ANNUAL MEETING – 2017

2017 Meeting Agenda

12:00 p.m. to 12:15 p.m.Welcome & Announcements
12:15 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.Value of Athletics in Higher Education

Jack DeGioia
Jack DeGioia
President, Georgetown University

1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.Title IX and the FAR: Sexual Assault and Violence Prevention

Janet Judge
Janet Judge
Sports Law Associates, LLC

2:00 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.Break
2:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.Infractions: A View of the Process and the FAR Role

Jack Friedenthal
Jack Friedenthal
George Washington Law School


Jo Potuto
Jo Potuto
FAR, Nebraska

3:20 p.m. to 4:20 p.m.Faculty Perceptions of College Sports

Amy Dunham
Amy Dunham
NCAA

4:20 p.m. to 4:35 p.m.Break
4:35 p.m. to 5:35 p.m.Social Media and the Student-Athlete

Kate Fagan
Kate Fagan
ESPN and ESPNW

5:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.Reception – Sponsored by Turnkey Sports & Entertainment
8:15 a.m. to 8:25 a.m.Academic Excellence Awards 2017

Jim Atwood
Jim Atwood
8:25 a.m. to 9:20 a.m.NCAA Chief Medical Officer Comments

Brian Hainline
Brian Hainline
Chief Medical Officer, NCAA

9:20 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.Concussion Research

Michael McCrea
Michael McCrea
Medical College of Wisconsin

10:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.Break
10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.Enhancing the FAR/AD Relationship

Sandy Barbour
Sandy Barbour
A.D. Penn State

Allen Greene
Allen Greene
AD, Buffalo

Judy MacLeod
Judy MacLeod
Commissioner, Conference USA

Tom McMillen
Tom McMillen
President and CEO, LEAD1

Jack Swarbrick
Jack Swarbrick
A.D. Notre Dame
11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.NCAA President’s Comments

Mark Emmert
Mark Emmert
NCAA President


2017 Meeting Minutes

December 14, 2017

Teleconference

Participants:

  • Alan Hauser, Appalachian State University
  • Dennis Phillips, University of Southern Mississippi
  • Brian Shannon, Texas Tech University, President
  • David Szymanski, University of Cincinnati
  • Joe Trount, University of Virginia
  • Steve Turner, Mississippi State University
  • Kurt Zorn, Indiana University, Bloomington
  • Jenn Fraser, 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 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.]

President Brian Shannon called the meeting to order at 3:02 p.m. Eastern time.

  1. September 2018 Meeting Options. Brian emailed a summary of the options before the call to facilitate discussion:
    1. LEAD1. Brian noted that the LEAD1 staff is interested in having the 1A FARs return in September 2018, with increased overlap with the ADs, but the schedule will have to be modified to Monday-Tuesday. LEAD1 is offering to again manage the meetings with their travel agency, Anthony Travel. The meeting hotel will be less expensive than the Mandarin, but higher than the Dallas property.
    2. Stand-alone Meeting. This option was deemed to be too expensive to continue exploring.
    3. National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. – Brian shared Jo Potuto’s feedback after a call with representatives from Turnkey Sports and NACDA. Both seem enthusiastic about the possibility of adding 1A FAR to their meetings, although a full meeting is not possible in June 2018 because they have already created a schedule. Similar to June 2017, they are providing us with a half-day time slot for FAR programming in June 2018. June 2019 might be a better option. This topic is scheduled to be discussed by the NACDA Board at their January 2018 board meeting. There was also support for members of the 1A FAR Board to participate on a panel at the June 2018 NACDA meetings.
    4. Faculty Athletics Representatives Association. Brian noted that FARA leadership is also enthusiastic about the opportunity to have the 1A FAR group participate at their November meeting, but again 2018 is already planned and may not work this year given that the hotel contract had already been finalized.
    After discussion, the board determined that LEAD1 is the best option for 2018, but alternatives for the future will be considered in February.
  2. Early Recruitment Survey. Brian thanked those who provided comments for the early recruiting survey and reported that he passed those on to the NCAA Division I StudentAthlete Experience Committee. He noted that it is difficult to provide one response from the entire 1A FAR community.
  3. Other Business. Katy requested the board’s assistance in a project for the NCAA Division I Presidential Forum. The Forum is planning to create a best practices data base on student-athlete support offerings. Division I FARs completed a survey in September, and the Forum would like the Board to help in vetting the responses. Katy will provide additional instructions next month. This project will be completed by March 1.
  4. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 3:51 p.m.

