Athletic Task Force Report

Athletic Task Force Report

March 15, 2005

Task Force Members:

Faculty members: Dr. Bill Claxon; Dr. Bob Botsch; Dr. Kim Wood-Woeber

Community members: Jo Cunningham, Billy Morris, Dru Nix

Staff members: Ahmed Samaha, Jerry Snyder

Student member: Neil Berment

Co-chairs: Angie Osbon, Randy Duckett

Consultant & Facilitator: Dr. Connie Pritchard

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA AIKEN

ATHLETIC TASK FORCE

FINAL REPORT

March 15, 2005

The Charge

The charge of this committee was to consider all available information about the USCA Athletic programs and then making a report and recommendations back to the campus administration in the following areas:

q Status of all existing programs in terms of resources available, number of participants, gender equity considerations, trend lines in season outcomes, comparative standing in funding with other Peach Belt Conference members, and peer institutions, as well as any other critical data points that will inform decision making (i.e., expenditures per athlete, coaching salaries, number of coaches per sport, recruiting budgets, scholarships, operating budgets, etc.).

q Defining the role and expectations for the Athletic Program on campus in relation to strategic planning initiatives (i.e., impact upon admissions, student life, diversity, administrative services, fund raising, public relations, etc.).

q Creating policy recommendations for three possible future scenarios: a) increased availability of resources, b) decreased availability of resources, and c) resources at current levels into future years.

q Adequacy of athletic support services to include academic support, athletic training, and sports information.

q The current status of cheerleading and dance team as athletic teams versus support service activities.

The Process

As a result of the 2003 USCA Strategic Planning process, the Chancellor appointed a broad based task force of community, student, faculty, and staff members to serve on the ATF. Additional staff and faculty served as resource support for the task force.

Individuals named to the Task Force were:

Faculty members: Dr. Bill Claxon; Dr. Bob Botsch; Dr. Kim Wood-Woeber

Community members: Jo Cunningham, Red Roberts, Billy Morris, Dru Nix

Staff members: Ahmed Samaha, Jerry Snyder

Student member: Neil Berment

Co-chairs: Angie Osbon, Randy Duckett

Consultant & Facilitator: Dr. Connie Pritchard

(The individuals in this group were also alumni, former athletes, Pacer Club President, Faculty Athletic Rep, former & current coach, and current student-athlete)

Individuals who served as resource individuals throughout the process were:

Randy Warrick Athletic Director

Dr. Deb Kladivko Vice Chancellor for Student Life and Services

Tim Hall Associate Athletic Director and NCAA Compliance Officer

Dr. Jim Kauffman Faculty member & former Faculty Athletic Representative

Data collection

After several months of collecting data and information for the committee members, the co-chairs of the task force identified 6 key areas for study and exploration. These areas reflect the major components of a college athletic program.

Academic Process & Success for Student Athletes
Competitiveness
Community Service
Community Impact
Support & Auxiliary Services
Gender Equity, Diversity, and Welfare

Task force members were assigned to teams, and each team explored in depth one area. For each action team, available information was researched and organized, and the scope of the team charge specifically defined. Team chairs were asked to use the following criteria to guide their deliberations in relation to their specific area:

What are the key strengths and weaknesses? Consider processes as well as data.
What are the areas in need of greatest improvement? Again consider processes as well as data.
What trends, opportunities, and external influences will impact this area?
What contributions to the campus and to the community does this area make?

Each team furnished the Athletic Task Force:

Written findings and a summary of justification for these findings
A 30-120 minute informative report that outlined the committee’s study process, described its findings, and identified the supportive information.

The committee used the findings of the action team to form its recommendations.

In addition to data, studies and information provided to task force members, several additional studies were completed as a part of the task force efforts:

Focus groups conducted with student athletes and coaches

Surveys of community, donors, faculty, students, and staff
Individual interviews with Peach Belt Conference institutions’ CEO’s and Athletic Directors.

These studies were designed to provide information pertinent to an Athletic Department SWOT and perspectives on important trends impacting athletics in the Peach Belt Conference.

