Athletics Committee

Meeting Minutes

November 6, 2007

 

 

In attendance:           Unable to attend:

Susan Swanger           Chris Cooper

Katherine Cipriano      Candace Brown

Dan Grube             Drew Walker

Denise Wilfong           Chuck Wooten

Malcolm Abel             Cory Causby

Justin Menickelli           Jennifer Brown

Bob Beaudet

Elin Mickelsson

Tiffany McCoy

Chip Smith

Gibbs Knotts

Fred Cantler

 

 

I. Administrative Items

   -The names of the Athletic Committee members have been updated on the

   Chancellor’s website.

   -The Committee discussed possibly posting meeting minutes on the site to keep

   the University informed about Committee actions.

 

II. Coaches’ Teaching Load

   -The main issues of concern that surfaced from the Football Taskforce was that a portion of coaches’ salaries comes from academic monies and that off-campus recruiting requires periodic absences from class by some coaches.

   -A recommendation needs to be made by the Athletics Committee.

   -Susan was concerned that this is perhaps a Human Resources or Personnel issue.

   -Gibbs will work with Justin and Kathy to update the recommendations and

   present to the Committee for review.

 

III. Academic Progress Rate (APR)

   - Fred Cantler discussed the APR.

   -Graduation rates incorporate all freshman student athletes on athletic aid.

   -The cohort is counted.

   -This is 6 years removed/6 years back from where you started.

   -The Graduation Success Rates (GSR) improve on federally mandated graduation

   rate by including students who were omitted from the federal calculation.

   -Students transferring out in good academic standing are not counted.

   -Current Freshman Graduation Rate

           All Students     Student Athletes

     Fed. Rate      47%     74%

     Student Athlete GSR           88%

 

   -WCU is above the national average for like-institutions (67%).

   -The APR is a “real time” assessment.

   -You need a 925 APR to avoid penalties.

   -There are a total of 4 points possible per student, per year (1 for eligibility and 1

   for retention/fall and spring semesters).

   -Chip noted that WCU’s eligibility rate is higher than retention rate. WCU

   typically loses athletes because they transfer, not because of academic problems.

   -Currently, softball is the only program less than 925 (910).

   -Penalties:

     -Contemporaneous penalties encourage improved academic performance,

     serve as a warning for poorly performing teams, and to help avoid

      historical penalties.

     -Historical penalties are punitive measures for teams that are habitual

     offenders.

    

IV. Meeting adjourned at 1:00pm. Next meeting scheduled for December 4, 2007, location TBD.

 

Submitted by: Denise Wilfong