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CIC RESOLUTION ON INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
The
faculty governance leaders of CIC institutions endorse the
following statement and agree to propose it to their respective
faculty senates:
Intercollegiate
athletics can provide an important enhancement to the life
and spirit of an academic community. Participation in committed
athletic training and competition can be deeply rewarding
for students as a field of personal excellence, and can
foster character through discipline, team membership, and
the mutual respect expressed in fair play. Skilled coaches
can offer outstanding leadership to college athletes, and
exemplify standards of dedication, expertise, and sportsmanship
that complement and enrich the academic missions of their
campuses.
The
rapid growth of commercial influences, particularly in high
profile intercollegiate sports, and the increased tendency
towards professional performance standards undermine the
constructive roles of sports on campus. Universities and
colleges increasingly find that the requirements of athletic
competitiveness and the values of the entertainment industry
strain their financial resources and divert student and
public attention from their fundamental role as academic
institutions. The high stakes drive for championship status
can overwhelm the responsibility to prioritize the personal
and academic development of college athletes and the integrity
of the institution.
The
faculties of CIC institutions join with colleagues in the
Pac-10 conference in urging the presidents, faculty athletics
committees, and faculty conference representatives of Big-10
conference schools and of other institutions engaged in
intercollegiate athletics, to join in a concerted commitment
to bring these forces under control. Specifically, we endorse
the following principles:
1)
College athletes are students first, and their college
experience must be as full participants in the student
community. Academic support structures for athletes must
be fully integrated in university-wide programs, so that
academic expectations and services are as robust for athletes
as for other students
2)
Inappropriate aspects of commercialization must be reduced.
Examples of actions that should be taken include limiting
the times and days when games are played, the number of
breaks in games for commercials, the type and prevalence
of advertising in stadiums and arenas, and the logos worn
by players and coaches. The goals of intercollegiate athletics
and commercial sports are different. Blurring that distinction
puts the true success of intercollegiate athletics at
risk.
3)
The “arms race” of intercollegiate athletics
must be scaled back. While competitive sports must aim
at winning, the success of an athletics program is measured
by the value it adds to college athletes and campuses,
not by championships. Competitiveness within conferences
and divisions should not involve allowing standards characteristic
of professional sports to distort the more comprehensive
aims of college sports. Athletics should not be subsidized
by the academic side of the institution, and athletics
departments should operate under the same principles of
budget accountability that characterize other units.
2
November 2001
The CIC faculty leaders have agreed to recommend to their
faculty senates that the following elements be considered
for possible inclusion in an expanded version of the resolution:
1.
Concerning reporting standards for faculty athletics committees:
•
Required informational reports on intercollegiate athletics
should be given to the entire faculty senate of each
institution on a regular basis, but no less frequently
than once a year.
•
These reports should provide increasing amounts of information
on intercollegiate athletics and its relationship to
the academic welfare of the institution, in accord with
customary “sunshine” standards.
2.
Concerning academic standards and progress for college
athletes.
•
Athletes whose academic profiles upon admission indicate
that they face unusually strong challenges for academic
success should not be eligible for varsity competition
during their freshman year.
•
The term of athletics scholarships should be extended
beyond one-year grants-in-aid so that students’
academic opportunities are not contingent on non-academic
effort.
•
Every attempt should be made to minimize conflicts between
athletics and regular academic schedules, and wherever
possible sports seasons should be confined within a
single academic term.
3.
Concerning the financial aspects of athletics programs:
•
Sharing of revenue, beyond costs, from post-season bowl
and tournament events within conferences and divisions
should be expanded as a way to maintain competitiveness
and discourage over-reliance on winning for financial
stability
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