Commendations

The Athletic Task Force would like thank and congratulate the USCA Athletic Department for participating in many hours of interviews, focus groups, and follow up meetings; for providing reports, policies, procedures, and for the many other intrusions over the last 10 months. Throughout this effort we were extremely impressed by the dedication, concern, and genuine interest that the USCA coaches and staff place on their student-athletes, both on and off the court/field. We would especially like to issue the following commendations:

1. Relative to the resources available, the athletic program as a whole is very competitive and should be commended for their efforts. Considering the resources available, the competition level and demonstrated needs, the USCA Athletic Department is doing an excellent job.

2. The Athletic Department is to be commended for placing more emphasis on academics than on athletic standings and for the overall academic performance of student-athletes.

3. Athletic Administration, coaches, and players, especially the baseball team, are to be commended for raising monies to supplement what they are budgeted.

4. USCA and its supporters are to be commended for providing generally high quality facilities for all its teams. The greatest shortcoming is in the basketball and volleyball facilities, but the new convocation center will soon place USCA at the top of the PBC.

5. Student Housing is to be commended for working with coaches and athletes to provide appropriate and timely accommodations.

6. The Food Service is to be commended for improving the quality of meals from the past and for working with coaches in such areas as box meals for teams going on the road and for expressing a willingness to adjust evening meal schedules.

7. USCA is to be commended for significantly reducing the driving responsibilities of coaches, with the notable exception of the tennis coach, and improving safety with the purchase of the mini-bus to replace fully loaded minivans that were more subject to roll-overs.

8. The Athletic Department is to be commended for increasing the geographical and ethnic diversity of the campus.

9. The Athletic Department is to be commended for student athletes’ participation in a number of community service and campus activities.

10. The soccer team has an impressive breadth and depth of community involvement. The

soccer coach is to be commended for his philosophy of community involvement.

11. The SID office is to be commended for the excellent job it does in promoting and supporting

the Athletic Department.

Recommendations

Athletes should be successful as students and as citizens.

To achieve this success, the ATF suggests that these recommendations be given highest priority:

that the Athletic Department partner with appropriate offices or parties to develop an effective academic support system for all athletes. See appendix for notes.

that the Athletic Department partner with academic affairs for student athletes’ success by enhancing the relationship, communication, and interaction between academics and athletics. See appendix for notes.

To achieve this success, the ATF suggests that these recommendations be given priority:

that the Athletic Department uses methods designed by the Institutional Effectiveness Office, to gather information for institutional reports and to make decisions about academic support for student athletes. See appendix for notes.

that efforts be made to integrate fully student athletes and coaches into the campus and community. See appendix for notes.

that expectations for fundraising by student athletes be clarified.

II.

The athletic department should have the resources to be competitive as a Division II institution in the Peach Belt Conference.

We believe:

· that the NCAA Division II is the appropriate level of competition

· that the Peach Belt Conference is the appropriate conference

· that we should not move any sport to Division I

· that the current proportion of University budget allocated to athletics is appropriate. See appendix for notes.

· that the department needs additional resources to be competitive in more sports in the Peach Belt conference

· the indexing of athletic scholarships should continue

For USCA’s teams to be competitive, the ATF suggests that these recommendations be given highest priority:

· that a fulltime professional fundraiser be hired. See appendix for notes.

· that a fulltime woman’s soccer coach be hired. (However, if we are unable to find resources to hire a second soccer coach so that both men and women’s teams can be competitive, we should consider eliminating men’s soccer.) If resources are available, additional coaches should be hired to allow for separate coaches for men and women tennis, and cross country. See appendix for notes.

For USCA’s teams to be competitive, the ATF suggests that these recommendations be given priority:

· that the Athletic Department assure distribution of funds so that all sports have essential operating funds.

· teams be treated equitably in regard to food and lodging allowances, availability of athletic trainers, uniforms, equipment, transportation, and sports information coverage. See appendix for notes.

We make these recommendations in no particular order of importance:

· as additional funds become available that budgets of soccer, tennis and cross-country be increased. (Since there are clear disparities regarding sports in regards to funding (including scholarship allocations), it is important to address these when additional resources become available.)

