THE DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY OF AN ATHLETICS PROGRAM
AT A NEW INSTITUTION
A Thesis
Presented to the faculty of Graduate and Professional Studies in Education
California State University, Sacramento
Submitted in partial satisfaction of
the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF ARTS
in
Education
(Higher Education Leadership)
by
Abraham Lopez
SPRING
2014
© 2014
Abraham Lopez
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
ii
THE DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY OF AN ATHLETICS PROGRAM
AT A NEW INSTITUTION
A Thesis
by
Abraham Lopez
Approved by:
__________________________________, Committee Chair
Francisco Reveles, Ph.D.
__________________________________, Second Reader
Geni Cowan, Ph.D.
Date
iii
Student: Abraham Lopez
I certify that this student has met the requirements for format contained in the University
format manual, and that this thesis is suitable for shelving in the Library and credit is to
be awarded for the thesis.
, Department Chair
Susan Heredia, Ph.D.
Date
Graduate and Professional Studies in Education
iv
Abstract
of
THE DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY OF AN ATHLETICS PROGRAM
AT A NEW INSTITUTION
by
Abraham Lopez
Brief Literature Review
The literature illustrated that two main bodies govern intercollegiate athletics.
These governing bodies’ focus is to offer student athletes opportunities to develop and
grow during and after college. An extensive review of the literature, extra-curricular
activities such as intercollegiate athletics are shown to provide several benefits to
students. In addition, a brief look at the history of institutional athletics programs showed
funding is a major concern and requires an extensive evaluation to prove viability and
value at a particular institution prior to its development. Furthermore, the athletics
program cannot thrive on its own and must have a collaborative relationship with the
campus and the surrounding community. Lastly, the literature showed that institutional
leadership plays a vital role in all areas of an athletics program. The literature shows the
v
above are the key components in the development and sustainability of an athletics
program.
Statement of the Problem
The purpose of this study was to explore the development and sustainability of an
athletics program at a new institution. Based on the literature review, the study focused
on these four areas: the benefits of an athletics program, the processes of development
and funding, campus and community collaboration, and the role of institutional
leadership.
Methodology
This researcher chose to focus on one institution that recently developed an
athletics program for collecting qualitative data. The qualitative data were collected in
the form of interviews of institutional leaders. The questions used in these interviews
were based on the information collected in the literature review. The researcher could
then compare what was expected and what actually happened at this institution.
Conclusions and Recommendations
In conclusion, this study identified several key elements necessary to develop and
sustain an athletics program at a new university. The study showed that a good athletics
program should demonstrate and provide strong leadership. It should also offer complete
focus on student development by providing services needed to succeed at a new
institution. In addition, the athletics program should develop a profile in the region.
vi
Furthermore, the study showed there are definite benefits of campus and community
collaboration with the athletics program.
, Committee Chair
Francisco Reveles, Ph.D.
Date
vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Chapter
1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 1
Background ............................................................................................................. 1
Statement of the Problem ........................................................................................ 4
Significance of the Study ........................................................................................ 6
Definition of Terms Used ....................................................................................... 6
Organization of the Remainder of the Thesis ....................................................... 11
2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE .................................................................. 13
Introduction ........................................................................................................... 13
Intercollegiate Athletics ........................................................................................ 13
College Student Development .............................................................................. 20
Institutional Athletics Programs ........................................................................... 23
Campus and Community Collaboration with an Athletics Program .................... 29
Institutional Leadership ........................................................................................ 35
Rationale ............................................................................................................... 47
Summary ............................................................................................................... 48
3. METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................... 50
Introduction ........................................................................................................... 50
Setting of the Study............................................................................................... 50
viii
Research Design.................................................................................................... 52
Limitations of the Study........................................................................................ 56
Summary ............................................................................................................... 57
4. DATA AND DATA ANALYSIS ............................................................................... 58
Introduction ........................................................................................................... 58
Presentation of Data .............................................................................................. 58
Summary ............................................................................................................... 79
5. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS.............................. 81
Summary ............................................................................................................... 81
Conclusions ........................................................................................................... 82
Recommendations for Further Study .................................................................... 83
Appendix A. Seven Vectors .............................................................................................. 88
Appendix B. Charts, Graphs, and Tables .......................................................................... 89
Appendix C. Letter of Consent to Research Participants ................................................. 93
Appendix D. Instrumentation............................................................................................ 95
Appendix E. NAIA Champions of Character – Five Core Values ................................... 97
References ......................................................................................................................... 98
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1
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
Background
Athletic activities have traditionally been an essential part of American society.
Similarly, competitive and leisure athletic activities have had a huge impact on colleges
and universities in the United States. Participating students have experienced benefits
ranging from simple enjoyment and wellness to a keen sense of gratification from
challenging one’s valor, talents, and power in a very intense atmosphere. Based on the
impact and benefits, intramural and extramural sports could be used as a basis for an
effective formula to develop and sustain a growing campus. Conversely, the high
standard of ethics and drive for excellence found in most academic programs could be
used to strengthen and shape a successful athletics program.
Data retrieved from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
(2012) stated 4,168 public and private two-year and four-year colleges and universities
are in the United States, and 88.2% of them have collegiate sports teams. These numbers
are continually growing. Both competitive and leisure sport activities have long played
an essential role in the life of colleges and universities in the United States. Currently,
one university that recently opened is actively pursuing the addition of an athletics
program so that it, too, may join the ranks of universities with sports teams.
2
University of California, Merced opened September 5, 2005, as the 10th campus
in the prestigious University of California (UC) system and the first American research
university of the 21st century. It is a culturally and ethnically diverse campus with a
steadily increasing student population. The university is dedicated to principles that
serve the state, nation, and world through a mission of research, education, and public
service. It has a special mission to increase college attendance among students in the San
Joaquin Valley. It also serves as a major foundation of advanced research. Located near
Yosemite National Park, the university is expected to grow rapidly and top out at
approximately 25,000 students within 30 years. UC Merced offers a growing list of
majors, minors, and graduate programs taught by more than 412 full-time faculty
members, visiting professors, and lecturers who have come from some of the world’s topranked universities.
