In preparation for Monday's arrival of NCAA representatives who will evaluate the athletic department's compliance with the operating principles established by the association, the University has completed its own self-study assessing the policies and practices of the athletic department.
Under the leadership of Dr. Charles Putman, senior vice president for research administration policy, the self evaluation began two years ago with the formation of a committee composed of representatives from almost every branch of the University community. The committee was subsequently divided into four committees, each examining a separate aspect of the athletic department's performance: academic integrity; commitment to equity; fiscal integrity; and governance and commitment to rules compliance.
The ultimate goal was to determine objectively whether the department needs improvements in certain areas and to make the appropriate recommendations. The self-study guide provided by the NCAA served as each subcommittee's navigator through the process.
Putman said that the self evaluation is an integral component of the NCAA reaccreditation process, through which the athletic department reviews its current status.
Although each subcommittee found that the department was in overall compliance with the guiding operating principles, all but one offered recommendations to the administrations.
The subcommittee evaluating the athletic program's commitment to equity suggested that the University take four measures to ensure the University's sensitivity to gender and minority issues and student athletes' welfare:
¥ that the University follow through with its plans for the construction of the West Campus Recreational Facility;
¥ that an official outside the athletics program conduct student athlete exit interviews rather than the Assistant Vice President to encourage students to be frank about their experiences and criticism;
¥ that the department reduce the current level of misunderstanding among athletes about the program's policies by using the Student-Athlete Handbook and the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee to convey student concerns or suggestions to the athletics administration more effectively; and
¥ that the department develop and sponsor diversity workshops for those individuals who work with minority student athletes in an effort to maintain "sensitivity to the current level of racial tension generally on campus," according to the summary.
Although the committee addressing equity made more recommendations than any other, its members did not classify the problems in that area as "serious."
"In the area of equity, most of the things we were suggesting were more fine tuning than major changes," said Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs Sue Wasiolek, chair of the committee on commitment to equity. "We focused on communication with the athletes, making sure there is ongoing and quality communication so that the student athletes do not have to rely on rumor regarding any policy change, or anything related to the athletic program and that they have the chance to give feedback. But given the guidelines and requirements provided by the NCAA, we didn't really find any significant problem areas."
The term "gender equity" in athletics often conjures questions regarding the University's compliance with Title IX-a regulation that establishes guidelines concerning the distribution of scholarships to male and female student athletes. According to the subcommittee's report, the University has taken strides in the past 15 years to equalize the male and female athletic experiences.
Its report did note, however, that the National Women's Law Center filed sex discrimination complaints with the Office of Civil Rights against 25 colleges and universities, including Duke, in the spring of 1997.
The subcommittee on governance and commitment to rules compliance also made two suggestions to the administration: one recommended that the department explicitly state its mission statement and the other requested the creation of a standing compliance committee "to provide regular oversight of the handling of compliance as well as evaluation of the procedures of the department," the subcommittee's report states.
The call for evaluation is a direct response to the difficulty institutions frequently encounter trying to comply with the increasingly complex rules set forth by the NCAA, said Faculty Athletics Representative Tom Spragens, immediate past chair of the athletics council and chair of the subcommittee on governance.
"Compliance demands are heavier and heavier as the rules get more and more byzantine," he explained. "As the whole business of trying to stay on top of compliance gets more and more difficult and demanding, the question is, 'Do we stay on top of that as regularly and extensively as we should?'"
The subcommittee on academic integrity examined issues such as admissions and graduation, academic authority, academic support and schedules of courses, practices and competitions.
Marion Shepard, associate dean of the engineering school and chair of the subcommittee, said that it found that the department was in compliance with the guidelines set forth by the NCAA, but suggested that the University eliminate oddly scheduled classes-such as those during periods two, three and four that run longer than the regularly-scheduled class time and thus overlap with other courses-and correct the inefficient use of classroom space. The administration, he said, has corrected both of these issues.
Shepard pointed to the graduation rates of athletes and non-athlete students as evidence of the academic integrity of the department.
"Basically, there's no difference between the graduate rates of the two groups," he explained. "The academic integrity of the athletic program is probably as high caliber as any in the country."
The findings of the subcommittee on fiscal integrity-charged with examining financial controls and established policies and procedures-reported that they found no need to suggest improvements in any area.
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