· that as additional resources become available, that we consider adding women’s sports, such as: women’s golf, equestrian, and women’s swimming. (The addition of these or additional teams is entirely dependent on resources, and the feasibility of any new sport merits a separate detailed study.)

· that a high priority be placed on the creation of program and scholarship endowments with an emphasis on female teams/programs.

· that an assessment of the Pacer Club should take place to evaluate its current mission (purpose), determine that it is consistent and complimentary to other fund raising efforts, and communicate its purpose.

· that as the area surrounding the convocation center is developed, a golf practice area should be placed at a higher priority than moving other sports that already have adequate facilities. (After completion of the new convocation center, little in the way of facilities will be needed in the immediate future for USCA to be competitive in the PBC.)

· that additional efforts be made to increase student, faculty, staff, and community attendance at home games. See appendix for notes.

III.

The Athletic Department should be a well functioning administrative unit.

For this level to be achieved, the ATF suggests that these recommendations be given highest priority:

· that using current expectations as a basis for discussion, the Chancellor and Athletic Director, in consultation with the Vice Chancellor for Student Life Services, Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and the FAR, should define expectations for student athletic academic success, team competitiveness, fundraising, and community or university service explicitly. See appendix for notes.

· that salaries among staff and coaches should be equitable and competitive with PBC schools. We recommend completing an internal study in HR to see if salary inequities among coaches exist. Following the internal study, we should examine external salary comparisons.

For USCA’s teams to be competitive, the ATF suggests that these recommendations be given priority:

that a more formal relationship, including the role of a fulltime professional fundraiser, be created between the Advancement Office and Athletic Department in an effort to determine the appropriate coordination of sponsorship and development activities and develop a comprehensive fundraising and marketing strategy.

that a review take place of the duties of current athletic department support staff and utilization of student workers to assure campus and departmental priorities are addressed and to determine if additional positions are needed.

that the Athletic Department should conduct an “internal” audit within the next year by an external source regarding Title IX and Gender Equity issues. See appendix for notes.

We make these recommendations in no particular order of importance:

that as vacancies occur in coaching positions, minority and female coaches be actively recruited to apply.

· that the reporting line for the Compliance Coordinator/Assoc. Athletic Director to the Vice Chancellor for Student Life and Services remains the same. However, we recommend that for duties not related to compliance, the Compliance Coordinator/Assoc. Athletic Director report to the Athletic Director.

· that the Vice Chancellor of Student Life and Vice Chancellor of Enrollment Services should review and evaluate the effectiveness regarding initial eligibility and follow up compliance audits.

· that the reporting lines for the Athletic Director should remain the same, but also recommend improving communication in other ways, perhaps by letting the AD meet with the “Monday Group.”

· that the University conduct periodic audits of all athletic facilities to ensure that they are ADA compliant (master plan committee).

· that we examine how we and other institutions handle concessions at athletic events.

· that USCA assure that appropriate security is available during all competitive events.

IV.

In areas for specific feedback, we offer these recommendations: (See appendix for notes on all items.)

· that the Pep Band will remain a part of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts.

· that the current structure for funding, supervision, and instruction for the dance squad remain the same.

· that the cheerleaders continue to serve as entertainment and are not as a competitive cheer squad. We strongly recommend discontinuance of stunts and gymnastics by the cheerleading squad due to liability concerns. If the squad is not grounded, then we recommend that professional coaching be funded for the squad.

APPENDICES

APPENDIX A. Supportive Information for Recommendations

Athletes should be successful as students and as citizens.

We recommend that the Athletic Department partner with appropriate offices or parties to develop an effective academic support system for all athletes. We specifically suggest:

developing assessment tools to determine how effective the support services are for student athletes.

developing a process for identifying at risk student athletes at admission, a plan for academic support at the beginning, and a system for tracking their academic progress.
improving the oversight of the different aspects of the academic success of student athletes (including the early warning process).
developing a student athlete mentoring system within the Athletic Department, pairing student athletes with proven academic success with incoming student athletes and with student athletes experiencing difficulty in their academic work.
developing an ASUP section or similar experience which is mandatory for each new athlete.

