Strategies for Athletics Committee
Overview
TCU
athletics have enjoyed remarkable success in recent years. This success
has improved the university's national, regional, and local visibility.
It is likely that our athletic success has contributed to the significant
increases in applications we have experienced over the period. The program
has been well managed and its ratio of success per dollar spent is admirable.
An
intercollegiate athletic program is not without risks however. One needs
to look no farther than recent sports page headlines to see how quickly
an athletic program can harm the reputation of a university, perhaps irrevocably.
And,
of course, an athletic program, like any academic or co-curricular program,
is costly. Although athletic programs enjoy strong support from external
donors, it is safe to conclude that some athletic expenditures come at
the expense of other programs.
The
committee's role is to make strategic recommendations regarding our athletic
program that will help the university achieve its mission in the most
cost-effective way.
Strategic
questions
How
does the athletic program contribute to the overall mission of the university?
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What
are the benefits and risks of a successful athletic program?
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What
is the value of the positive branding and publicity that the athletic
department generates?
-
How
does an athletic program contribute to campus diversity?
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Do
TCU's student-athletes receive a university experience that is comparable
to that of other students?
Is
the level of TCU's commitment to intercollegiate athletics appropriate
given its size and mission?
-
Can
the university afford continued participation in athletics at the
NCAA Division I level?
-
Are
the revenue producing sports and the non-revenue producing sports
of equal importance to the university's mission?
-
Is
the mix of TCU's intercollegiate athletics programs appropriate? What
would be the likely effects of adding or dropping sports programs
offered at TCU?
Is
TCU's commitment to its women's program adequate and appropriate?
-
What
steps need to be taken to more fully comply with Title IX?
-
Is
it feasible to consider adding one or more additional women's programs
in the near future, and if so, at what cost? Would such a cost come
at the expense of the men's program or be viewed as an additional
financial commitment from university funds?
-
Is
our method of funding intercollegiate athletics optimal?
If
there are other feasible funding mechanisms, what would be the likely
effects of adopting them?
-
What
are the revenue and cost expectations for the athletic program?
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How
much more revenue can the program reasonably expect to generate and
from what new sources?
-
Should
the university allow the athletic department to continue soliciting
external funds or is time to focus on other university needs?
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How
do contributions to TCU athletics affect contributions for other University
purposes?
-
Are
we playing in the right conference? What would be the likely effects
of changing our conference affiliation?
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How
will the new conference affiliation affect us financially?
-
How
important is it to compete in a conference that corresponds to the
geographic area from which we draw our students?
Town
Hall Meeting
Below
are thoughts from faculty, staff and students who attended the April 14
Town Hall Meeting, "Athletics and the University: Building a Stronger
Team". If you would like to add to these comments or offer new thoughts,
please do so by clicking on the discussion forum link located on the lower
left hand side of the VIA Web site.
“We
look incredibly good. I think you see that when you look at the graduation
rate for athletes.”
- Linda Moore, department of social work
“I really appreciate the fact that they’re willing to
work with other departments.”
- Cheryl Cantu-Mireles, academic advisor for the Center for Academic Services.
“The most successful experience will be one that allows them
(student-athletes) to have a diversity of experiences.”
- Don Mills, vice chancellor for student affairs
“Student athletes may become better integrated into the campus
if they are not concentrated in one residence hall.”
- Kyle Sherer, Moncrief Hall Director
Strategy
Paper
Strategies for Athletics committee
Bob
Vigeland, M. J. Neeley School of Business
Chris Sawyer, College of Communications
Davis Babb, Athletics/Advancement
Zoranna
Williams, College of Health and Human Sciences
Liaison: Bill Koehler
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