UC Merced also adds to the economic development of Central California. In the
Central Valley where unemployment and poverty rates are considerably higher than
California averages, campus construction has sustained thousands of jobs. It has also
stimulated new business development and pours millions of dollars into the local
economy each year.
UC Merced’s primary objective is to offer students an interdisciplinary approach
toward their education. The students’ learning will now come from lectures, discussions,
and additional experiences beyond the classroom. They will have the opportunity to put
their learning into practice through undergraduate research, service learning, and
3
leadership development. As a newly formed campus, UC Merced has a distinct
opportunity to propose and implement a comprehensive competitive and recreational
sports program. The university hopes to create a student athletics program that will echo
all the ethics of an educationally concentrated and gender equitable academic program,
hence preventing the dangers other colleges and universities have encountered with their
athletics programs. By adhering to the university’s objective, the intercollegiate athletics
and recreation programs will focus on the student and will provide an excellent education
through innovation and engaging opportunities.
According to the 2009 Chancellor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Intercollegiate
Athletics Report the UC Merced intercollegiate athletics and recreation programs will
have experienced personnel in administration and training. It will also include worldclass facilities which will allow students the opportunity to develop athletic skills that
will prepare and equip them with all the necessary tools needed to succeed in their
various sports. The program will help foster the growth of the students’ athletic skills in
addition to offering leadership and volunteer opportunities allowing them to serve as role
models on the campus and in the broader community. The university is continuing to
establish relationships within the community that will allow athletic administrators,
coaches, and student athletes to be integral components of the eventual collaboration of
both campus and community through the participation of athletic events. Ultimately,
athletics should serve as a rallying point for the campus and the community, which
4
supports the goals and objectives of the university (University of California, Merced [UC
Merced], 2009).
Statement of the Problem
In reaction to recent criticism, the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) and the NAIA have had to undergo new academic and athletic reforms. The
public’s view of the sports culture has been on the decline due to a tendency to overlook
fundamental principles and standards expected in a humane culture. With numerous
media outlets available, the public is bombarded with headlines about professional
athletes breaking the law. These headlines highlight issues such as assault, domestic
violence, dog-fighting rings, the use of illegal performance enhancement drugs, and
sports betting. Even more disconcerting are the recent reports of cheating and
unsportsmanlike behavior in the youth, high school, and college sports. In many cases,
student athletes are not revealing good values, ethics, or citizenship. Coaches and parents
are now questioning the integrity of the student athlete and whether his or her poor
choices and behaviors have diminished the whole student sports experience. Conversely,
when student athletes have the opportunity to discover, solve problems, and be influenced
by an environment focused on developing the full human potential, they become well
educated and equipped to provide a service to the community. The NAIA’s new
initiative builds upon the belief that everyone who works with students is engaged in the
teaching of character traits. When institutions vow to build character, values, and
5
commitment to responsible citizenship, the fruits of this investment will be transparent.
Furthermore, it should be concluded this same commitment to a student’s values and
ethics should play a significant role in the school’s overall philosophy and affect every
area of decision and policymaking.
According to the 2009 Chancellor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Intercollegiate
Athletics Report, Chancellor Steve Kang mentioned the goal of the Commission was to
support the development and creation of an athletics program for UC Merced with its
focal point on the student (University of California, Merced [UC Merced], 2009). The
Commission understood the importance of an athletics program but not just any athletics
program. This program should be built with the student as the primary focus. The
question that then follows is how this can be accomplished.
The purpose of this study was to explore the development and organization of an
athletics program offering complete focus on student development at a new institution, in
this case, UC Merced. This program should also demonstrate and provide good
leadership skills while providing services to help the student succeed in all areas of life.
This study also explored and examined the role of campus and community support in the
effort to build such a program. There were four main questions closely examined
throughout this study. The first question addressed the benefits of this program:
Specifically, who benefits from the addition of an athletics program at a new institution?
The second question focused on the specifics involved in the development of such a
program: What are the processes and challenges for establishing, growing, and sustaining
6
the athletics program at a new institution? The third question dealt with the role of
campus and community: What is the value of collaboration between an athletics program
and the campus and the community? The last question examined the relationship
between sports and leadership: What is the role and importance of institutional leadership
in an athletics program? It is the hope of this study to have a better and more holistic
understanding of the values and processes involved in the development of an exceptional
athletics program at a new institution.
Significance of the Study
In general, athletic and leisure physical activities have long been a central part of
our society. Children begin participating in sports at a young age and continue
throughout grade school, high school, and college. For some, the term “student athlete”
comes to define who they are as people. But if a close examination of these student
athletes was to occur, it would become evident they are burdened with academic
responsibilities, as well as the overwhelming pressures of athletics. The student athlete is
a member of the college and as such, represents the institution, the coach, the teammates,
the community, and the fans. In addition to hours of homework, social life opportunities,
career exploration, self-growth, and self-identification, student athletes deal with a little
more in their routine. They participate in as much as 20 hours of practice time per week,
weekly visits with athletic trainers (for injury prevention or rehabilitation), weekends
7
away from home or school, public criticism from the classroom/instructors, and the
physical and mental exhaustion of competitions (Howard-Hamilton & Watt, 2001).
The combination of all the added responsibilities, on top of an already demanding
college experience, suggests student athletes can be classified as “at-risk” students. An
at-risk student refers to a student who needs additional attention and support to allow him
or her a fair opportunity to succeed in college (Broughton & Neyer, 2001). Taking the
precarious state of most student athletes into consideration, it becomes even more
imperative a university’s athletic program be tailored to focus on their well-being and
growth. It is important that universities, such as UC Merced, take their opportunity to
create an athletics program and tailor it to take these potentially at-risk students, and turn
them into exemplary citizens of our society.
Definition of Terms Used
At-Risk Student
An at-risk student is a person who needs additional attention and support to allow
them a fair opportunity to succeed in college.
Athletics Program
College athletics is a department at the institution encompassing the
nonprofessional-, collegiate-, and university-level competitive sports and games
involving physical skill and training that prepares student athletes for competition.
8
Blue Ribbon Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics Report
The report was a study to assist in the design of an athletics program for UC
Merced, with a focus on the student.