November 16, 2017

Teleconference

Participants:

  • Jim Atwood, University at Buffalo
  • Alyson Hagy, University of Wyoming
  • Alan Hauser, Appalachian State University
  • Dennis Phillips, University of Southern Mississippi
  • Brian Shannon, Texas Tech University, President
  • Joey Spatafora, Oregon State University
  • David Szymanski, University of Cincinnati
  • Steve Turner, Mississippi State University
  • Kurt Zorn, Indiana University, Bloomington
  • Jenn Fraser, 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 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 3:02 p.m. Eastern time by the President, Brian Shannon.

  1. 2018 In-person Conference. Brian reported that he was encouraged by his most recent conversations with LEAD1. He is expecting a less expensive hotel and more joint programming with the athletics directors. The meeting schedule will have to be altered to Monday – Tuesday, and that could impact attendance. Brian and David reported on their call the with FARA leadership noting that FARA was receptive to the 1A FAR meeting joining theirs in November. That meeting is scheduled for Thursday – Saturday. The board discussed their concerns, including a possible risk of losing the 1A FAR identity. Brian said that the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics is still interested in having 1A FAR join their June or January meetings, but also noted that he did not have all the details on this option. Jo was in communication with NACDA leadership regarding this possibility. Brian also briefly discussed the costs attendant to a stand alone meeting. LEAD1 currently subsidizes our meeting by about $25,000 with only $7,000 coming from the 1A FAR budget. There also would need to be considerable time devoted to the logistics of having a stand alone meeting.
  2. February 1A FAR Board Meeting. Brian noted that there will be time to plan the September in-person meeting during the board’s February meeting in Indianapolis. Jim reminded the board that nominations for president, vice president and secretary/treasurer are being accepted in preparation for elections at the February meeting. Kurt indicated that the Big Ten is in support of the proposed two semester soccer proposal, and that might be a topic for discussion in February.
  3. Katy reminded the Board that the SA Experience Committee was conducting a survey about early recruitment. Jenn wanted us to provide the 1A FAR Board position.
  4. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 3:42 p.m.

October 19, 2017

Teleconference

Participants:

  • Alyson Hagy, University of Wyoming
  • Alan Hauser, Appalachian State University
  • Jo Potuto, University of Nebraska
  • Brian Shannon, Texas Tech University, President
  • Joey Spatafora, Oregon State University
  • Steve Turner, Mississippi State University
  • Kurt Zorn, Indiana University
  • Jenn Fraser, 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 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 3:02 p.m. Eastern time by the President, Brian Shannon.

  1. September 2017 Meeting Wrap Up. Brian noted that feedback from attendees at the September meeting was generally positive. There were concerns about cost and room temperature, but generally the conference content and organization were both praised. Jim has posted most of the PowerPoints on the website. Attendance was down this year – only 61 faculty athletics representatives attended, which is about 25 percent down from last year. Several attendees requested more overlap with the athletics directors, which Brian noted they would certainly like to achieve but cannot necessarily control.
  2. September 2018 In-person Conference. Brian sent some bullet points before the call with some areas of concern. LEAD1 is already asking about 1A FAR joining with them again next year at about the same time in September. LEAD1 plans to stay in Washington, D.C. but will likely choose a different, less expensive hotel. Board members reported that the Big 12 and Conference USA might opt not to tie a conference meeting to the LEAD1 meeting next year, but wanted to learn what 1A FAR plans to do. Kurt suggested the possibility of ending the LEAD1 relationship based on the lack of interaction with the athletics directors and the cost, and noted that he believed that many of his Big 10 colleagues felt the same. Members discussed the desire to interface with representatives from the Faculty Athletics Representatives Association and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics before deciding on disaffiliating with LEAD1. Steve offered an additional option of returning to Dallas with a stand-alone meeting, but Brian noted that doing so would require a member of the board to be a point of contact with the travel agency for planning and have extensive involvement in the planning. The board members present eventually agreed that given the cost and lack of overlap with the ADs, 1A FAR should not affiliate its meeting with LEAD1 in 2018. Jo offered to do some legwork with NACDA to see if that could be an option for 2018, although their meetings are usually in June, which several on the call noted is not a great date for faculty. Brian, David and Alan requested setting a call with Mike Miranda, NCAA staff liaison to FARA, before the November board call. Katy offered to facilitate that.
  3. NCAA Division I Council Transfer Working Group Update. Brian included the most recent Transfer Working Group report. The NCAA Division I Council will review these recommendations just before the deadline for the submission of new legislation into the 2017-18 legislative cycle.
  4. NCAA Division I Committee on Academics Update. Kurt reported on the Committee on Academics work and recent meeting. That committee also reviewed the Transfer Working Group’s recommendations. The Committee on Academics is supportive of a strong academic component to the exception to the academic year in residence. It was not supportive of tying the exception to the multiyear athletics aid award.
  5. Men’s Soccer Academic Year Model Update. Brian reported that the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Experience Committee was not supportive of the academic year mode for men’s soccer because of the added stress of being in season over two terms as opposed to one. The Council also was supportive of the committee’s position not to move the concept forward.
  6. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 3:55 p.m.

