ANNUAL MEETING – 2014

2014 Meeting Minutes

December 18, 2014

Teleconference

Participants:

  • Jim Atwood, University at Buffalo
  • David Clough, University of Colorado
  • Alan Hauser, Appalachian State University
  • Dennis Phillips, University of Southern Mississippi
  • Martha Putallaz, Duke University
  • Brian Shannon, Texas Tech University
  • David Szymanski, University of Cincinnati
  • Steve Turner, Mississippi State University
  • Azure Davey, NCAA
  • Diane Dickman, NCAA
  • Kurt Hunsaker, NCAA
  • Katy Yurk, NCAA, recording secretary

[Note: These minutes contain only actions taken (formal votes or stated "sense of the meeting"). While certain items on the 1A Faculty Athletics Representatives Board of Directors meeting's agenda were acted on at various times throughout the meeting, all final actions within a given topic are combined in these minutes for convenience of reference.]

The meeting was called to order at 1:03 p.m. Eastern time by the President, Brian Shannon.

  1. Follow-up on Statement Regarding Council Appointments. Brian circulated a one-page statement yesterday on the lack of FARs in the NCAA Division I Council appointments. Both NCAA President Mark Emmert and Vice President for Division I David Berst have communicated with Brian and expressed similar concerns. Brian has requested that the statement be part of the Council's first meeting materials.
  2. Executive Vice President Appointment. The board requested that newly-appointed NCAA Executive Vice President Oliver Luck be added to its February in-person meeting. Diane Dickman provided additional information about Mr. Luck's new role.
  3. Attendance at the 2015 NCAA Convention. Several board members noted that their presidents and chancellors will not be attending the convention in January.
  4. Issue Request. Jim Atwood reported that Rod McDavis, president of Ohio University and new chair of the NCAA Committee on Academics, has requested the Mid-American Conference membership forward academic issues to him via Bob Colvin, the faculty athletics representative at Ohio. The board agreed to have Jim distribute the request to all 1A FARs via the list serve. Jim also noted that the 1A FAR academic awards have been distributed to the conferences.
  5. February Meeting. Brian reminded the board that the in-person meeting is scheduled for February 26-27. Return travel should be scheduled for the night of February 27 or on February 28.
  6. Academic Misconduct Presentation. NCAA staff member Kurt Hunsaker presented on academic misconduct legislative concepts. The staff is interested in faculty feedback on the concepts. Azure Davey provided some background, and Kurt reviewed the recent interpretation. The discussion continued for the duration of the call. Feedback is encouraged and can be sent to Azure or Kurt.
  7. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 2:30 p.m.

November 20, 2014

Teleconference

Participants:

  • Jim Atwood, University at Buffalo
  • Bill Campsey, San Jose State University
  • Alan Hauser, Appalachian State University
  • Dennis Phillips, University of Southern Mississippi
  • Jo Potuto, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
  • Martha Putallaz, Duke University
  • Brian Shannon, Texas Tech University
  • Steve Turner, Mississippi State University
  • Azure Davey, NCAA
  • Diane Dickman, NCAA
  • Katy Yurk, NCAA, recording secretary

[Note: These minutes contain only actions taken (formal votes or stated "sense of the meeting"). While certain items on the 1A Faculty Athletics Representatives Board of Directors meeting's agenda were acted on at various times throughout the meeting, all final actions within a given topic are combined in these minutes for convenience of reference.]

The meeting was called to order at 1:03 p.m. Eastern time by the President, Brian Shannon.

  1. 2015 NCAA January Convention. Brian Shannon noted that representatives from the five autonomous conferences are reportedly working on a joint piece of legislation on cost-of-attendance for January. He has not seen a draft, but expects a completed proposal by December. Steve Turner noted that he has seen a draft sent by the Southeastern Conference, though others had not.

    Brian also noted that the NCAA has sent a form to all university presidents and chancellors to appoint their voting representatives at convention.
  2. NCAA Division I Council and Committee on Academics Appointments. Brian noted that the NCAA Division I Board of Directors appointed the Committee on Academics in late October. The Council appointments were not made, reportedly due to a candidate pool that was not diverse. Brian reported that he spoke to David Berst, NCAA Vice President of Law, Policy and Governance, this week and David indicated the Board of Directors is now close on the Council appointments – probably the end of November. He indicated that the Council will be largely made up of athletics directors.
  3. Letter from the Big 10 Faculty Athletics Representatives. The board discussed a statement from the Big 10 FARs that was critical of a statement by the NCAA Championships Cabinet that the future body that will oversee championships be primarily populated with membership representatives with experience running championships. Brian noted that the board should craft a letter on the role of the FAR and the need for positional diversity across the new governance substructure.
  4. Academic Misconduct Presentation. The board agreed to dedicate 90 minutes of its December 18 call to an academic misconduct presentation. Azure Davey will circulate the materials before the call.
  5. February Meeting. The new NCAA executive vice president over the regulatory group that included academic and membership affairs, the eligibility center and enforcement should be in place by the board's February in-person meeting. That person will be added to the roster of NCAA staff who will present. The roster currently includes:
    1. Mark Emmert
    2. Mark Lewis
    3. David Berst
    4. Jon Duncan
    5. Donald Remy
    The meeting agenda will be developed around their schedules.
  6. Other Business. Steve noted there has been a lot of media discussion on expanding the college football playoff from the current four teams to eight. Jo Potuto requested they have Brian Hainline present data on football injuries and Azure and Diane Dickman agreed to investigate that. Brian will circulate a press statement from the 1A FAR Board with their position favoring the four-team model.
  7. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 1:45 p.m.

