and his or her staff. The FAR should have a major role in the institutional searches for key athletics department personnel.

Institutional Resources/Compensation

The CEO must ensure that the FAR and the faculty members who share the responsibilities identified above are allocated the time and institutional resources consistent with their duties. This support could include clerical staff, release time from teaching or other duties, and additional compensation during the academic or fiscal year. In addition, deans, department chairs and other institutional administrators should acknowledge that the FAR’s activities described above require a significant commitment of time and energy. No faculty member should accept appointment to the position of FAR without a commitment of institutional resources consistent with these responsibilities and a pledge of institutional recognition of the time and energies required for these duties to be effectively discharged.

Athletically related perquisites (team travel, tickets, etc.) provided to the FAR should be subject to annual approval by the CEO. Where possible, it would be desirable to have the expenses associated with such perquisites paid through the office of the CEO, not the athletics department.