September 24, 2017

Washington, D.C.

Participants:

  • Jim Atwood, State University of New York at Buffalo
  • David Clough, University of Colorado
  • Alyson Hagy, University of Wyoming
  • Alan Hauser, Appalachian State University
  • Dennis Philips, University of Southern Mississippi
  • Jo Potuto, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
  • Brian Shannon, Texas Tech University, President
  • Joey Spatafora, Oregon State University
  • David Szymanski, University of Cincinnati
  • Steve Turner, Mississippi State University
  • Kurt Zorn, Indiana University, Bloomington
  • Jenn Fraser, 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 10:15 a.m. Eastern time by the President, Brian Shannon.

  1. Final Preparations for September Meeting. Reviewed the introduction assignments for the conference. Brian noted that there are 59 FARs currently registered, which is a drop from the 84 last year.
  2. February Meeting. After the board reviewed several alternative meeting dates, Brian suggested February 8-9, 2018, as the first date option with February 5-6 as a backup. Katy Yurk noted that she will check on those options.
  3. Proposed Monthly Teleconference Schedule. The 1 FAR board agreed to the following teleconference dates. Teleconferences will be at 3 p.m. Eastern time on Thursdays.
    • October 19, 2017
    • November 16
    • December 14
    • January 11, 2018
    • March 15
    • April 19
    • May 17
    • June 14
    • July 19
    • August 16
  4. 1A FAR Academic Excellence Award. Jim Atwood presented a document that reflects participation by conference to date. He encouraged the board members to engage with their conference office staffs to get the list of nominees completed. The board agreed to discuss the award criteria in February since it has not changed in the 10 years the award has been provided (3.800 GPA and at least two years of participation).
  5. Men’s Soccer Academic Year Model. Kurt presented a concept that the United Soccer Coaches is proposing to move the men’s soccer championship season from a fall semester model, typically ending with a December championship, to an academic-year model with a May or June championship. United Soccer Coaches is looking for an endorsement of their proposal from the 1A FAR board because they have not received support from a conference to put forward the legislation. The Board said they would like to discuss this further on a teleconference or at their February meeting and noted that data on the academic performance impact and health and safety impact would be helpful. Jenn Fraser informed the Board that the United Soccer Coaches had presented the issue to the Student Athlete Experience Committee for its consideration. A question was also raised regarding whether the women’s soccer coaches were also reviewing the concepts.
  6. Shared Governance and Autonomy Institution Legislative Agenda. Brian noted that there is nothing concrete to discuss yet because the deadline to submit legislation has been extended to November 1. This was done primarily to accommodate the NCAA Division I Transfer Working Group, which is still working on its suggestions. A survey on transfer issues closes tomorrow and that information will likely impact any concepts.
  7. Future of Conference and 1A FAR Affiliation. Brian noted that LEAD1 has been very helpful in organizing the annual conference but registration is down. The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics is still interested in having the 1A FAR group come under the NACDA meeting umbrella, and there is also the option of re-affiliating with FARA for the annual meeting as FARA remains interested in discussing partnering opportunities for future conferences. Board members are generally open to change; several noted that one conference is all most FARs can attend. This topic will be discussed in greater detail on a teleconference or at the February meeting. Alyson suggested that future annual meetings include some “carve-out” time for the A5 and Group of 5 conferences to meet separately to discuss issues unique to those groups.
  8. Other Business. Brian asked for board members to consider serving on a nominating committee for officer elections that must occur in February. Brian and Jim stated that they will not seek re-election to their positions. Alyson and Brian offered to serve on the nominating committee, which by bylaw is Chaired by Jim. Jim reminded the board that the three open positions are President, Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer.
  9. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 11:34 a.m.

