IPFW Faculty Athletic Representative

General The role of the faculty athletics representative (FAR) is both important and multi-faced at each university or college. While the chief executive officer (CEO) must be the central figure in ensuring institutional control of the intercollegiate athletics program, the FAR and the faculty members on the appropriate committees with which he/she is involved are essential partners of the CEO in protecting the centrality of the academic enterprise at the institution. In addition to this critical work, the FAR and the faculty members on the committees are concerned with important issues involving the student-athlete experience, compliance with NCAA rules and regulations as well as wide variety of communication/administration leadership roles. Academic Integrity
  1. The FAR, working with other faculty members in the appropriate committee should periodically review the records of student-athletes. The examination of these transcripts would include: courses selected, progress toward fulfilling university, major requirements, summer school course choices, and other matters. Members of the academic community can be assured that student-athletes are truly student-athletes if faculty members engage in this oversight role.
  2. The FAR should play a role in assuring that student-athletes participate in advising and orientation and other mainstream academic experiences expected of all undergraduates at the institution.
  3. In accordance with the NCAA recommendation, the FAR or compliance coordinator should play a role in evaluating records and making admissions decisions for those student-athletes whose academic credentials place them outside the institution's regular admissions profile.
Student Athlete Experience
  1. The FAR and intercollegiate athletic committee should play a role in ensuring that student athletes are afforded the opportunity to successfully complete their degree programs. This may involve approval of travel and competition schedules to reduce missed class time and/or reviews of scholarship cancellations or reductions which might inappropriately limit opportunities for student-athletes to complete their degrees.
  2. The FAR and his/her faculty colleagues on the intercollegiate athletic committee should make sure that student athletes are members of such committees or have access to them.
  3. The FAR should address students-athletes at the beginning of the year, describing once again the academic climate and mission of the institution and reminding student-athletes of the role of the faculty in overseeing the intercollegiate program.
  4. The FAR should ensure that instances of student-athlete misconduct are handled in a manner consistent with institutional standards.
Compliance
  1. The FAR and the intercollegiate athletic committee should play a role in overseeing NCAA and conference compliance efforts, including rules and education. The FAR and the committee should meet with the compliance coordinator and randomly sample and evaluate the data accumulated as part of the institution's compliance efforts.
  2. The FAR and the intercollegiate athletic committee should play a central role in overseeing any major institutional inquiry into alleged or suspected NCAA rules violations.
  3. The FAR or the intercollegiate athletic committee should play a role in conduction or reviewing the results of any periodic audits of the department of athletics conducted at the institution.
  4. The FAR along with the intercollegiate athletic committee should play a role in any institutional involvement in the proposed new NCAA certification program. For reporting NCAA violations *See appendix - (Item Z)
Communication/Administration
  1. The FAR should play a central role in discussing matters involving intercollegiate athletics at the faculty senate. The FAR should provide periodic reports with information concerning the academic performance of student-athletes. This will allow faculty members and others in the academic community to have an opportunity to learn about the work of the FAR and to raise relevant questions with the FAR.
  2. The FAR will serve an ex-officio member of the intercollegiate athletics committee.
  3. The FAR should play an important role in the shaping of institutional voting decisions at the NCAA Convention.
  4. The FAR, as an appointee of the chancellor, must have access to the chancellor, and must be seen as a key advisor by the chancellor in matters involving intercollegiate athletics.
  5. The FAR and the intercollegiate athletics committee must have access to important budgetary information involving the whole range of athletically related revenues and expense at the college or university.
  6. The FAR should serve on the search committee for the hiring of a director of athletics, other senior athletics administrators, and for the head coaches in the major revenue producing sports.
  7. University requisites (team travel, et.al.) that are received by the FAR and faculty members serving on the intercollegiate athletic committee should be dispensed by the chancellor or his/her office, not by the director of athletics. A statement by the chancellor concerning what is being done, why, and what is involved in the decision will serve to check the unwarranted and destructive speculation that FARs (and other faculty members) could become “wholly owned subsidiaries of the athletics department.”
Return to Athletic Department Policy and Procedures Manual

Copyright © 2004 Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne.
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Revised: October 29, 2004
URL: http://users.ipfw.edu/heffron/deptfar.html