October 16, 2014

Teleconference

Participants:

  • Jim Atwood, University at Buffalo
  • Bill Campsey, San Jose State University
  • David Clough, University of Colorado
  • Alan Hauser, Appalachian State University
  • Jo Potuto, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
  • Martha Putallaz, Duke University
  • Brian Shannon, Texas Tech University
  • Steve Turner, Mississippi State University
  • Azure Davey, NCAA
  • Diane Dickman, NCAA
  • Katy Yurk, NCAA, recording secretary

[Note: These minutes contain only actions taken (formal votes or stated "sense of the meeting"). While certain items on the 1A Faculty Athletics Representatives Board of Directors meeting's agenda were acted on at various times throughout the meeting, all final actions within a given topic are combined in these minutes for convenience of reference.]

The meeting was called to order at 1:03 p.m. Eastern time by the President, Brian Shannon.

  1. September Conference Debrief. The board members reviewed feedback on the September conference that Brian sent prior to the call. The feedback was generally very positive, especially for Brian Hainline's session and the presentation by David Clough and Tom Paskus on NCAA "myths." The board agreed that in the future more time should be dedicated to the "hot topics" presentation.
  2. NCAA Division I Council and NCAA Division I Committee on Academics Appointments. Brian reported that he sent an email to Azure Davey and Diane Dickman requesting an update on the nominees to the Division I Council and Committee on Academics. Nominations are to be presented to the NCAA Division I Board of Directors at the end of October. Azure reported that while she did not have access to information about the Council nominees, she was aware that 15-16 faculty athletics representatives were nominated to the serve on the Committee on Academics. She reminded the board that the Committee on Academics requires at least four faculty athletics representatives, but there could be more than that. Diane noted that the nominations for the council were apparently not very diverse, because the governance staff requested the conferences add to their nominations. Steve asked about the length of terms for both student-athletes and institutional staff members. Azure reported that the terms will be staggered, with some serving two years and others serving four. She added that she thought student-athletes will generally serve two years, but that would ultimately be determined by the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
  3. Board Liaisons to other Entities/Groups. Jim Atwood noted that the list of 1A FAR liaisons to other groups is on the website, but needs to be updated. They specifically need a liaison to the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A) and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). Because of the few board members on the call, Brian offered to send an email soliciting interest.
  4. Letter from US Senators to Big Five Presidents and Chancellors. The board discussed a letter sent by select US Senators to the presidents and chancellors at the 65 autonomy conference institutions. It includes 10 questions that must be answered by November 1. The board members on the call reported their involvement in responding to the letter on their campuses.
  5. Update on the October NCAA Division I Committee on Academic Performance Meeting. David reported that this was the committee's final meeting. In January its work will be absorbed by the NCAA Division I Committee on Academics. They celebrated the committee's accomplishments and the chair Walter Harrison's accomplishments. In terms of policy items, the meeting included a review of academic misconduct, the track and cross country cohort within the NCAA Division I Academic Performance Program and graduate transfers. Brian noted that the board will likely look at academic misconduct on its December call.
  6. NCAA Executive Vice President Search Process. Jo reported that the search committee met in Dallas and have since conducted several calls. She noted that there seems to be a strong inclination to select an athletic director for the position.
  7. Other Business. Brian reported that NCAA Vice President of Enforcement, Jon Duncan, asked him to review materials and participate in a discussion on institutional control. This issue is being discussed by the NCAA Committee on Infractions. Jim reported that the 1A FAR academic award spreadsheets were sent to the NCAA staff this week.
  8. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 1:41 p.m.

September 21, 2014

Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center

Participants:

  • Jim Atwood, University at Buffalo
  • John Bruno, Ohio State University
  • Bill Campsey, San Jose State University
  • David Clough, University of Colorado
  • Alan Houser, Appalachian State University
  • Dennis Philips, University of Southern Mississippi
  • Jo Potuto, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
  • Martha Putallaz, Duke University
  • Brian Shannon, Texas Tech University
  • David Szymanski, University of Cincinnati
  • Steve Turner, Mississippi State University
  • Azure Davey, NCAA
  • Diane Dickman, NCAA
  • Katy Yurk, NCAA, recording secretary

[Note: These minutes contain only actions taken (formal votes or stated "sense of the meeting"). While certain items on the 1A Faculty Athletics Representatives (FAR) Board of Directors meeting's agenda were acted on at various times throughout the meeting, all final actions within a given topic are combined in these minutes for convenience of reference.]

The meeting was called to order at 10:10 a.m. Central time by the President, Brian Shannon.