California Master Plan for Higher Education
The master plan is the differentiation of functions among the state’s three public
postsecondary education segments, which are the University of California (UC),
California State University (CSU), and California Community Colleges (CCC).
Champions of Character
A nonprofit organization with the mission to change the culture of sports. They
seek to replace the current cycle of cheating, trash talking, taunting, and out-ofcontrol behaviors found in today’s sports culture with integrity, respect,
responsibility, sportsmanship, and leadership.
CHAMPS/Life Skills Program
The NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills program is designed to provide student athletes
developmental skills training and equip them to handle most issues affecting their
well-being.
Chancellor
In terms of higher education, a chancellor is designated to be a university
president who oversees the management of the entire institution.
Dean
A dean is the head of college or university faculty, department, or school.
9
Donor
In terms of higher education, a donor is a person who gives money or something
of value to a university.
Executive Institutional Leader
Institutional executive leadership refers to all traditional executive leaderships at a
college or university.
Faculty
In terms of higher education, faculty are those engaged in teaching, conducting
research, and public service at the university.
Graduate Student
A graduate student is someone pursuing a degree higher than his or her bachelor’s
at a college or university.
Institutional Leadership
A branch of university employees responsible for the maintenance and
supervision of the institution
Intercollegiate Athletics
Sports and athletic competitions organized and funded by institutions of tertiary
education.
Interview Participant
To protect the researcher and the administration at UC Merced, the researcher
omitted the use of the their names, which will be labeled by number.
10
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA)
An organization dedicated to the promotion of education and development of
students through intercollegiate athletic participation. Member institutions share a
common commitment to high standards, and the principle athletics serve as an
integral part of an education.
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
The NCAA is a nonprofit association of institutions, conferences, organizations,
and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many college and
universities in the US and Canada.
School of Engineering
The School of Engineering at UC Merced is designed to study a branch of science
and technology concerned with the design, building, and use of engines,
machines, and structures. The purpose is to provide an exceptional technical and
professional education in students to handle advanced problem-solving skills,
effective leadership qualities, and the ability to recognize and build on individual
strengths through one’s career.
School of Natural Sciences
The School of Natural Sciences at UC Merced is designed to study a branch of
science dealing with the physical world, such as biology, chemistry, or physics, to
name a few. The purpose is to form an environment for excellence in student
achievement and research in areas of life, physical, and environmental sciences.
11
School of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Arts
The School of Natural Sciences at UC Merced is designed to study society and the
relationships among individuals within a society, human culture, and expressional
constituents (literature, music, theatre, and dance).
Student Athlete
A student athlete is a participant in an organized competitive sport sponsored by
the educational institution in which he or she is enrolled.
Undergraduate Student
An undergraduate student is a term given to a person who is completing his or her
bachelor’s degree.
Vice Chancellor
In terms of higher education, a vice chancellor is a senior/high-level administrator
of a university. His or her purpose is to provide strategic direction and leadership
to the institution.
Organization of the Remainder of the Thesis
The purpose of this study was to explore the development and sustainability of an
athletics program. The following is a breakdown of each chapter. In Chapter 2, there is a
review of the literature that covers all the previously researched data on the subjects
pertaining to the four research questions. Who benefits from the addition of the athletics
program; the processes and challenges for establishing, growing, and sustaining the
12
program; the value of collaboration between the program and the campus and
community; and the role and importance of institutional leadership in the athletics
program are topics researched. After the literature review, there is a statement of the
rationale for the validity of the overall research.
Chapter 3 outlines all design and methods for the conducted research. The
methodology presents an overview of the study’s setting. The chapter includes the
research design utilized for data collection, along with the population and sample, design
of the study, data collection procedures, instrumentation, data analysis procedures, and
limitations of the study.
In Chapter 4, the data collected are analyzed and organized. The data are
interpreted and include literature validating the findings. The data will be separated
according to its relevance to each of the four research questions. Each section focuses on
answering the questions.
In Chapter 5, the study concludes with a summary and overall opinion on what
exactly the study has proven. The conclusion section examines how well the research
was able to answer the thesis questions and whether or not it was important. The chapter
concludes with recommendations for further study.
Finally, the appendices include the letter of consent to research participants and
instrumentation used for the research. In addition, the appendix contains relevant tables
and charts supporting the study.
13
Chapter 2
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
The following is a presentation of relevant literature pertaining to this research
thesis. This chapter explores intercollegiate athletics. It also reviews the research of
college student development theories. The chapter then looks at the structure and
sustainability of an athletics program. Fourthly, the chapter reviews relevant community
and campus organizations pertaining to an athletics program. Lastly, this chapter reviews
the characteristics and roles of institutional leadership.
Intercollegiate Athletics
Intercollegiate athletics refers to a sport played by enrolled and academically
qualified students at the college or university level. It is usually a part of the auxiliary
functions of the student affairs department of a college or university. It is also the highest
level of nonprofessional sports in the United States. For a long time, athletics in higher
education has played a significant role in both institutional and student development. To
have a better understanding of intercollegiate athletics, it is essential to summarize its
history, benefits, structure, and role in the collegiate environment.
14
Brief Overview of the History of Intercollegiate Athletics
The history of college sports in the United States took shape in the 1800s when
some students began to create clubs sharing the same athletic characteristics and traits.
These clubs were mostly created at private eastern colleges (Coakley, 2004). Ultimately,
sports came to be viewed as educational opportunities to change behavior, mold
character, and develop cohesion among participants (Coakley, 2004). When
administrators began to take notice of the growth of college sports, they also began to
notice the benefits of having a successful athletics program as a key component of their
respective institutions. Soon the need for governing bodies, regulations of participation,
and rules of play were essential for having a successful athletics program (Coakley,
2004).
The two primary governing bodies created for college sports were the NCAA and
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The history behind the
NCAA began with the extreme dangers, injuries, and even deaths in the sport of football.