We recommend that the Athletic Department partner with academic affairs for student athletes’ success by enhancing the relationship, communication, and interaction between academics and athletics. Specifically we suggest:

Shift the burden of monitoring the academic progress of student athletes and assisting them in meeting their academic goals from the Associate Athletics Director/NCAA compliance officer to the Faculty Athletics Representative.
Find ways to increase faculty and team interaction. Suggestions include identifying faculty mentors for an athletic team to serve as informal counselors to student athletes and to assist the Faculty Athletics Representative in monitoring and supporting the academic progress of student athletes.
Amend the University policy to ensure that athletes and students participating in university sanctioned events are not penalized for missing class.

Using methods designed by the Institutional Effectiveness Office, we recommend that the Athletic Department gather information for institutional reports and to make decisions about academic support for student athletes. We specifically suggest:

developing assessment tools to determine how effective the support services are for student athletes. Consider these areas for assessment:

o Study Halls: How much do study halls affect the academic success of student athletes? Are there ways to improve the effectiveness of study halls? Are there alternatives that would be better?

o Labs, Peer Education Workshops, Tutoring, ASUP: How often do student athletes use these services and how effective are these services in supporting the academic success of student athletes?

o Probation Policy: How effective is the probation policy? Is there a better approach? What are the perceptions of student athletes on probation about the policy?

o Early Warning Methods: How effective is the Advisement Center’s early warning system and how effective is the Athletics Department’s progress report? How much do the coaches rely on these reports to monitor their student athletes’ academic achievement and how do they use these reports?

that the Athletic Department should continue to monitor and report raw GPA by sport, but should also report athletes’ GPA [adjusted to account for differences in gender, race, and class level] using a methodology designed by the IE Office.

We recommend that efforts be made to integrate fully student athletes and coaches into the campus and community. We specifically suggest:

developing a CHAMPS/Life Skills or similar program which includes commitment to campus/community service as a component and require departmental participation. For more information, see: http://www1.ncaa.org/membership/ed_outreach/champs-life_skills/index.html and http://uscsports.collegesports.com/ot/CHAMPS.html
creating a team and individual “Community Service Award” to be given at the Sports Banquet.
creating more opportunities for coaches to serve on “non-athletic” campus committees, such as Campus Life or ad hoc groups.
improving compliance to non academic University rules.
- Consider required attendance at preemptive educational programming to deter deviant behavior of male athletes.
- Create and enforce athletic departmental sanctions (not left up to individual coach), in addition to those imposed by the Judicial Board, to deter deviant behavior of athletes.

II.

The athletic department should have the resources to be competitive as a Division II institution in the Peach Belt Conference.

We believe that the current proportion of University budget allocated to athletics is appropriate. Funding issues impact the athletic department and are key to many of the recommendations. Given the current economic climate, we do not anticipate that tuition or fee generated revenue will be increasing. In an ideal situation, the Athletic Department should have more money; however, if more immediate increase in funding is to take place, it will have come from fundraising activities.

Given the level of opposition from campus constituents and the relatively high level of student fees currently, we would not recommend raising fees.
We did not choose to determine how additional funding, if available, might be spent within the Athletic Department; however, below are some considerations.
- Additional scholarship monies could improve competitiveness and are essential if USCA wishes to attract more in-state students who cannot be attracted with waivers. Availability of scholarship money is the greatest need for women’s cross-country if it is to become more competitive.
- Many coaches stressed the need to make athletes feel that they have a high quality first class experience while attending USCA. Many things contribute to that experience, but some additional money for operating expenses for seemingly little things like warm-up suits and extra equipment could also have a positive impact on attracting high quality athletes to USCA.
- Some sports might benefit from additional recruiting expense monies, while others might not. If any new operating monies do become available, coaches should be allowed to spend part of this money on recruiting.

