By Dr. Kevin Hatcher
Kevin Hatcher, EdD, is the Senior Associate Athletic Director for External and Internal Relations at Colgate University and a former Associate Athletic Director at the University of Texas-El Paso. He can be reached at: khatcher@mail.colgate.edu.
Athletic Management, 18.5, August/September 2006, http://www.momentummedia.com/articles/am/am1805/gpconnection.htm
In an ideal world, professors and coaches would work as partners, collaborating to help student-athletes achieve their best in the classroom and in their sport. Faculty would lead the cheering sections in the stands and coaches would be asked to critique student poetry readings.
In reality, engaging faculty to actively participate in your athletic program is among the most difficult challenges athletic administrators face today. On most campuses, athletic departments have spent the last couple of decades operating as their own islands and not mixing much with faculty. However, as internal relations have become more critical in the college setting, that mode of operation must be reversed.
Let’s be honest: There is a small percentage of faculty that will never be excited about their school’s athletic program. Among the rest, there’s potential interest, but it requires some cultivating. In 12 years as an athletic administrator, I’ve only had one faculty member ask me how to get more involved in the athletic program.
Since faculty aren’t likely to come to you, you need to reach out to them. I have found that if you put in a little effort, many professors will become supportive of athletics—but you need to stick out your hand first. Here are some suggestions:
Make house calls to the doctors: In many institutions, an “Us vs. Them” mentality has grown between athletics and academics. As athletic administrators, the only times we see faculty are when there is a problem with a student-athlete, or when we attend that occasional meeting “on campus.”
It’s time to leave the athletic department offices and spend some time in their world. Attend a faculty mixer or introduce yourself at an open faculty and staff meeting. Show up at end-of-year academic awards ceremonies or march in your institution’s commencement exercises.
Have them over to your place: Over the years, I’ve tried to create opportunities to invite faculty to athletic department functions. I’ll usually pick a couple contests throughout the year and label them “faculty appreciation games.” We’ll give faculty discounted or free tickets, or design special ticket packages to attend those games.
At my former institution, the University of Texas-El Paso, Faculty Athletics Representative Dr. Trisha Ainsa developed a program called the faculty coach. She would choose some games and invite faculty from a particular department to serve as unofficial guest coaches. Prior to the game they’d be allowed into the media room or booster lounge where they could eat (like the rest of us, faculty love free food). During the game they’d be seated right behind the bench and be formally recognized by the game announcer. The faculty loved it and Dr. Ainsa continues to be one of the most popular professors on campus during football and basketball seasons.
Another idea is to cater a faculty appreciation barbecue (did I mention that faculty love free food?) and make each student-athlete responsible for inviting a faculty member to participate. Incorporate the barbecue with a big game and have the faculty spend most of the day with the student-athletes.
Ask for their wisdom: One idea that has paid serious dividends here at Colgate has been the Faculty Liaison Program. We ask a faculty member to “adopt a program” and serve as an academic and social mentor to student-athletes in that sport.
The faculty liaisons work like big brothers or sisters. Athletes can go to them (and they do) for any type of problem, be it academic, athletic, or personal. The liaison and the team build up a relationship over the year, and the liaison starts to feel like he or she is actually a part of the squad. In essence, we’ve broken down the faculty athletic rep position into smaller units, so that a greater number of faculty members get involved with student-athletes.
This past year, a new liaison spoke at our end-of-the-year faculty liaison appreciation luncheon. He said that, prior to being involved, he had never thought about attending games. But his interaction with the team made him a true fan. He also said being a liaison was making him a better teacher and a better person, and that he was going to recommend the program to his fellow faculty members.
Use certification as confirmation: Most of us have gone through at least one cycle of the NCAA certification program. While some people may think the program is too intrusive, I believe it is a perfect opportunity to inform faculty about the challenges the athletic department deals with on a daily basis.
I’ve gone through the certification process at three institutions, and I’ve found that whether they serve on the steering committee, a subcommittee, or both, faculty leave with a newfound respect and admiration for the challenges athletic administrators and student-athletes face each day. As a matter of fact, some left the process convinced that many NCAA standards are actually too strict when it comes to the academic progress of our student-athletes.
Let student-athletes know their role: Faculty members tell me that one reason they aren’t engaged in athletics is that many student-athletes aren’t engaged in class. While I don’t believe that student-athletes are any less interested in class than non-student-athletes, the faculty’s perceptions are still important, especially since student-athletes are easily recognized, whether they are decked out in practice gear or just several inches taller or wider than their non-student-athlete counterparts.
As athletic administrators we need to talk to our student-athletes and coaching staff about interacting with professors. At a minimum, they must give faculty prior notice on travel schedules and ask for help when they need it. Even better, ask them to sit near the front of the class and not as a “group of jocks.” Professors will be pleased to see athletes who display effort and are poised to learn from the start.
It’s time for athletic administrators to understand that athletics cannot survive without strong support from the academic community. Forging positive relationships with faculty is the first step in ensuring the future of athletics as an integral part of the educational mission of any university.