  1. Conference Schedule. The board members reviewed the conference schedule. The 1A FAR conference begins today at noon. Brian reminded the board that a short meeting of the faculty representatives from the autonomy conferences will take place at 7:15 p.m. at the end of the reception.
  2. February Meeting Date. The board determined that its February in-person meeting will be held in Indianapolis, February 26-27.
  3. Teleconference Dates. The board agreed upon the following teleconference schedule for the 2014-15 academic year:
    1. October 16
    2. November 20
    3. December 18
    4. January 22
    5. March 26
    6. April 16
    7. May 21
    8. June 18
    9. July 23
    10. August 20
    All calls are scheduled for noon - 1:00 p.m., Central time. NCAA staff will coordinate with the teleconference service to set up the call-in number and password.
  4. Implementation of Governance Redesign. Brian noted that nominees for the new NCAA Division I Council and the NCAA Division I Committee on Academics are due September 26. Each conference can nominate three individuals for the Council and two individuals for the Committee on Academics. He is encouraging FARs in each conference to urge the inclusion of at least one faculty athletics representative among the lists of three, and not solely nominate athletic directors and senior administrators. He recommends one of the two nominees permitted from each conference for the Committee on Academics is a faculty athletics representative. Azure Davey noted that the Committee on Academics will have a minimum of four FARs, while the Council will have a minimum of two - one nominated by the 1A FARs and one nominated by the Faculty Athletics Representative Association (FARA). She recognized that the 1A FAR Board has emphasized FAR representation at the Council and Board levels, and suggested the board continue this tact as the Council builds out the governance substructure and staffs committees. Diane Dickman suggested the board members lobby their conference nominating committees as well as representatives on the NCAA Division I Board of Directors to ensure that a nominee's special competencies are brought to light.
  5. 1A FAR Council Representative. Jim noted that they have collected seven nominations for the 1A FAR Board representative on the NCAA Council. A subcommittee will select a nominee and two alternates later this week. The nomination will be submitted to the Board of Directors by the October 10 deadline. Should a candidate not make the top three, Brian suggested they attempt to obtain the FARA nomination to the Council. Brian reiterated that because the Big 12 nominated him, he was recusing himself from any deliberations.
  6. Future NCAA and Autonomy Conference Legislative Agenda. Brian noted that now that the new governance structure has been established, the 1A FAR Board should take up the task of tracking and commenting on legislation. October 1 is the deadline when legislative concepts are due. Going forward, this monitoring will be a regular part of the board's agendas.
  7. Increasing Ties to the 1A Athletics Directors. Dutch Baughman, Executive Director of the 1A Athletics Directors Association, presented the landscape for the 1A Athletics Directors Association meetings going on over the next few days. He described the organization as being in an uncertain situation as they determine their future. He stated that the organization may elect to disband. Should that occur, Dutch encouraged the 1A FAR Board to align itself with National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA) or National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). 
  8. Increasing Ties with the National Football Foundation. Brian reported that Matthew Sign of the National Football Foundation has offered to include 1A FAR position statements in its emailed newsletters. Brian also noted that Fidelity Investments, a major sponsor of the National Football Foundation, is considering the possibility of offering to cover costs for FARs to attend the annual awards ceremony. The details have not been worked out at this point.
  9. 1A FAR Meeting Public Relations and Twitter. Brian reported that the NCAA staff asked about tweeting or otherwise promoting Brian Hainline's attendance at the conference. Brian noted that Jo Potuto has managed the twitter feed for the 1A FARs, but that if others have an interest in marketing on behalf of the 1A FARs please let him know.
  10. Other Business. Brian thanked Jo for her work creating a one-page document updating the 1A FARs on the Keller and O'Bannon lawsuits. David Szymanski asked about a playbook setting out the role of the FAR on a Division I campus. David Clough and Alan Houser noted that FARA has created such a handbook that could be helpful. John Bruno and Brian noted that the relationships between the FAR and the athletics director and the president or chancellor have a great impact on the FAR's role.
  11. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 11:35 a.m.

August 28, 2014

Teleconference

Participants:

  • Jim Atwood, University at Buffalo
  • Bill Campsey, San Jose State University
  • David Clough, University of Colorado
  • Fred Green, Troy University
  • Alan Houser, Appalachian State University
  • Dennis Philips, University of Southern Mississippi
  • Jo Potuto, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
  • Martha Putallaz, Duke University
  • Brian Shannon, Texas Tech University
  • David Szymanski, University of Cincinnati
  • Steve Turner, Mississippi State University
  • Katy Yurk, NCAA, recording secretary

[Note: These minutes contain only actions taken (formal votes or stated "sense of the meeting"). While certain items on the 1A Faculty Athletics Representatives Board of Directors meeting's agenda were acted on at various times throughout the meeting, all final actions within a given topic are combined in these minutes for convenience of reference.]

The meeting was called to order at 1:02 p.m. Eastern time by the President, Brian Shannon.

  1. September Conference. The board members were reminded to coordinate with their panelists prior to the conference. Brian sent out a spreadsheet prior to the call that reflected 77 registrants thus far. He recommended that all board members remind the FARs in their conferences of the dates and the need to register. Brian also suggested that the FARs representing the autonomy conferences may need to meet toward the end of the reception to discuss expectations at their meeting following the NCAA Convention in January. It may be the only time for the group to meet in person before January.
  2. 1A FAR Representation on the New Division I Council. Prior to the call, Brian sent out a draft model for soliciting nominations for 1A FAR representation on the new NCAA Division I Council. The board members were comfortable with the draft selection process Brian prepared in order to obtain nominees. The nominee names are due by September 26 to be available for the October 30 NCAA Division I Board of Directors meeting. Brian intended to post his model to the listserv today. All board members should remind their conference institutions of the need for nominations at their conference meetings as well.
  3. Anticipated Legislative Proposals from the Autonomy Conferences. Brian noted that October 1 is the deadline for legislative concepts to be considered this cycle for the 2015- 16 academic year. David Clough was leading a group to collect information about each of the autonomous conference schools' cost-of-attendance. Several board members have been told by their institutional legal counsels that they cannot consult with other institutions about cost-of-attendance. Now it seems that legal counsel for the autonomous conferences will develop a proposal on cost-of-attendance. Brian advised the board members to stay tuned.
  4. Other Business. Jo Potuto noted that she is on a subcommittee discussing how student-athlete representatives should be selected as representatives in the new governance structure. The national NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) wants active student-athletes, but in the past, former student-athletes have served the national SAAC. She asked for feedback to be emailed to her. Jim noted that all 1A FAR award nominees should be in next Wednesday.
  5. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 1:41 p.m

July 24, 2014

Teleconference

Participants:

  • Jim Atwood, University at Buffalo
  • David Clough, University of Colorado
  • Fred Green, Troy University
  • Alan Houser, Appalachian State University
  • Dennis Philips, University of Southern Mississippi
  • Martha Putallaz, Duke University
  • Brian Shannon, Texas Tech University
  • David Szymanski, University of Cincinnati
  • Azure Davey, NCAA
  • Katy Yurk, NCAA, recording secretary

[Note: These minutes contain only actions taken (formal votes or stated "sense of the meeting"). While certain items on the 1A Faculty Athletics Representatives Board of Directors meeting's agenda were acted on at various times throughout the meeting, all final actions within a given topic are combined in these minutes for convenience of reference.]