We recommend hiring a professional fundraiser. Hiring a professional fundraiser to coordinate activities like selling signage and large events would allow coaches to concentrate more on coaching and allow athletes to concentrate more on school work and athletic performance. Marketing and fundraising are the key to significant competitive improvement. Coaches and players spend far too much time fundraising. This would have to be carefully coordinated with other University fundraising. A professional fundraiser should be able to increase the amount of money available even after her or his own expenses are taken out.

We recommend that, for men and women soccer, men and women tennis, and cross country to be competitive, each team have a separate coach. While USCA is somewhat below other PBC schools in the staffing levels in coaching, the disparity is not a great impediment on competitiveness for other sports.

We would place a higher priority on soccer because of the far larger size of the teams and the different positions that ideally would have different coaching.
In fact, the tennis coach felt that a graduate assistant would meet his needs, and we recommend that this be done.
We should also consider whether it would be better to hire a qualified part-time women’s cross-country coach rather than continue to use an assistant from another sport with no cross-country experience.

Teams should be treated equitably in regards to food and lodging allowances, availability of athletic trainers, uniforms, equipment, and transportation.

If and when more money becomes available, we should also consider reducing the time limits for the use of vans, so that perhaps all trips of more than an hour (rather than the current hour and a half) would utilize buses with professional drivers.
Provide adequate athletic training staff through coordination with exercise science faculty and athletic department staff to meet minimum NATA standards.
If adequate athletic training coverage is not available, competitions should not be scheduled.

We recommend increased efforts to promote student, faculty, staff, and community attendance at home games. The Athletic Department should solicit the assistance of other offices on campus in an effort to create the ”spirit” so often referred to as a major benefit of the athletic department. That “spirit” does not appear to exist among the student body.

III.

The Athletic Department should be a well functioning administrative unit.

Using current expectations as a basis for discussion, the Chancellor and Athletic Director, in consultation with the Vice Chancellor for Student Life Services, Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, and the FAR, should define expectations for student athletic academic success, team competitiveness, fundraising, and community or university service explicitly.

That expectations be more explicitly communicated by the Athletic Director. Expectations should be discussed each year with coaches, but should be evaluated over several years rather than any one particular year.
That expectations for coach fundraising be clarified.
That the formal evaluation process be continued utilizing the above recommendations.

We recommend that the Athletic Department conduct an “internal” audit within the next year, done by an external source, regarding Title IX and Gender Equity issues. This audit should be performed periodically to inform the Department and the University regarding progress or needs in this area, and to identify the University’s compliance “prong.”

IV.

In areas for specific feedback, we offer these recommendations:

The Pep Band will remain a part of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts.

An internal evaluation (Athletic and Visual and Performing Arts Departments) should be conducted to assess the quality and consistency of the band’s performances.
If Pep Band members are provided scholarship funds, these members must fulfill their responsibilities tied to the funds.

We recommend the current structure for funding, supervision, and instruction for the dance squad remain in place.

The coursework appears to be adequate preparation for their competitions.
The Athletic Director should review for appropriateness the assignment of SWA/Asst. Athletic Director as advisor to the Dance Squad.

The task force recommends that cheerleaders serve as entertainment and are not a competitive sport.

We strongly recommend discontinuance of stunts and gymnastics by the cheerleading squad due to safety and liability concerns. If the squad is not grounded, then we recommend that professional coaching be funded for the squad.
The current funding and reporting structure (Athletic Department) should remain the same.
The Athletic Director should review for appropriateness the assignment of SWA/Asst. Athletic Director as advisor to the cheer squad.

APPENDIX B. Other Areas of Interest or Concern

THESE AREAS WERE IDENTIFIED AND ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING RESOLVED:

1. Monitor demand for beds with the new housing in the summer of 2005 to

see if additional “scholarship beds” can and should be retained beyond

early July to accommodate late entry scholarship student-athletes.

2. Hours that the training room is open should be posted.

Hours for evening meals need to be extended so that team members who practice in the evenings will be able to eat. Director of Food Services at USCA (ARA) has expressed willingness to make some changes if coaches will meet with him. The AD should facilitate this meeting and request.

Availability of computer equipment recommendation & digital video equipment