Intercollegiate Athletics Programs

Policy Statement

1. Mission and Goals

   1. The mission of intercollegiate athletics at Indiana University is to provide athletics programs committed to integrity, fairness, and competitiveness that enhance student life and that contribute in an effective and meaningful manner to the achievement of the broader goals of the University. The objective of intercollegiate athletics is to promote the matriculation, retention, and graduation of students and to develop pride, loyalty, and support among students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the community at large.

   2. The fundamental goals of intercollegiate athletics programs are the following:

      1. To put academics first, ensuring that all student-athletes progress each year toward graduation, culminating with the awarding of a bachelors degree.

      2. To facilitate the integration of the intercollegiate athletics departments and student athletes into the university community.

      3. To play each sport at a competitive level.

      4. To maintain well-rounded, balanced programs that ensure gender and racial equity and that respond to student interests.

      5. To comply fully with governing athletics association (NCAA or NAIA), conference, and institutional rules.

      6. To operate fiscally sound and prudent athletics programs.

      7. To maintain programs that serve as models in intercollegiate athletics, on which the University community, the State of Indiana, and other universities may look with pride.

      8. To promote interaction between citizens and the University, so as to develop widespread public identity with and pride in Indiana University and its many programs.

2. Principles of Authority and Responsibility

   1. While final authority over all units of the University rests with the President and the Trustees, governance decisions regarding intercollegiate athletics shall be made with the advice of the appropriate campus athletics committee(s).

   2. Generally, authority and responsibility for intercollegiate athletics programs shall be delegated to the campuses. Because of historical tradition and the size of the program, the athletics program at the Bloomington campus shall be called the “University Athletics Program,” and be governed by the President, the University Athletics Director, and the Bloomington campus athletics committee. The President shall govern the athletics programs on the other campuses as well, except that each campus’ Chancellor/Provost would normally represent the President. Governance on each of the campuses shall also include the campus Athletics Director and the campus athletics committee.

   3. The University Athletics Director shall have operational authority for the University Athletics Program (based at Bloomington) and oversight responsibility for all campus intercollegiate athletics programs.

   4. The Athletics Coordinating Council shall serve to ensure consistency, resolve conflicts, and foster communication among the intercollegiate athletics programs of Indiana University.

3. Campus Athletics Committees

   1. Structure

      1. Reporting: The chairperson of each campus’s Athletics Committee shall submit a report annually to the campus faculty council and to the Chancellor (or President at Bloomington) on the status of campus intercollegiate athletics (or University intercollegiate athletics at Bloomington).

      2. Membership: The Chancellor (or President at Bloomington) shall appoint the campus athletics committee on the recommendation of the campus faculty council. The campus athletics committee voting membership shall have a majority of faculty. Faculty members shall be elected by the faculty, appointed by the campus faculty council, or appointed by the Chancellor (or President at Bloomington) from among a list submitted by the campus faculty council. The number of faculty members, the exact means of selection, and the terms of membership shall be determined by the campus faculty council in consultation with the Chancellor (or President at Bloomington).

      3. Other members of the athletics committee shall include the Athletics Director (ex officio, non--voting), the Faculty Athletics Representative to the intercollegiate conference (ex officio, voting), student members, and alumni members. The Athletics Committee may also include additional members as determined by campus governance. The exact membership and terms of membership, including means of selection and voting rights of student, alumni, and additional members, shall be determined by the campus faculty council in consultation with the Chancellor (or President at Bloomington) and shall be in compliance with the rules of the appropriate athletics associations and conferences. The chairperson of the campus athletics committee shall be a faculty member appointed by the Chancellor (or President at Bloomington ) in consultation with the campus faculty council.

      4. Quorum: To guarantee faculty control of athletics, committee action may not be taken unless the majority of voting committee members present, in person or by proxy, are faculty members.

      5. Relationships: The campus athletics committee should maintain strong liaison relationships with the campus faculty council committees on academic affairs and student affairs.

      6. Personnel Subcommittee: The Campus Athletics Committee shall appoint a Personnel Subcommittee consisting of the Chair, the Faculty Athletics Representative, and two other faculty members from the Campus Athletics Committee. At the discretion of the campus faculty council, one non-faculty member of the Athletics Committee may be added to the Personnel Subcommittee.

   2. Functions of the Campus Athletics Committee The Campus Athletics Committee:

      1. Serves to foster University community confidence in the intercollegiate athletics program by ensuring that the program is striving to meet the mission and goals for intercollegiate athletics at Indiana University;

      2. Studies the athletics program and its relation to academic affairs of the University and campus and recommends to the campus faculty council and the administration policies relative to intercollegiate athletics;

      3. Monitors the program’s compliance with policies relating to admissions, the academic performance and progress of student athletes toward graduation, and the integrity of the course of study of student athletes, seeking appropriate review of cases in which it appears that there has been abuse of academic integrity in order to promote athletics programs;

      4. Participates in the development of and approves general athletics policies related to academic matters, including academic eligibility policy, academic concerns relating to recruiting, missed class time policy, student drug use policy, and team competition and practice schedules within the scope of athletics conference and association rules;

      5. Participates in the development and recommends approval of the plans for addition/elimination of sports or programs, plans for significant revision of athletics facilities and physical plant, policies regarding the use of athletics facilities, athletics awards policy, and ticket pricing;

      6. Participates in the evaluation of the campus Athletics Director (University Athletics Director for the Bloomington committee) and the selection of the Athletics Director;

      7. Advises in personnel matters:

         1. Evaluates, either as a full committee or through a designated subcommittee of the full committee, coaches in regard to the impact of programs on the students’ academic life;

         2. Consults, through its personnel subcommittee, regarding the selection of coaches and the dismissal of coaches or of the Athletics Director. (While the President has the authority to dismiss the Athletics Director, to the extent practical s/he should consult in a timely manner with the personnel subcommittee when such actions are contemplated. In such cases, the personnel subcommittee will serve as a confidential advisory group.)

         3. Recommends general policy regarding coaches’ contractual arrangements.

      8. Serves in an advisory capacity regarding the athletics budget, media contracts, and institutional votes on association and conference legislation;

      9. Meets at least annually with the Chancellor (or President at Bloomington) to report and confer regarding the affairs of the committee and the intercollegiate athletics department.

4. Athletics Coordinating Council

   1. Structure

      1. Reporting: The council reports to the President.

      2. Membership: The membership of the council shall comprise nine individuals: the University Athletics Director, the IUPUI Athletics Director, an Athletics Director from one of the other campuses (the position to be rotated among those campuses through a process agreed upon by those campuses), two faculty members from each of the athletics committees at the Bloomington and at the IUPUI campuses, and two faculty members to represent the other campuses (the position to be rotated among those campuses through a process agreed upon by those campuses). The faculty members shall be chosen by their respective athletics committees. There shall be a chairperson appointed by the President.

   2. Function of the Athletics Coordinating Council

      1. The Athletics Coordinating Council

         1. Serves to ensure consistency in norms and principles of NCAA Division I athletics programs at Indiana University;

         2. Serves as a forum to assist in resolving inter-campus conflicts;

         3. Convenes at least annually a meeting of the heads of athletics programs and campus athletics committees from all campuses for the purpose of communication and mutual understanding.

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History

(University Faculty Council, March 10, 1998; April 22, 2003; Board of Trustees, May 8, 1998; June 11, 2004)

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