The plight of this sport gained the attention of long-time football fan President Theodore
Roosevelt. Roosevelt “purposely recruited men with college football experience for his
Rough Riders to preserve the game’s manly essence, even as he understood the need for
reform” (Miller, 2011, p. 1). As a result of the public’s demand for reform, President
Roosevelt called a meeting at the White House with the athletic heads of Harvard,
Princeton, and Yale to encourage them to reconstruct the safety policies of the sport
(National Collegiate Athletic Association [NCAA], 2012a). As a result of this meeting,
15
the early formation of the NCAA was established in 1906 and was originally named the
Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States. The NCAA took its present
name in 1910 (Miller, 2011). Its primary objective was the protection of student athletes
in colleges and universities from dangerous and unfair practices (NCAA, 2012b). The
NAIA originally started in 1937 as a men’s basketball tournament called the National
Association of Intercollegiate Basketball but later changed to its current name in 1952.
The Benefits of Intercollegiate Athletics
At the time of the civil and women’s rights movements, the United States was
facing many issues related to race and gender equality. For example, college and
university leaders feared race and gender integration would hinder the development of
their institutions and their students. One of the most successful avenues for integration at
these institutions was the athletics programs. Throughout history, many underrepresented
populations have gained access to higher education through college sports (Hill, BurchRagan, & Yates, 2001). These programs provided a stepping stone for the success and
safety of all students.
Current issues and trends have contributed to the overall benefits of having
intercollegiate athletics at an institution. For instance, Astin (1978) pointed out
intramural and extramural sports offer chances to enhance and support a larger sense of
community. While Tinto (1993) discovered when a student participates in intercollegiate
athletics, he or she becomes integrated into campus life through communication with his
or her classmates, professors, coaches, advisors, and all those who work with the student
16
athlete. Intercollegiate athletics also help students achieve academic success and
increased graduation rates through student integration and persistence at the institution.
Gayles and Hu (2010) found “participation in intercollegiate athletics was positively
associated with college experience satisfaction, motivation toward degree completion,
persistence, graduation rates, and gains in internal locus of attribution for success during
the first year” (p. 103). According to Astin (1978), there are three patterns of high
student involvement, and these will help guide students to finish school in a timely
manner, participate in service learning programs that lead to career opportunities, and
have a positive outlook of their time spent at the university. In other research, Emerson,
Brooks, and McKenzie (2009) discovered that when looking at certain intercollegiate
athletics, student athletes are doing better in their education and have higher academic
success as opposed to those students who do not play a sport. Hence, it appears student
participation in the intercollegiate athletics may present an opportunity for growth and
maturation during, as well as after, college.
The Structure of Intercollegiate Athletics
For the most part, higher educational institutions supporting intercollegiate
athletic programs retain their membership in, or are associated with, one of the two main
intercollegiate sports organizations: the NCAA and the NAIA. These two organizations
provide the standardization of rules and regulations for all intercollegiate athletics. While
each college and university must adhere to the minimum standards of these organizations,
each is free to add its own subsequent rules and selection criteria.
17
The NCAA is made up of a governing body, its member affiliations (the colleges
and universities), conferences, and its staff personnel. All these different parts share a
united belief in a set of core values. These values encompass academic and athletic
excellence, respect for institution and fellow students, and a dedication to leadership in
the community and campus, among others. As intercollegiate athletics expanded, a
definite diversification of emphasis was discovered. This forced a reformation within the
NCAA to create three levels of divisions in 1973. Each institution is classified by one of
these three divisions. The divisions are determined by such criteria as personnel,
amateurism, recruiting, eligibility, benefits, financial aid, and playing and practicing
seasons.
The NAIA is a more recent organization. While it serves a purpose similar to that
of the NCAA, the NAIA has dedicated its mission to find equilibrium between fostering
the growth of student leaders, achieving athletic success while offering all students
athletes the same chances to contribute. (NAIA, 2012). The NAIA expects every
participant to demonstrate strong character by exercising an ability to make right choices,
respect the rules of the sport, maintain excellence in academics and sport, learn how to
win and lose gracefully, and become leaders. (NAIA, 2012). Both organizations provide
the backbone of the entire intercollegiate athletic structure.
Such popular college sports as football and basketball have gained negative
attention due to poor and unethical demonstrations of character by their student leaders
on campus. Johnson (2011) pointed out that in order to display a sense of honesty and
18
build character, it is essential those in leadership positions possess ability, talent,
awareness, understanding, and wisdom. Hill et al. (2001) summarized some of the issues
of the day and future trends in sports. These issues include academic faculty prejudice
against student athletes, student athlete developmental digression, gambling, alcohol,
drug use, sexual assault, violence, the influence of mass media, and the effects of
technology (Hill et al., 2001). It is also becoming transparent student athletes are
accepting different forms of extra benefits that are illegal and unauthorized by the NCAA
and the NAIA due to a culture of corruption within institutional leadership. Additional
gifts, including cars, paid vacations, prostitutes, parties, and cash, are being given to
student athletes, and all are currently illegal under NCAA and NAIA rules. This has led
to a series of current debates as to the validity of these rules. Issues like those mentioned
above may mean further dialogue about how institutions develop and sustain their
athletics programs.
The Role of Intercollegiate Athletics
There are many roles and functions of intercollegiate sports, but for the purpose of
this study, this section only focuses on a couple. The primary role of any intercollegiate
athletics program should first be the enrichment of the student athlete both academically
and developmentally. Secondly, the program serves as a source of entertainment that
draws community and campus affiliation and revenues.
Consistent with a university’s mission, intercollegiate athletic programs should be
educationally based and should focus primarily on the needs and interests of the
19
participants. Myles Brand, former president of the NCAA, believed that academic
success is vitally important to student athletes because they are students first (NCAA,
2012a). Therefore, the role of intercollegiate athletics should be to never forget to enrich
the participants both academically and developmentally.