The meeting was called to order at 1:03 p.m. Eastern time by the President, Brian Shannon.

  1. Update on the Governance Structure. The board members discussed the July 18 iteration of the new Division I governance structure. Brian Shannon has drafted a letter for the Board’s consideration recommending the inclusion of more Faculty Athletics Representatives on the new NCAA Division I Council, while recognizing that the new proposal designates two seats for Faculty Athletic Representatives. Brian agreed to add a line asking that the nominations process require each conference to nominate a diverse group of candidates including Faculty Athletics Representatives. The board members also agreed to reach out to their conference representative president or Chancellor on the NCAA Division I Board of Directors to emphasize the need for more Faculty Athletics Representatives representation.

    Brian indicated that the Board needs to develop a process by which we will select the 1A FAR member to the Council.
  2. Update on September Meeting. Board members were reminded to send all speaker bios and audio-visual needs to Melinda Moore as soon as possible. Travel authorizations for the six speakers whose expenses will be covered should be emailed this week or next.
  3. Cost of Attendance Discussion. David Clough will have a call tomorrow with the subgroup discussing the cost-of-attendance issue.
  4. The 1A Faculty Athletics Representative Award. Katy Yurk reported that the NCAA Program Hub system cannot accommodate the requirements that were outlined to create an online system by which the 1A Faculty Athletics Representative Award nominees are collected. This year, Jim Atwood will once again use the existing system to collect the nominees by the September 3 deadline.
  5. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 1:38 p.m.

June 19, 2014

Teleconference

Participants:

  • Jim Atwood, University at Buffalo
  • John Bruno, Ohio State University
  • Bill Campsey, San Jose State University
  • David Clough, University of Colorado
  • Alan Hauser, Appalachian State University
  • Dennis Philips, University of Southern Mississippi
  • Jo Potuto, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
  • Martha Putallaz, Duke University
  • Brian Shannon, Texas Tech University
  • David Szymanski, University of Cincinnati
  • Steve Turner, Mississippi State University
  • Katy Yurk, NCAA, recording secretary

[Note: These minutes contain only actions taken (formal votes or stated "sense of the meeting"). While certain items on the 1A Faculty Athletics Representatives Board of Directors meeting's agenda were acted on at various times throughout the meeting, all final actions within a given topic are combined in these minutes for convenience of reference.]

The meeting was called to order at 1:04 p.m. Eastern time by the President, Brian Shannon.

  1. Update on September 1A Faculty Athletics Representatives (FARs) Meeting Planning. The board members provided the following updates on their work for the September meeting:
    1. Brian reminded everyone to alert Melinda Moore to any new FARs at their respective conference institutions.
    2. Jim Atwood reported that Jon Steinbrecher, commissioner of the Mid-American Conference, can participate on the governance panel.
    3. Brian will confirm if the 1A Athletics Directors will pay for the Sunday night reception and the continental breakfast. Dutch Baughman, executive director of the 1A Athletics Director Association, will attend the 1A FAR board meeting on Sunday morning.
    4. David Clough met with Tom Paskus on their presentation and it is progressing nicely. He will modify the title and will send that shortly.
    5. Jo Potuto offered to create a one-page document on the student-athlete likeness lawsuit verdict. David Clough offered to create similar documents as an update on the work of the Committee on Academic Performance.
    6. David Clough asked about covering travel expenses for speakers. Lynn Dickey and Melinda will touch base in early July, and then the speakers will be instructed to use Shorts.
  2. Cost-of-Attendance Issue. Following the May meeting, a subgroup of the board agreed to prepare a document on the cost-of-attendance issue that is being discussed throughout the membership. David Clough, Steve Turner and Martha Putallaz plan to collect cost-of-attendance data from each school in each conference. Jo offered to provide some data she has already collected. The subgroup expects to have something to report by the end of July.
  3. Governance Update. The board continues to be in agreement that the new Division I governance structure should include more FAR representation. Martha and Steve noted that they have shared documents on the 1A FAR position with their respective conference representatives on the Division I Board of Directors Steering Committee.
  4. Other Business. David Clough noted that the Pac 12 has reviewed the NCAA postgraduate scholarship program and was disturbed to see how many of these scholarships are never used. He will prepare a short document of the September meeting.
  5. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 1:48 p.m.

May 22, 2014

Teleconference

Participants:

  • Jim Atwood, University at Buffalo
  • John Bruno, The Ohio State University
  • Bill Campsey, San Jose State University
  • Dennis Phillips, University of Southern Mississippi
  • Jo Potuto, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
  • Brian Shannon, Texas Tech University, President
  • David Szymanski, University of Cincinnati
  • Steve Turner, Mississippi State University
  • Azure Davey, NCAA
  • Katy Yurk, NCAA, recording secretary

[Note: These minutes contain only actions taken (formal votes or stated "sense of the meeting"). While certain items on the 1A Faculty Athletics Representatives Board of Directors meeting's agenda were acted on at various times throughout the meeting, all final actions within a given topic are combined in these minutes for convenience of reference.]