August 23, 2017

Teleconference

Participants:

  • Jim Atwood, State University of New York at Buffalo
  • Dennis Philips, University of Southern Mississippi
  • Brian Shannon, Texas Tech University, President
  • Joey Spatafora, Oregon State University
  • David Szymanski, University of Cincinnati
  • Joe Tront, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
  • Steve Turner, Mississippi State University
  • Kurt Zorn, Indiana University, Bloomington
  • 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 3:04 p.m. Eastern time by the President, Brian Shannon.

  1. Update on September 1A FAR Annual Meeting. Brian provided several updates on the conference:
    1. Registration is at 55 FARs. With NCAA staff, speakers and some possible late registrants, planning for about 80 people total. Based on reports from members’ conferences, there is no reason to expect many additional registrants. These are lower numbers than in the recent past.
    2. The program agenda is set and Brian provided it with the name of the board members who will be introducing the presenters. Joey and Jim switched introductions as Jim had already prepared an introduction of Michael McCrea. Thus, Joey will introduce Hainline and Jim will introduce McCrea.
    3. Brian reminded 1A FAR board members to be sure to reach out to any new FARs who might be attending their first meeting.
    4. The LEAD1 executive office has arranged sponsors for the lanyards at no cost to the 1A FAR board. Turnkey Sports is sponsoring the reception and they will have some staff on hand to make a few remarks. The audio visual costs are significantly higher but they have negotiated that down to about $5,200. Steve will bring a laptop and Brian will have his as a backup. Finally, LEAD1 has invited the FARs to their reception on Tuesday night, but the cost is $1,000 per person.
    5. Brian reported that he has the award for David Clough.
    6. Brian reminded the board members to send any agenda items for the in-person board meeting in September.
  2. Other Business. Jim reminded the Board of the 1A FAR Academic Excellence Award deadline in two weeks.
  3. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 3:31 p.m.

June 22, 2017

Teleconference

Participants:

  • Alan Hauser, Appalachian State University
  • Jim Atwood, University at Buffalo
  • David Clough, University of Colorado
  • David Szymanski, University of Cincinnati
  • Brian Shannon, Texas Tech University, President
  • Steve Turner, Mississippi State University
  • Kurt Zorn, Indiana University
  • Jenn Fraser, 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 3:02 p.m. Eastern time by the President, Brian Shannon.

  1. Report on Recent FAR Programming at NACDA. Brian reported that the afternoon programming at the NACDA Annual Meeting went well. There was participation from 16 FARs.
  2. Potential for Future Collaboration with NACDA and Turnkey Sports. Both NACDA and Turnkey Sports want further affiliation with the 1A FAR. Brian reported that NACDA and Turnkey Sports are interested in having the 1A FAR group participate in the NACDA annual meetings. Turnkey covered the 1A FARs’ registration fees at the June meeting, where they discussed two options:
    1. Having the 1A FARs meet at the same location as NACDA, but allow the group to conduct its own meeting. This is essentially the current situation with LEAD1. There would also be the opportunity for members of the 1A FARs to participate on panels for the NACDA meetings; and
    2. Having the 1A FARs affiliate with NACDA and be part of the annual NACDA meetings. This affiliation requires a fee, though Brian did not have all the information for this call.
    Brian noted that overall, the conversation was good, and after the September meeting in conjunction with the LEAD1 meetings, the board should consider these options in greater detail. Turnkey Sports is going to provide financial support and sponsorship for a reception at our Annual Meeting in September.
  3. Update on Registrations for the September Annual Meeting. Brian had previously sent a list to each Board member so that they could contact the FARs in t conferences to encourage participation. All speakers have been contacted and Katy arranged for NCAA to make a $7,000 deposit to LEAD1 for our contribution toward the cost of the meeting.
  4. Committee on Academics update. Kurt reported that the last meeting was a Dave Clough “love fest”. The Committee is looking examining whether the APR for a student athlete who has graduated with a Bachelor’s degree, but continues to participate as an athlete, should only involve the eligibility point, not retention.
  5. Discussion of Future Time Balance/Time Demand Issues and Potential Next Steps. Jim had circulated a different approach to time demands of student athletes, involving setting the time weekly needed for health and wellbeing and academic endeavors, allowing the student athletes to decide their priorities for the remaining 41 hours each week. Short discussion ensued with Dave Clough stating that the time for academics was not sufficient in Engineering.
  6. Other. Brian mentioned that student transfer issues were making their way through various committees and wanted FAR opinions. Jim reminded the board members that the request for 1A FAR Academic Awards has gone out, so board members should look for the email. Brian noted that this is David Clough’s last official 1A FAR Board call.
  7. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 3:49pm Eastern time.