Due to the fact that sports is part of the entertainment system, intercollegiate
sports attracts people and are a valuable tool that can be used in institutional
development. According to Smith (1988), history has shown that institutional leaders
have noticed a correlation between outside interest in intercollegiate athletics and
exposure and revenue for the institution. In addition, Weisbrod, Ballou, and Asch (2008)
found intercollegiate sports can be vital to promoting the goals of many colleges and
universities, giving them a particular identity and creating loyalty in students, alumni,
area residents, businesses, and donors—loyalty that translates into advertising, student
recruitment, and donations. According to Toma and Cross (1998), there is a correlation
between success in the athletics program and the number prospective students. Once the
campus community feels a sense of identity they are willing take a break from work or
academics and be entertained, as we have seen or experienced in visual and performing
arts. Moreover, in a society where the economy has suffered a downward spiral, we see
many people willing to spend a large sum of money to escape their reality and be
entertained for a couple hours. Toma (2003) suggested the athletics program creates a
bond between the student and the institution, which leads them to continue their
affiliation with the institution after they leave.
20
When students graduate, they become alumni and continue to feel a sense of
identity with their institution. Therefore, they will be willing to donate funds or support
the institution in some manner. The help of strongly supportive alumni usually affects
the financial status of the institution through intercollegiate sports. Ultimately, the effect
will be athletics may bring additional funds by selling tickets; by receiving television
endorsements, donations, and/or gifts by alumni; and by causing an increase of student
enrollment.
College Student Development
Higher education professionals have greatly considered and explored the concept
that students learn beyond the classroom. Although most students will experience growth
from the classroom alone, there is a greater likelihood the maturation levels may increase
during college by participating in any educationally purposeful activities (Astin, 1993;
Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991). The following section contains a brief overview of
several main theories related to the development of college-aged students.
Marcia’s Identity Status Theory
J. E. Marcia (1964) developed an identity status theory that predominantly
concentrated on college-aged students. This theory was an extension of the Eight
Development Crises Model created by Eric Erickson in 1959. Erickson’s model
proposed that as a person goes through the maturation process, he or she must face and
overcome an obstacle in each of the eight stages of life. Ultimately, the person will
21
determine if he or she will continue development by thriving in crisis, regressing, or
staying the same. College students are usually tied to Erikson’s fifth stage, identity vs.
identity confusion, and this was the basis for Marcia’s Identity Status theory. He
measured psychological development by identifying each college student’s identity status
in one of four identities: identity diffusion, identity foreclosure, identity moratorium, and
identity achievement. His theory argues that two unique pieces form an adolescent’s
identity: when his or her ethics and options are reassessed and when he or she commits to
a specific position or meaning (Marcia, 1964). Overall, Erickson and Marcia believe a
student’s development is achieved through the struggle with one’s own ethics and
options.
Chickering and Reisser’s Seven Vectors of Identity Development
In 1993, Chickering collaborated with Reisser to update one of his theories of
student development, and together they came up with seven vectors of identity
development. See Appendix A for a summary of the seven vectors and their
characteristics. These vectors are often viewed as a series of stages or tasks. The
principle behind these vectors was to outline how a students’ maturation during college
could influence him or her emotionally, socially, physically, and intellectually. It is
important to note not all students change at the same rate or time (Chickering, 1969). A
student may move through a combination of stages at one time while another student may
disregard or repeat a stage (Chickering, 1969). The seven vectors of identity
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development theory offer a useful foundation for the understanding of college student
development.
Astin’s Theory of Student Involvement
Astin has published many research papers about the development of college-aged
students. Among these many articles was the “Theory of Student Involvement.” This
theory basically proposes student involvement is key to higher learning (Astin, 1985),
especially in co-curricular activities. Astin (1985) offered five main assumptions about a
student’s development based on involvement. The first was an assumption of the extent
of a student’s investment of both physical and psychological energy. The second
assumption was this investment is continuous throughout the learning experience.
Thirdly, Astin assumed the involvement can be both quantitative and qualitative in form.
The fourth assumption was a student’s development is proportionate to his or her input of
energy. The last assumption was a student’s academic performance will be directly
correlated with his or her involvement with co-curricular activities. Using these five
assumptions, Astin proposed a student’s development can be measured by his or her
involvement. Finally, students who are engaged on campus use their energy for
beneficial activities, such as studying, spending time on campus, participating in student
organizations, and interacting with both peers and faculty (Astin, 1985).
Pascarella’s General Model for Assessing Change
Pascarella (1985) suggested when five major sets of variables connect with each
other it has a significant part in the learning and development of the student. The first
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variable refers to the student’s history and character prior to attending college. The
second is the structural and organizational elements of the institution (Pascarella, 1985).
This might consist of the ethnic composition and diversity of the campus; impact of its
research awards, expenditures, and operations; amount of prestigious faculty; and the
economic impact the institution has on its region. The third variable is the institutional
environment, which is developed when the first two variables come together (Pascarella,
1985). This ultimately affects the fourth variable: the student’s interactions with faculty,
staff, and peers (Pascarella, 1985). The final variable combines the four previous
variables with the quality of the students’ efforts (Pascarella, 1985). Pascarella suggested
the five sets of variables define the transformation in a student’s learning and cognitive
development.
Institutional Athletics Programs
This section focuses on literature related to the different aspects of an institution’s
athletic program. The primary focus is on athletics program structure and sources of
funding.
Institutional Structure of an Athletics Program
Before a discussion of an institution’s athletics program can occur, a quick
overview of the structure of the institution itself is necessary. Most colleges and
universities are organized into two sets of leadership. The first set is generally referred to
as “the administration” and has a hierarchical chain of command. This usually includes
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positions such as chancellor and vice chancellor and other non-academic staff positions.
The second set is the faculty administration lead by the president, then the vice presidents
that then are ensued by the deans and department chairs (Astin & Astin, 2000).
Eventually, all levels of administration and academic leadership will have to collaborate
to decide where athletics fits within their institutional development plans. Dungy (2004)
emphasized three points for institutions to agree upon before determining a strategic
model for their athletics program. These three points are “1) Determine who controls
athletics within your institution, 2) Always put the student athlete first, and 3) Place
winning in its proper perspective” (Dungy, p. 9). In addition, Howard-Hamilton and Sina
(2001) argued that the responsibility falls on the colleges and universities to provide their
own mission, purpose, values and goals to the athletics program so they could both align
and be harmonious with the entire campus. Once these foundational issues are addressed,
the agreed-upon missions, goals, and objectives can be utilized as a road map to drafting
policies and procedures for the entire athletics program.