The meeting was called to order at 1 p.m. Eastern time by the chair, Brian Shannon.

  1. Update on the Division I Governance Structure. Board members from the various conferences reported out on their conference position on the governance model. The representatives from the Mid-American Conference, the Mountain West Conference, and Conference USA all reported that they are hoping to hold onto the seats they have at this time. The Big 10 Conference is more focused on the calculation of a majority for voting. A group of Big 10 Conference chancellors and presidents will meet July 27 with the hope of coming to a single position. Brian Shannon noted that the Big 12 Conference meets next week. He said he has a resolution he has prepared on behalf of the Big 12 Faculty Athletics Representatives (FARs), and he will circulate that to the other board members.
  2. Updates on the September Program. The board members provided the following updates on their work for the September meeting:
    1. Brian will prepare a "save the date" notice and a variety of teasers for the September meeting. He asked for the board to determine who will be moderating the various panels and this is the outcome of that discussion:
      1. Jim Atwood will introduce Dr. Charles Samuels (Centre for Sleep and Human Performance in Calgary).
      2. David Clough will moderate the panel on religion and sport.
      3. Bill Campsey will moderate the media panel.
      4. Brian will moderate the governance redesign panel.
      5. Brian will introduce NCAA President, Mark Emmert.
      6. Martha Putallaz will introduce NCAA Chief Medical Officer, Brian Hainline.
    2. Jo Potuto agreed to give up her seat on the governance redesign panel to allow an additional non-Big 5 Conference representative to participate. The board decided to ask Jon Steinbrecher, commissioner of the Mid-American Conference, if he would like to appear. If he is unavailable, Craig Thompson, commissioner of the Mountain West Conference, is the alternate.
    3. Brian noted that the board will meet Sunday morning starting at 10 a.m. before the full meetings are underway.
    4. Martha confirmed that Debbie Antonelli (basketball analyst on a number of networks) is available for the media panel.
  3. Cost of Attendance. David Clough asked that cost of attendance be an agenda item for this call. The board discussed that this is a complicated issue that seems to be dominating the governance redesign discussion. Jo noted that there is no federal formula for calculating cost of attendance and she offered to assist with a 1A FAR position statement on this issue. David Clough and Steve Turner also offered to help draft the statement, and Brian agreed to ask Martha if she would serve on the subgroup.
  4. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 1:37 p.m.

April 11, 2014

Teleconference

Participants:

  • Jim Atwood, University at Buffalo
  • Bill Campsey, San Jose State University
  • David Clough, University of Colorado
  • Fred Green, Troy University
  • Jo Potuto, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
  • Brian Shannon, Texas Tech University
  • Katy Yurk, NCAA, recording secretary

[Note: These minutes contain only actions taken (formal votes or stated "sense of the meeting"). While certain items on the 1A Faculty Athletics Representatives Board of Directors meeting's agenda were acted on at various times throughout the meeting, all final actions within a given topic are combined in these minutes for convenience of reference.]

The meeting was called to order at 1:04 p.m. Eastern time by the chair, Brian Shannon.

  1. Update on September 1A FAR Meeting Planning. The board members provided the following updates on their work securing speakers for the September meeting:
    1. Jim Atwood noted that Dr. Charles Samuels of the Centre for Sleep and Human Performance in Calgary will have to present on Sunday.
    2. Brian reported that Martha Putallaz heard back from Nathan Hatch, president of Wake Forrest University and member of the NCAA Division I Board of Directors. He cannot attend because his term on the Board of Directors will have expired. Kirk Shultz, president at Kansas State University will be presenting instead, and he will need to be on the Sunday agenda. Brian also noted that he has not yet heard back from NCAA President, Mark Emmert's staff as to whether or not he can attend, but if he can, he will probably need to be on the Sunday agenda as well.
    3. Brian reported that two members of the media panel are confirmed – Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports and Brad Wolverton of the Chronicle of Higher Education. It appears that Christine Brennen of USA Today cannot attend, so Martha is going to try to secure Debbie Antonelli, basketball analyst on a number of networks.
    4. Brian reported that NCAA Chief Medical Officer Brian Hainline is confirmed, but he is only available Monday morning.
    5. David Clough noted that Tom Paskus is confirmed and they are working on their presentation. He also noted he has two authors lined up for the panel on the cultural phenomenon of religion and sport in the United States. Rick Duncan from the University of Nebraska cannot attend.
    6. Brian said the governance panel will likely include Gene Smith, athletic director at Ohio State University and Sandy Barbour, athletic director at the University of California. If she can't make it, the alternate is Bob Bowlby, commissioner of the Big XII Conference.
    Finally, the board discussed a presentation on student-athlete unionization. Brian is investigating two options – a labor law professor from Southern Methodist University or one from Texas A&M University Law School in Fort Worth.
  2. Press Statement on the NCAA Division I Governance Restructuring. The board discussed issuing a press release on the Division I governance restructuring. They determined that they may have to stop requesting that the council include 50 percent faculty athletic representatives because achieving such an outcome appears to be unrealistic. Jo recommended getting the message out soon and often. Regarding the slot designated for a FAR on the Board, David suggested working with the Faculty Athletics Representative Association to nominate an experienced faculty athletics representative for a multiyear term. The board discussed whether or not conferences were willing to state their support of the role of the faculty athletics representative, but other than the Big Ten, none have yet done so. Brian agreed to draft a statement and circulate it.
  3. The Big Five Conferences and Areas of Autonomy. David asked if other board members received a draft document on the Group of Five Conferences' autonomy within the new governance structure. Many had not seen it. David reported that he thought the Pac 12 and the Big Ten conferences have distributed it and were actively discussing it, especially questions about voting responsibilities within this 65-member subgroup of Division I. He noted that the Pac 12 is discussing having the faculty athletics representative from each school as the voting member. He also noted that this document seems to open the door to expanding the Group of Five's autonomy in any way they want with no objections from the rest of the NCAA Division I Board of Directors. David agreed to distribute the document to the full board.
  4. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 1:45 p.m