May 25, 2017

Teleconference

Participants:

  • David Clough, University of Colorado
  • Alan Hauser, Appalachian State University
  • Dennis Phillips, University of Southern Mississippi
  • Brian Shannon, Texas Tech University, President
  • Joey Spatafora, Oregon State University
  • David Szymanski, University of Cincinnati
  • Joe Tront, Virginia Tech University
  • Steve Turner, Mississippi State University
  • Kurt Zorn, Indiana University, Bloomington
  • Jenn Fraser, 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 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 2:01 p.m. Eastern time by the President, Brian Shannon.

  1. September In-person Conference. Brian sent a draft of the program before the call. Tom McMillan with LEAD1 also offered to speak, and the Board accepted the offer. Brian will adjust the agenda to reflect the addition and resend it. LEAD1 is again managing registration, and the registration fee has been raised to $150 this year. David Szymanski suggested LEAD1 regularly send registration reports, so they will know who has signed up.
  2. Presidential Forum Charting the Course Project. Brian reported that he participated in a conference call with NCAA governance staff in which they asked the FARs to help with a project being developed by the Presidential Forum. The Presidential Forum is creating a tool kit or inventory to help student-athletes navigating the college experience. Details on how the information is being collected are still being worked out, but a method will be developed by late summer or early fall. Brian said he will keep the board apprised, and that FAR participation is important to this project.
  3. Perception of College Sports. Amy Dunham with the NCAA communications staff presented on this topic at the board’s February in-person meeting. Brian noted that everyone should have received a mailing on the Pathway to Opportunity.
  4. Other Business. Jim asked Brian to remind the Board that Jim had recently sent information about the 1A FAR Academic Excellence Award via email. Any changes in contacts at the various conference offices should be sent to Jim. Alan noted that many participants on the planning committee for FARA’s FAR Institute are rolling off, and that FARA leadership will be soliciting volunteers to help. He suggested that 1A FAR Board members consider volunteering or inform others in their conferences about this opportunity.
  5. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 2:52 p.m.

April 27, 2017

Teleconference

Participants:

  • David Clough, University of Colorado
  • Alyson Hagy, University of Wyoming
  • Dennis Phillips, University of Southern Mississippi
  • Jo Potuto, Nebraska University
  • David Szymanski, University of Cincinnati
  • Brian Shannon, Texas Tech University
  • Joe Spatafora, Oregon State University
  • Joe Tront, Virginia Tech University
  • Steve Turner, Mississippi State University
  • Kurt Zorn, Indiana University
  • Jenn Fraser, 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 2:02 p.m. Eastern time by the President, Brian Shannon.

  1. September Meeting Planning Update. All speakers have confirmed for the fall conference. Brian requested that contact information for speakers be sent to him so he can communicate directly with the speakers. There was a request regarding the session featuring Kate Fagan. Ms. Fagan recently published a book and asked whether the publishing company could set up a table in the foyer to sell copies. The Board agreed to allow the book to be sold outside of the meeting room between the final session and reception. The schedule will be structured to allow Ms. Fagan’s presentation to be the final session on Sunday.

    Due to the speakers’ availability, the schedule is slightly less compact on Sunday but very tight on Monday. With several recent stories on student-athlete health and safety issues, Jo broached the possibility that if there was time on Sunday, that a session be added to facilitate a discussion among FARs on how to be engaged in ensuring student-athletes are participating in a healthy and safe environment. The Board agreed to keep this topic as an option should the Sunday schedule need additional programming.

    Brian will share a copy of the invitation to the LEAD1 reception with the Board; LEAD1 is apparently inviting members of Congress.
  2. NCAA Division I Council Update. Brian noted that the NCAA Division I Council Transfer Review Working Group is getting started and that the group includes two FARs (Jeri Beggs and Christine Copper). He also noted that the NCAA Division I Legislative Committee is engaged in an exercise to refresh and modernize the rules. The committee will conduct a thorough review of legislation as an attempt to rid the legislation of archaic provisions and ensure it applies to the current landscape. Brian noted that several proposals were tabled, including those in the area of early recruiting. Those were referred to the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Experience Committee for review as part of its early recruiting initiative.
  3. NCAA Division I Committee on Academics Update. David and Kurt shared that the committee approved multiple recommendations to Council to introduce legislation, including an exception to full-time enrollment requirements for a student-athlete with an education impacting disability. Kurt noted continued frustration with Committee on Academics having to ask Council to introduce legislation. The committee is responsible for the implementation and management of the Academic Revenue Distribution and continues that work. The NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate calculation for postgraduate students will be discussed again in June. As it relates to possible legislation for less than full-time enrollment, Jo inquired whether less-than-full-time study would impact time considered for calculation of the Graduation Success Rate. David and Kurt noted they did not think the calculation would change.
  4. Autonomy Five Chicago Meeting Update. Jo reported that the discussion included possible legislation for insurance coverage for student-athletes. It appears that at this time, the injury needs to have an athletics nexus. The second expected legislative proposal in 2017 is coverage of expenses for family members of student-athletes competing in championship events.