Equality is another aspect of an athletics program’s structure that should be
carefully considered. This is especially true for all programs receiving federal funding
because they must adhere to Title IX guidelines. Title IX is a law passed in 1972 and
requires gender equity in every federally funded educational program, including athletics.
This includes equal opportunities to participate for both male and female athletes, same
scholarships offers, being treated the same as everyone else in relation to receiving
incentives and having access to all the facilities, equipment and supplies, coaching,
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publicity, and travel (Yiamouyiannis, 2009). Yiamouyiannis also suggested leadership
should analyze the institution’s and the athletics department’s mission for areas where
this equity might be overlooked prior to making any final decisions.
Overall, the athletics program of any institution should be designed across a broad
scale, beginning with the institution’s own mission statement. Finally, a good athletics
program includes recreational activities, intramural sports programs, club sports
programs, and finally, intercollegiate athletics programs for the highly skilled student
athletes.
Funding
Once an athletics program’s structure has been determined, the most import
aspect to begin focusing on is funding. According to Weisbrod et al. (2008) it would be
quite difficult for colleges and universities to function properly without the proper
funding, which is why institutional leaders should always seek new avenues to find the
proper methods to continue its funding. Ultimately, if colleges and universities are to
sustain a successful athletics program, they must focus their attention on learning how to
obtain and utilize external sources of financial income, how to arrange and apply budgets,
and how budgeting can be used to formulate educated decisions, in simpler terms, where
the funding will come from and how it will be spent.
Before any source of money is collected, a budget should be created. Hodge and
Tanlu (2009) described a budget as formulating calculated risks that are well planned out
ahead of time so they meet universities goals and objectives. By focusing on these
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projected consequences and creating a reasonable budget, it forces the athletics leadership
to anticipate what lies ahead and plan accordingly. Hodge and Tanlu (2009) suggested
the benefits outweigh the detriments when leadership is devoted to and contributing to
the budget affairs. They even go on to specify five main benefits. These benefits include
“1) Better goal alignment and resource allocation; 2) Improved communication and
coordination; 3) Increased motivation and performance measurement; 4) Improved
attitude; and 5) Better control” (p. 16). Overall, the budget provides a necessary starting
point that will direct the process of obtaining and using of all future funding.
Because athletics programs are part of the educational institution, they many
times qualify for some federal funding. However, it is important to remember these
funds usually come with several requirements, including issues such as Title IX.
Yiamouyiannis (2009) added, those who work with athletic budgets will learn how to
follow all Title IX rules and regulations and decide which sports grams they will add in
the future or remove entirely. However, in the face of economic recessions, this source
of funding is often cut or decreased. When this happens, the athletic programs suffer
because the campus is unable to provide the proper funds to sustain the program
(DeSchriver, 2009). This leads institutions to focus on a very popular source of funding:
fundraising.
Although fundraising has always been an essential component of higher education
in the United States, lately fundraising has become a sort of tactical element of student
affairs. Weisbrod et al. (2008) found when the entire campus has success in all aspects
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many donor groups such alumni, parents, and corporations are influenced and inspired to
support the campus. With student affairs staff members trying to offset the ever
decreasing budget through fundraising, the success of the school’s athletics program has
become of great importance. Kopita and Royse (2004) identified six key elements of
fundraising to assist institutions in securing necessary funding for their programs. The
first is to develop a case for giving. This is where the student affairs department lays out
beneficiaries and intended fundraising programs. The second is to establish a
relationship between development activities and fundraising. Development activities
serve to foster and maintain links between the campus and community, acting out as a
conduit for the exchange of ideas and information to aid in the advancement of the
students and university. Fundraising is a sequence of activities or organized efforts that
ensure the continued growth and perpetuity of the campus (Kopita & Royse, 2004).
Thirdly, student affairs should create and prioritize a fundraising wish list. In creating a
wish list, fundraising priorities must aligned with the campus goals and reflect important
legacy commitments to the overall mission (Kopita & Royse, 2004). The fourth element
is to cultivate individual and community relationships. Effective fundraising does not
happen from one day to the next. Positive relationships with potential donors need to be
developed in months and sometimes years in advance to acquire funding. Developing a
donor prospect base is the fifth element. A donor base obtains permission from
foundations and alumni databases that can supply important information on potential
donors. The last element of fundraising is “the ask.” However, it is important to
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remember that when making “the ask,” support may come in multiple methods. This can
range from financial support to donations of equipment, buildings, and time. Kopita and
Royse (2004) advised forming an effective fundraising program requires hard work, does
not generate overnight successes, and demands strategic planning; but can ultimately be
rewarding.
Athletics programs are especially interesting because they are one of the few
institutional programs that can generate some of its own funding. At the same time
intercollegiate athletics contributes to the university’s mission and revenue that cannot be
compared to anywhere else in the world (Weisbrod et al., 2008). Professional sports are a
huge money-making industry and institutional athletics programs are no exception. For
instance, the NCAA’s first Executive Director, Walter Byers, was ordered to maintain
purity in sports and create millions of revenue for colleges and universities. (Byers &
Hammer, 1995). Unfortunately, with this great source of income, there is a correlated
rise in expenditures. Estler and Nelson (2005) suggested this increase in expenses was
due to the athletics arms race (p. 77). In order to have an advantage over other athletics
programs coaches, student athletes and universities are willing to make decision that keep
the program competitive (Estler & Nelson, 2005). This is obviously a risk on the part of
the institution but could potentially be a profitable one. Prior to taking any risks the
university has to have a unified definition of the risk amongst the board, management,
and staff (Cassidy, Goldstein, Johnson, Mattie, and Morley, 2001). In the end, it is up to
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the individual institution and its athletics program to decide what best fits with its overall
mission and budget.
An athletics program requires funding for growth and sustainability. Through the
careful planning of a budget, the athletics program can pursue several different avenues
of funding. Federal funding, fundraising, and the program’s own revenue are some of the
most relevant sources of funding. Each one comes with its own set of obstacles, but
overall funding an institution’s athletics program is definitely possible.