March 18, 2014

Teleconference

Participants:

  • Jim Atwood, University at Buffalo
  • John Bruno, The Ohio State University
  • David Clough, University of Colorado
  • Fred Green, Troy University
  • Martha Putallaz, Duke University
  • Brian Shannon, Texas Tech University, President
  • David Szymanski, University of Cincinnati
  • Azure Davey, NCAA
  • Katy Yurk, NCAA, recording secretary

[Note: These minutes contain only actions taken (formal votes or stated "sense of the meeting"). While certain items on the 1A Faculty Athletics Representatives Board of Directors meeting's agenda were acted on at various times throughout the meeting, all final actions within a given topic are combined in these minutes for convenience of reference.]

The meeting was called to order at 1 p.m. Eastern time by the chair, Brian Shannon.

  1. Update on the Division I Governance Structure. Brian Shannon noted that the Faculty Athletics Representatives Association (FARA) and Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics (COIA) have expressed concerns to the NCAA Division I Board of Directors Steering Committee about the new governance structure and the need for inclusion of a faculty voice. The board members agreed to continue to track developments in this area.
  2. Updates on the September Program. The board members provided the following updates on their work securing speakers for the September meeting:
    1. Brian reported that he has not yet heard back from NCAA President, Mark Emmert's staff. Brian Hainline (NCAA Chief Medical Officer), Dennis Dodd (CBS Sports) and Brad Wolverton (Chronicle of Higher Education) have all confirmed.
    2. Azure Davey noted that she has secured a national Student-Athlete Advisory Committee representative for the panel on sport and religion.
    3. Jo Potuto reported that Rick Duncan, her colleague from the Univeristy of Nebraska, is not available to participate in the panel on sport and religion. David Clough noted that he may have an alternate. David also noted that he could not secure Bill Baker for that same panel and is considering another author from the University of Colorado.
    4. Jim Atwood stated that as soon as Brian Hainline's presentation time slot is confirmed he will finalize plans with Charles Samuels of the Centre for Sleep and Human Performance in Calgary.
    5. John Bruno noted that he is still waiting to hear back from Christine Brennan at USA Today for the media panel. He has not yet confirmed that Gene Smith from The Ohio State University can participate on the governance panel.
    6. Martha Putallaz reported that she will be reaching out to Debbie Yow at North Carolina State University.
  3. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 1:41 p.m

February 20-21, 2014

National Office

Participants:

  • Jim Atwood, University at Buffalo
  • John Bruno, The Ohio State University
  • Bill Campsey, San Jose State University
  • David Clough, University of Colorado
  • Fred Green, Troy University
  • Dennis Philips, University of Southern Mississippi
  • Josephine (Jo) Potuto, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
  • Martha Putallaz, Duke University
  • Brian Shannon, Texas Tech University, President
  • David Szymanski, University of Cincinnati
  • Steve Turner, Mississippi State University
  • Azure Davey, NCAA
  • Diane Dickman, NCAA
  • Katy Yurk, NCAA, recording secretary
  1. Officer Elections. The 1A Faculty Athletics Representatives Board of Directors reelected Brian Shannon to a second two-year term as President. They elected David Clough as Vice-President and re-elected Jim Atwood as Secretary/Treasurer.
  2. Scheduled Teleconferences. Monthly teleconferences are set through May. Brian will work with Lynn Dickey, NCAA Administrative Assistant, to schedule the rest of the calls for the year. The Board agreed to move the March 20 call to March 18, 1 p.m. Eastern time, to accommodate a conflict Brian had with the original date. To better accommodate Board members' schedules, future calls will also be at 1:00pm Eastern time.
  3. Preparation for September's 1A Faculty Athletics Representatives In-Person Meeting. The Board confirmed that the annual meeting of NCAA Division 1A Faculty Athletics Representatives will be held in Dallas, September 21-22, 2014. The meeting will begin with a Board meeting Sunday, September 21, from 10 a.m. to noon. The following agenda items, with assigned members to coordinate in bold, will be featured at the annual meeting:
    1. Update from the Board provided by President Nathan Hatch, Wake Forrest University. – Martha Putallaz
      • Note: President Kirk Shulz, Kansas State University, is the back-up should President Hatch be unavailable.
    2. Update from NCAA President Mark Emmert. – Brian Shannon
    3. Debunking the myths of intercollegiate athletics with NCAA Chief Research Scientist Tom Paskus. – David Clough
    4. Media panel featuring Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, Brad Wolverton of the Chronicle of Higher Education and Christine Brennan of USA Today. Alternative speakers were also identified if any of the first three are unavailable. – Brian Shannon and John Bruno
    5. A panel on the cultural phenomenon of religion and sport in the United States. Possible panelists discussed were Rick Duncan at the University of Nebraska, Bill Baker who has authored a book on the topic and a member of the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. – Jo Potuto, David Clough and Azure Davey
    6. A session on the impact of sleep deprivation on academic and athletic performance with Dr. Charles Samuels of the Centre for Sleep and Human Performance in Calgary. – Jim Atwood
    7. Emerging issues identified by the NCAA Sports Science Institute and Brian Hainline, NCAA Chief Medical Officer. – Brian Shannon
    8. A panel on the new Division I governance structure including Gene Smith, athletics director at The Ohio State University and Debbie Yow, athletics director at the University of Maryland. Brian and Jo may participate as well. All participants will have to complete David Clough's "top ten" questionnaire. – John Bruno and Martha Putallaz