    The attendees agreed to review time management for student-athletes during the summer to provide greater opportunities for internships. Other future initiatives include: defining amateurism, relationships with agents/advisors (mirror baseball rule for all sports), creation of a unified draft withdrawal date for all sports and review of equivalency values and limits.
  5. June National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics conference Follow Up. Additional efforts are being made by Turnkey to increase attendance at the FAR portion of the meeting. Currently 12 FARs have registered. Brian agreed to share the panel schedule to assist with encouraging additional registrants.
  6. Other Business. The Board engaged in a discussion about e-sports. The Board acknowledged that the prevalence of e-sports teams is starting to grow. There was an inquiry from Turnkey as to whether a panel or discussion of the topic would be worthwhile at the June NACDA conference in case a president seeks FAR counsel on determining sponsorship of e-sport teams. There was little appetite for doing so. The Pac12 Conference representatives discussed a previous effort made by its conference office to introduce e-sports as potential varsity sports, which seems to no longer be a topic of conversation/review at the conference.
  7. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 2:45 p.m

February 9-10, 2017

NCAA National Office
Indianapolis

Participants:

  • Jim Atwood, University at Buffalo
  • David Clough, University of Colorado
  • Alyson Hagy, University of Wyoming
  • Alan Hauser, Appalachian State University
  • Dennis Philips, University of Southern Mississippi
  • Josephine (Jo) Potuto, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
  • Brian Shannon, Texas Tech University, President
  • Joe Spatafora, Oregon State University
  • David Szymanski, University of Cincinnati
  • Steve Turner, University of Mississippi
  • Kurt Zorn, Indiana University
  • Azure Davey, NCAA
  • Jenn Fraser, 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.]