Campus and Community Collaboration with an Athletics Program
An athletics program is one piece of a greater whole. It is by definition a part of
the institution, and the institution is a part of its surrounding community. For an athletics
program to succeed and grow, it must maintain a healthy and collaborative relationship
with its surrounding campus and community. Similarly, the campus and community
requires the athletics program, and by extension its student athletes, to be productive and
valuable assets. The following is a review of literature related to the needs of the
athletics program and its student athletes, programs that help elevate and instill strong
characteristics in student athletes, and finally, a rationale for the athletics program to get
involved in its community.
The Student Athlete’s Need for Support
The student athlete faces a complicated lifestyle requiring a delicate balance of
the numerous demands upon his or her time. Howard-Hamilton and Sina (2001) pointed
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out these student athletes have a large number of functions and lofty expectations placed
upon them when they arrive at the universities. Furthermore, their sports may require
distinct adversities, such as dealing with getting injured physically, handling conflict
resolution amongst the team, coping with physical injury, making time to do things with
other groups that are fun and create long-term relationships (Watson & Kissinger, 2007).
Ting (2009) labeled these student athletes as nontraditional or at-risk students. Ting
(2009) defined nontraditional students as “those facing challenges that are different from
the challenges faced by the traditional and majority student population” (p. 217). When a
student athlete is labeled as at-risk, a campus is challenged to further its examination on
how student athletes need to be provided with additional support services to help in their
overall development and success. In order to adequately address the particular needs of
the student athlete, it is important to identify some of the particular issues faced by these
students. Parham (1993) identified these challenges as including:
(a) Learning to balance academic and athletic pursuits; (b) Adapting to a certain
degree of isolation from social and more ‘mainstream’ activities; (c) Managing
success or lack thereof; (d) Attending to their own physical health in a more
deliberate way so as to minimize injury and subsequent rehabilitation; and (f) an
athletic career and finding other activities in which participation will bring about a
very similar, if not more heightened level of satisfaction. (p. 412)
Howard-Hamilton and Sina (2001) advocated if what is expected of them is
success in the classroom, as well as on the court or field, it is imperative support be
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provided at all levels of the institution so they can be intellectually, emotionally, and
physically fit. It would be in the institution’s best interest to provide specific programs
and resources tailored to the individual needs of its student athletes.
Programs that Elevate the Student Athlete
It is essential that colleges and universities instill value-based athletics programs
to build integrity and morality within the student athletes (Doty and Pim, 2010). To this
end, the two main governing bodies of intercollegiate athletics, the NAIA and the NCAA,
have both developed programs that can be used by institutions to help develop high moral
and ethical character in their student athletes. The NAIA’s program is called Champions
of Character, and the NCAA’s program is called Challenging Athletes’ Minds for
Personal Success (CHAMPS)/Life Skills.
According to the NAIA website, their Champion of Character Program was
designed to develop positive character values in sports and to provide practical tools for
coaches, parents, and student athletes to use in the development of these exemplary
character traits. The Champions of Character procedure encourages student athletes to
discover the character traits within their control and identify steps they can take before,
during, and after the contest to intentionally incorporate those traits into their hearts and
minds. Student athletes learn how to develop a champion mindset, and as a result
become better athletes, teammates, community members, and employees. Due to high
emotions intercollegiate athletics is a perfect place to foster and sustain new knowledge.
When student athletes are tired and strained this creates opportunities to shape their
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character (Doty and Pim, 2010). The five core values outlined in Champions of
Character describe learning outcomes student athletes are expected to discover while
participating in athletics at their institution. The first value is integrity. This refers to the
internal traits guiding student athletes’ behavior to make the right choices in life that
better themselves, their institutions and community. The second value is respect. By
demonstrating respect, student athletes treat others the way they want to be treated. The
third value is responsibility. The social force binding student athletes to the good of the
team, the institution, and the community is having responsibility. The fourth value is
sportsmanship. By practicing true sportsmanship, the student athlete follows the spirit
and etiquette of athletic competition. The final value is servant leadership. This refers to
serving the greater good while focusing on the team’s mission and purpose. Overall, the
NAIA believes if the institutions implement the Champions of Character program, they
will be developing a higher caliber of student athletes who will later go on to be
productive members of society.
The NCAA developed its CHAMPS/Life Skills Program in response to
accusations of abuse and exploitation of student athletes. They wanted to ensure the
safety of these student athletes and to emphasize their primary role as a student. The
CHAMPS/Life Skills program has five major components. The first and most important
is academics. The goals of academics are the intellectual development and ultimate
graduation of the student athlete. The second component is athletics. The goal is to
strive for athletic excellence by creating athletic support programs. Personal
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development is the third component. This component is more practical in nature by
teaching necessary life skills that will allow the student athlete to succeed postgraduation. The fourth component is career development, which prepares the student
athlete for low likelihood of a professional athletics career and equips him or her for life
after athletics. The last and most popular component is community service. This
component’s purpose is to allow the student athlete to connect with the campus so they
fulfill the duties and responsibilities that come with being a member of the campus,
community, and society (Francis, 2007). The overall goal of the CHAMPS/Life Skills
program is to develop student athletes into individuals who are well-rounded and
equipped for all areas of life and not just athletics.
Both the Champions of Character Program and the CHAMPS/Life Skills Program
are designed to assist participating institutions in the overall development and well-being
of their student athletes. There are many benefits to both programs, but they are currently
only recommended and not required for the institutional members of the NAIA or the
NCAA.
Rationale for the Athletic Programs’ Involvement in the Community
It is ultimately up to each athletics program to determine the level of involvement
or lack thereof it will have in its surrounding community. Though, the success of the
organization will be based on the relationships the organization has with the communities
at large (Francis, 2007). The Social Exchange theory provides one strong rationale for
the importance of this involvement. There are four main themes throughout the related
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literature on social exchange theory: trust, commitment, satisfaction, and reciprocity.
Francis (2007 said an understanding of these important themes will reveal the importance
of this relationship from the perspective of the athletics program has with the community.