      The board also noted several ideas to consider for the 2015 annual meeting, including:
    9. A media panel featuring Kevin Blackstone of ESPN and others;
    10. A discussion on scheduling athletics contests for TV broadcast;
    11. Best practices for missed class time, especially for student-athletes competing unattached or in non-NCAA competition (e.g. national team members);
    12. Best practices in all areas of athletics departments (monitoring, compliance, investigations, hiring coaches and athletics administration, etc.)
    13. Providing incentives in coach's contracts for high Graduation Success Rates or Academic Progress Rates.
  4. Update from President Emmert. President Emmert met with the Board for an hour. He responded to questions regarding the ongoing discussion about restructuring NCAA Division I governance. Brian stated that the Board would like to see greater opportunities for involvement from faculty athletics representatives. President Emmert reported that the steering committee met Monday, February 17, 2014. They are refining the recommendations and the NCAA Division I Board of Directors will make a decision in April. He bulleted the major issues still being resolved as follows:
    1. Areas of legislative autonomy for the top five Division I conferences;
    2. The size, composition and role of the NCAA Division I Board of Directors. It is likely to consist primarily of institutional presidents, with possibly some athletics directors and student-athletes.
    3. The make-up of a new governance council. It may include representatives from all 32 Division I conferences, including athletics directors, faculty athletics representatives, student-athletes, and senior women administrators. There also may be conference commissioner involvement. President Emmert noted that the steering committee is leaning toward a majority of athletics directors on this body. Nominations to the council will be managed through a subcommittee of the NCAA Division I Board of Directors, but will come from the conferences.
    4. The weighted voting model. At this time, President Emmert is not expecting that the model will be substantially different from that which exists currently.
    The Board expressed concern about the size of the council, and President Emmert responded that decision was a direct response to the request of the Division I membership. He also noted that the NCAA Division I Board of Directors is hoping to serve a role that is more akin to the role of a supreme court, as opposed to being involved in day-to-day decisions.

    The Board expressed concern about the reporting lines of the proposed academic body anticipated for the new governance structure . One model shows that body with reporting lines to both the NCAA Division I Board of Directors and also the NCAA Division I Legislative Council. The Board noted that if the Legislative Council was charged with jurisdiction over all other areas of the legislation, why not academics as well?

    President Emmert agreed to provide the Steering Committee with the 1A FAR Board's feedback
  5. Update from Brian Hainline. NCAA Chief Medical Officer Brian Hainline spoke to the board about his work in the NCAA Sports Science Institute. The institute is establishing a relationship with the United States Department of Defense, in cooperation with several outside groups including the National Institute of Health, to begin a longitudinal study of the impact of concussions. The hope is that the study will eventually encompass all 450,000 student-athletes across all three divisions, but it will initially be rolled out as a pilot program involving 10 institutions. Brian's hope was that this will create the seminal research on concussions.

    Brian also reported that the NCAA is participating in a project with the Track Traumatic Brain Injuries group to develop more standard protocols for brain injuries. He anticipated starting with five schools in this effort.

    A third initiative the institute is working on is the best way to educate student-athletes on the hazards of concussion in order to encourage them to be honest about the effects of head injury.

    Finally, he provided an update on the mental health conference he recently organized. In three months he expects to publish a mental health handbook as an "e" book.
  6. Update from Jim Isch, NCAA Chief Operating Officer: Jim presented to the Board. He noted that the NCAA has worked hard to increase the faculty athletics representative's voice within the governance structure. He reported that the review of the Division I governance structure is underway, and commented that Jean Frankel, a consultant with Ideas for Action, is assisting with that review. Jim encouraged the Board to provide Jean with honest and frank feedback when they meet with her. Jean will provide a final report on her review in August. He also encouraged board members to communicate with members of the Steering Committee in order to explain not only that they would like Faculty Athletics Representative representation in the new structure, but also to state exactly what value the Faculty Athletics Representatives will provide to the Division I governance. Jim noted that he is supportive of competency-based appointments and is also interested in having some appointments extend longer than a four-year term.
  7. General Board Business. Over the course of the two-day meeting, the Board covered a number of general business items.
    1. Criteria for the 1A FAR Academic Award. The Board reviewed the criteria for the award and elected to leave it as is. The NCAA staff is working with the NCAA Information Technology staff to attempt to create an online data collection system for this award.
    2. Report from Board members that serve on various groups, internal and external, to the NCAA:
      1. The NCAA Division I Committee on Academic Performance. David Clough, who serves as a member of this committee, reviewed its February report.
      2. Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). Martha Putallaz reported on the WBCA's latest meeting.
      3. NCAA Division I Academic Cabinet. John presented the cabinet's February report.
    3. Plan of action for interacting with the NCAA Division I Board of Directors' Steering Committee on Governance. Following Jim Isch's recommendation, the Board discussed the best means of presenting their position on the new governance structure to the Steering Committee. The Board developed a set of talking points that they and other 1A FARs can use when speaking to a steering committee member and other campus CEOs. Brian also suggested using the points to discuss with each FAR's athletics director. Although Board members plan to continue to press for an equal number of FARs and ADs on the new Council, the Board also voted to support an alternative of having one FAR and one AD from each of the five conferences that are seeking greater autonomy, to serve on the Council.
    4. Jo expressed concern about the NCAA Division I Academic Cabinet and the Committee on Academic Reform combining. John and David Clough agreed to draft a letter in response to the new configuration once that is released.
  8. Update from Jon Duncan: Jon Duncan, NCAA Interim Vice President of Enforcement, provided an update on the recent changes in the enforcement department and the implementation of the new Enforcement model as a result of the work of the NCAA Working Group on Collegiate Model – Enforcement (Enforcement Working Group). The four primary changes went into effect August 1, 2013. They include:
    1. A new violation structure in Division I.
    2. Changes to NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions' process.
    3. Publication of the penalty structure in NCAA Bylaw 19.
    4. The establishment of head coach accountability in violations that involve his or her staff.
    Jon also addressed the status of the "principle of cooperation," a concept developed by the Enforcement Working Group, to remind the membership of their obligation to cooperate in any NCAA investigation. At this point, the principle is part of Bylaw 19, but further tweaking has been interrupted by the regulatory review.