  1. New Board Member. The 1A FAR Board of Directors welcomed Joe Spatafora as a new member. Joe is the FAR at Oregon State University and will replace David Clough as the Pac-12 Conference representative when he retires in June.
  2. Update on Proposed Legislation. Alyson Hagy asked about conference positions on Autonomy Five proposals regarding health and safety issues. She wondered how non-A5 conferences could opt in on these types of proposals. Jenn Fraser provided the NCAA Division I Council’s position on proposals on time demands and through that discussion, determined that the Autonomy 5 conferences would have to act first before other NCAA Division I institutions can act.
  3. Update from Joni Comstock. Joni Comstock, NCAA Senior Vice President of Championships and Alliances, explained her Department’s work. She noted that since Mark Lewis’s departure last fall, she and Dan Gavitt are now running that unit and are developing an organizational structure . She explained that they operate 90 championships for 24 sports across three divisions. The “alliances” portion refers to the services and support that surround each championship. Joni explained that the Department focuses on two areas: (1) The student-athlete experience at NCAA championships; and (2) Financial accountability. NCAA Division I men’s basketball generates about 90 percent of the championship revenue. Division I baseball, wrestling and men’s ice hockey are also net positive. The biggest championship expenses are travel and per diem. When asked about the more regional NCAA Division II championship model, Joni explained that in Division I the goal is to avoid early round conference match ups.
  4. Update from Kevin Lennon and Diane Dickman. Kevin Lennon, NCAA Vice President of Law, Policy and Governance and Diane Dickman, Managing Director of Law, Policy and Governance, provided an update on Division I governance. The two fielded questions on transfers and time demands as well as other issues.
  5. Update from Jon Duncan. Jon Duncan, NCAA Vice President of Enforcement, provided an update on NCAA enforcement. He noted that his staff continues to process academic cases filed under the old legislation, and cases are being self-reported under the new policy. Jon credited FARs on campus with providing oversight in the academic misconduct area.
  6. Update from Dave Schnase. Dave Schnase, NCAA Vice President of Academic and Membership Affairs, provided an update on academic and membership affairs. He noted that given the Department’s primary task of serving the NCAA membership, he is focusing on membership outreach and modernizing legislation. He offered the Board a suggestion for FARs – to look for greater interface with their own student-athletes (health services, mental health issues). Dave also notes that he is planning a summit that will include FARs scheduled for late spring/early summer.
  7. Update from Amy Dunham. Amy Dunham, NCAA Managing Director of Strategic Communications, was invited to discuss how FARs can help integrate the NCAA’s academic message on campus. She presented NCAA’s “Pathways to Opportunity,” a PowerPoint designed to educate the public on the NCAA’s role and the role of college athletics generally. When asked about their perception of the NCAA in surveys, university faculty and staff offer the most negative responses. Amy noted that the PowerPoint is available for campus use and this could be part of a local effort to engage faculty and staff.
  8. Update from Brian Hainline. Brian Hainline, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer, presented an update on the work of the NCAA Sports Science Institute. The institute continues to collect data on concussions and concussion protocol. Data show member institutions are withholding concussed student-athletes from athletics activity to allow more time for recovery. This appears to result in fewer repeat concussions. Brian also reported that, anecdotally, FARs are becoming increasingly involved in student-athlete mental health protocols. He credited that with the education modules his staff has created and made available through the NCAA website.
  9. Update from Naima Stevenson. Naima Stevenson, NCAA Managing Director and Deputy General Counsel, provided an update on several legal issues facing the NCAA.
  10. Update from Bernard Franklin and Sonja Robinson. Bernard Franklin, NCAA Executive Vice President of Education and Community Engagement/Chief Inclusion Officer and Sonja Robinson, NCAA Director of Inclusion Initiatives, reviewed the Division I diversity data. They also presented on the development of tools for Chancellors and Presidents to create a more diverse and inclusive culture. They noted that the least diverse group in the NCAA structure is FARs and encouraged Board members to cultivate future FARs from a diverse pool.
  11. Preparation for September's NCAA Division 1A Faculty Athletics Representatives In-Person Meeting. Brian reported that LEAD1, formerly the 1A Athletic Directors, is working with 1A FAR to plan the September meeting. The meeting will be held September 24-25, 2017, at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, D.C. and will follow the same Sunday through Monday schedule as in the past. The Board meeting will be from 10 a.m. to noon, Sunday. The following agenda items, with assigned members to coordinate in bold, will be featured at the annual meeting:
    1. Faculty perceptions of college sports – Azure will secure Amy Dunham to present on faculty perceptions of college sports and ways to improve those perceptions.
    2. Value of athletics in higher education – Azure and Brian will ask Jack DeGioia, President of Georgetown University and Chair of the American Council on Education Board of Directors, and Bud Peterson, President of Georgia Institute of Technology and Chair of the NCAA Board of Governors, to discuss the value of college athletics.
    3. Brian Hainline, NCAA Sports Science Institute – Brian will ask Dr. Hainline to discuss mental health topics.
    4. Update from NCAA president, Mark Emmert – Brian will reach out to President Emmert's assistant about his availability. The Board suggested he be given a focused topic or set of bullets to address.
    5. Concussion research, Dr. Michael McCrea – Jim will contact Dr. Michael McCrea, Professor of Neurosurgery and Neurology at the Wisconsin College of Medicine about his availability.
    6. Kate Fagen, media – David Clough will ask Kate Fagan, ESPN reporter and former student-athlete about her availability.
    7. Enhancing the FAR and director of athletics relationship – Jim, Jo, Dennis and Kurt will contact Allen Greene, Director of Athletics at the University at Buffalo; Jack Swarbrick, Vice President/Director of Athletics at the University of Notre Dame; Judy McLeod, Commissioner of Conference USA and Sandy Barbour, Director of Athletics at Pennsylvania State University, about participating on a panel.
    8. Infractions panel – Jo will contact Jack Friedenthal, Professor at the George Washington University Law School, about availability for the meeting to discuss NCAA infractions.
    9. FAR role in prevention of sexual assault and violence – Jenn Fraser offered to contact Janet Judge, Sports Law Associates President, about her availability for this session.
  12. Website Update. Jim provided an update about the website and encouraged the Board members to visit the site and provide him with any feedback.
  13. Update from National Football Foundation. Matthew Sign, Chief Operating Officer with the National Football Foundation, provided information on the foundation’s scholar-athlete initiative and reviewed the 2017 due dates for nominations. Several FARs noted that they would like to invite Matthew to their conference meetings during the Spring 2017.
  14. Update from LEAD1. Tom McMillan, Chief Executive Officer of LEAD1, joined the meeting by phone. He noted that LEAD1 is moving their annual meeting to Washington, D.C. LEAD1 is interested in bringing Football Bowl Subdivision institutions together to work on issues like ways to save money on charter flights for teams. He would like the Directors of Athletics to let members of Congress know they are available to work with them on issues, though they will leave the bigger issues to institutional government relations staff. Jenn suggested they also look for places where FARs can interact when Directors of Athletics are working within the NCAA governance structure as well.
  15. Monthly Teleconference Schedule. The Board determined the monthly teleconferences will be on Wednesday at 3 Eastern time. The schedule through August is as follows:
    1. March 22
    2. April 26
    3. May 24
    4. June 21
    5. July 19
    6. August 23
  16. Turnkey Sports and Entertainment. Turnkey Sports and Entertainment, an athletics administration search firm, is creating a session for FARs at the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics Conference on June 11. Many FARs don’t typically attend NACDA, but Turnkey will cover the cost of registration and provide a reception. They are also looking for FARs to plan and serve on panels. Jo offered to plan a panel on institutional control and the role of the FAR. Additional FARs were identified as possible panel leaders including Joe Tront and Mike Sagas.
  17. NCAA Division I Committee on Academics Update. Kurt and David gave an update on the work of the Committee on Academics. The committee met earlier this month, and while there were not action items from that meeting, there is continued discussion of new ways to develop metrics that demonstrate local academic success. This may include the use of NCAA Institutional Performance Program data or other data that is specific to each campus. The data review process has kicked off its second 10-year cycle. FARs should be aware when a data review is going on and should have some oversight of the data collection process. The committee also reviewed the planned roll out of the values-based revenue distribution. Finally, Kurt and Dave noted that the committee will continue to oversee development of the new SAT concordance scale.
  18. Future A5 Meeting. Brian encouraged all FARs to reiterate their previous recommendation that A5 schools develop a legislative committee to review legislative proposals.