    Finally, Jon reported that there are no plans to outsource Enforcement, although the external firms conducting the regulatory review have considered recommending some outsourcing of the fact-finding function. Internally, the department is focused on communicating its role to the membership, better orientation for new staff members, and improving the staff's interviewing skills and knowledge of the legislation. They are also developing an outreach program to spend time on campuses to learn from coaches and athletics administrators.
  9. Update from David Berst and Jean Frankel. David Berst, Vice President of NCAA Division I Governance and Jean Frankel, a consultant with Ideas for Action, provided additional information on the Division I governance developments. Jean joined the conversation by phone. David reported that there is no Division IV under consideration. The "Big Five" conferences (the Big 10, SEC, Big XVII, the Pac-12 and the ACC) are interested in defining areas of autonomy, but no specifics have been determined. David reported that the new Division I Council that is being considered would have jurisdiction over most legislation except academic legislation. He indicated that the steering committee seems to want the academic body to be more nimble.

    There was lengthy discussion on a number of topics including the autonomy of the remainder of Division I institutions that were not part of the "Big Five" conferences, the make-up of the new council, and the role of the Board of Directors in the new model.

    Jean added that nothing is in stone yet, and there is still an opportunity for dialogue. She noted that the process for selecting members of the council includes a more robust nominating procedure to create balance. Finally she stated that all groups making up the new governance model are expected to develop a more robust process for doing their work and making informed decisions.
  10. Legal Issues Facing the NCAA. Naima Stevenson, NCAA Associate General Counsel, provided an update on several legal issues facing the NCAA. She reviewed the studentathlete likeness case and the Collegiate Athletes United case. She noted that a number of individual cases on concussions have recently consolidated into one case. And, she reviewed a case involving sickle cell testing and one on sports wagering in New Jersey.
  11. Update from Anucha Browne Sanders. Anucha Browne Sanders, NCAA Vice President of Women's Basketball Championships, presented an update on women's basketball. She joined the NCAA staff 18 months ago, and since that time, Val Ackerman completed a white paper on the state of women's basketball. Anucha reviewed some of those findings with the Board and they discussed where the women's game will make changes and where they intend to stay the course.
  12. Update from Mark Lewis. Mark Lewis, NCAA Executive Vice President of Championships, presented an update on championships. He reviewed both the growth and the challenges the department is facing. Specifically, he noted that while more student-athletes are getting to participate in NCAA championships, travel costs are now consuming more than 50% of their budget. He also noted that 74% of all NCAA Division I championships over the past 10 years were won by institutions from the "Big Five" conferences.
  13. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 2 p.m., Friday, February 21.

January 23, 2014

Teleconference

Participants:

  • Jim Atwood, University at Buffalo
  • Bill Campsey, San Jose State University
  • Fred Green, Troy University
  • Martha Putallaz, Duke University
  • Brian Shannon, Texas Tech University
  • David Szymanski, University of Cincinnati
  • Steve Turner, Mississippi State University
  • Azure Davey, NCAA
  • Katy Yurk, NCAA, recording secretary

[Note: These minutes contain only actions taken (formal votes or stated "sense of the meeting"). While certain items on the 1A Faculty Athletics Representatives Board of Directors meeting's agenda were acted on at various times throughout the meeting, all final actions within a given topic are combined in these minutes for convenience of reference.]

The meeting was called to order at 12:33 p.m. Eastern time by the chair, Brian Shannon.

  1. Reaction to Governance Discussion at the 2014 NCAA Convention. The board members reviewed the discussion on the NCAA Division I governance structure that occurred at the 2014 Convention. The board agreed that while a working model has yet to be fleshed out, the discussion was generally productive.
  2. Review of the February Board Meeting Draft Agenda. The board reviewed the draft agenda Brian emailed prior to the call. Azure Davey noted that Jean Frankel of Ideas for Action plans to attend the meeting during David Berst's session. If she cannot be present, she will participate by phone. The board will use its meeting time to begin planning the September 1A FAR meeting. Jim Atwood reported he has already procured a sleep expert as a presenter, and Brian noted that he will contact Dutch Baughman, Executive Director of the 1A Athletic Directors' Association, to confirm the date. Brian asked that Lynn Dickey inform the board of each member's travel plans in February so that they may arrange shared travel from the airport and dinner Wednesday evening.
  3. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 1:01 p.m.

2014 Meeting Presentations