January 12, 2017

Teleconference

Participants:

  • Jim Atwood, University at Buffalo
  • David Clough, University of Colorado
  • Alyson Hagy, University of Wyoming
  • Alan Houser, Appalachian State University
  • Dennis Phillips, University of Southern Mississippi
  • Brian Shannon, Texas Tech University
  • Joe Spatafora, Oregon State University
  • Steve Turner, Mississippi State University
  • Kurt Zorn, Indiana University
  • Azure Davey, NCAA
  • Jenn Fraser, 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 2:04 p.m. Eastern time by the President, Brian Shannon.

  1. Update on the February 9-10, 2017, Meeting. The February meeting schedule includes the following presenters:
    1. Joni Comstock, Senior Vice President, NCAA championships.
    2. Diane Dickman, Managing Director, NCAA law, policy and governance.
    3. Jon Duncan, Vice President, NCAA enforcement
    4. Amy Dunham, Managing Director, NCAA communications
    5. Kevin Lennon, Vice President, law, policy and governance.
    6. Dave Schnase, Vice President, NCAA academic and membership affairs.
    7. Bernard Franklin, Executive Vice President, NCAA education and community engagement.
    8. Brian Hainline, Senior Vice President of law, policy and governance/chief medical officer.
    9. Matt Sign, National Football Foundation. He asked to attend and make a short presentation. The board agreed to work him into the agenda.
  2. January NCAA Division I Council and Autonomy Preview. Brian reviewed the proposals that will be voted on at NCAA Convention next week, especially the autonomy proposals. Many other proposals will be voted on by the Council in April, but Brian noted that they will likely discuss them at Convention at an issues forum. The Board Members engaged in discussion about several proposals and the practical application of the proposed legislation. Brian noted that Board Members should also raise any concerns about the inclusion of campus voices at the conference level.
  3. NCAA Division I Committee on Academics Update. David and Kurt reported the Committee on Academics meets again in February.
  4. NCAA Sport Science Institute. Brian provided a link to the student-athlete mental wellness education modules designed for FARs. He recommended that Board Members look at the training module for more information on student-athlete mental health and suggested they should encourage other FARs in their conferences to do so, as well.
  5. Other Business. Jim reported that all the links on the website have been repaired. Brian noted that the Political Action Committee that the LEAD1 group may create could conflict with individual universities’ interaction with their political leadership. Jenn suggested adding Abe Frank, Managing Director, law, policy and governance, to the February meeting or reaching out to Tom McMillan of LEAD1 directly. Katy will check on Abe’s availability. Brian offered to contact Tom McMillan and ask him to join our February in-person meeting via telephone.
  6. Adjournment. The meeting adjourned at 2:45 p.m.

2017 Presentations