The main principle behind this theory is all the themes work together to create a
harmonious cycle. For example, trust leads to commitment, commitment leads to
satisfaction, and satisfaction leads to reciprocity and back to a greater trust. By getting
involved in their community, an athletics program and its participants are beginning this
process of social exchange. Volunteering and supporting local community organizations
is one area in which an athletics program can become involved. The benefit of this
involvement is not only for the volunteer, however looks at the benefits of all those
participating which includes the organization, the recipient organization, the community
and the public (Francis, 2007). Overall, there are many reasons why an athletics program
should become involved in its community, not only for the benefit of the community, but
for the program and its participants as well.
An athletics program was not designed to function in a vacuum. It is a part of
both its campus and its community. The student athlete faces several challenges on his or
her path to success, and it is up to the institution to provide the athletics program and its
athletes with programs and resources. The Champions of Character and CHAMPS/Life
Skills programs are two excellent examples of programs designed to help develop these
at-risk student athletes. The athletics program in turn should find ways to become
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involved in the surrounding community for the benefit of the student athlete, the athletics
program, the institution, and the community as a whole.
Institutional Leadership
Leadership is an essential aspect of any institution and its athletics program. The
following will be a presentation of literature on the need for good leadership, Chickering
and Gamson’s principles of good leadership in an undergraduate education, and the
various roles of institutional leadership.
The Need for Good Leadership
Astin and Astin (2000) defined institutional leadership as focusing on developing
the student holistically. In effect, good leadership will lead to positive change, and bad
leadership will lead to negative change. When taking this view of leadership into
consideration, the importance of institutional leadership cannot be understated. When
evaluating the current leadership or future leadership of an institution, it is helpful to
understand their necessary characteristics and functions. It is the primary hope of an
institution to have people of good character in leadership. Doty and Pim (2010)
described a person of character as someone who demonstrates respect, honor,
accountability, bravery, sympathy, equality, and graciousness towards everyone. These
traits will become even more important to future leadership. In addition to having all the
new information and skill set, future leaders will need to demonstrate an ability to have
emotional and spiritual wisdom and maturity (Astin and Astin, 2000). In the same
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context, Dungy (2004) further specified the relationship between institutional leadership
and its athletics program by being able discover leadership tactics to handle the dynamics
and development of the athletics program. To have an effective athletics program,
institutional leadership needs to be in the forefront of institutional development. Dungy
(2004) also found campus officials need to participate actively by teaching and growing
with the university while also being at the root of developing the athletics program. From
the president all the way down to student leadership, every role is important and should
be held to the same high standards.
Astin and Astin (2000) proposed good institutional leadership should have
principles and goals for their leadership tenure. Astin and Astin stated there are three
main principles for leadership. The first principle is to create a supportive environment
for their institution in which the students are encouraged to grow, prosper, and live in
harmony with each other. The second principle is to promote a respect and awareness for
the environment, thereby ensuring sustainability for the future. The last principle is to
create a community of caring where the dignity and welfare of each student is respected.
Astin and Astin (2000) also believed the goals and valuable outcomes of leadership
should be to enhance equity, social justice, and the quality of life; to expand
access and opportunity; to encourage respect for difference and diversity; to
strengthen democracy, civic life, and civic responsibility; and to promote cultural
enrichment, creative expression, intellectual honesty, the advancement of
knowledge, and personal freedom coupled with social responsibility. (p. 11)
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Overall, Astin and Astin (2000) believed if institutions want to foster these
leadership values in their students, both athlete and non-athlete, then their leadership has
to first model them within themselves. Johnson (2011) found leaders in higher education
must serve as role models to students to highlight and retain a successful institution.
Chickering and Gamson’s Seven Principles for Good Leadership Practices in an
Undergraduate Institution
Now that the need for good leadership has been established, a look at good
leadership practices is necessary. Kuh, Pace, and Vesper (1997) believed institutional
leadership should advance and foster student development and meet the desired goals for
student outcomes within each area of educational learning for which he or she is a
participant. This can be applied to the institution as a whole and also on a smaller scale
with the athletics program. Chickering and Gamson (1987) created a theoretical
framework outlining good practices for interaction with students and that can be
employed by institutional leadership. This framework includes seven principles: the
encouragement of contact between leadership and students, the development of
reciprocity and cooperation among the student population, the encouragement of active
learning, the offer of prompt feedback, the emphasis of time on task, the communication
of high expectations, and finally, a respect for the diverse talents and methods of learning
among students. The significance of a student’s educational experience is enhanced
when he or she is in a learning environment employing the seven principles. Powerful
forces in education—such as activity, expectations, cooperation, interaction, diversity,
38
and responsibility—also begin to emerge in this environment (Chickering & Gamson,
1999). What follows is a closer review of each principle and its relation to both the
institution as a whole and an athletics program.
Encourage Contact between Students and Leadership
When students build relationships with leadership, the students’ motivation and
involvement is amplified, their intellectual commitment is enhanced, and their ethical
compass, which influences their dreams and aspirations is further developed (Chickering
& Gamson, 1987). It is, therefore, important for institutions to ensure their student
athletes continue to build strong relationships with their coaches, faculty, and peers.
Effective communication and strong relationships are an efficient way to ensure a student
athlete’s academic success. Ting (2009) noted if student athletes are active participants
in their education and have strong working relationships with their professors then they
have shown to have higher academic achievement than those who do not. Additionally,
if a student athlete is at risk of not maintaining the minimum grade point average, he or
she should be encouraged to meet with his or her faculty leadership to discuss methods
and plans for improvement, such as developing an academic progress plan or having
additional study hours. Furthermore, Lawrence, Ott, and Hendricks (2009) found faculty
members argue that the most crucial part of a student athletes’ education is succeeding in
the classroom, fostering personal growth, and maintaining overall wellness. Therefore,
forming a strong relationship with leadership is essential in the overall development of
the student athlete.
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Develop Reciprocity and Cooperation among Students
Positive academic experiences should be collaborative and social in nature. It is
the hope that while engaged in these collaborative and social activities, the student will
improve his or her thinking and increase his or her understanding of others (Chickering &
Gamson, 1987). In the same context, Howard-Hamilton and Sina (2001) found “when
student athletes attend college, they might have exposure to, and interact with, persons
from diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds or cultural groups different from their own” (p.
1). These types of interactions with various classmates may have favorable and valuable
results consisting of respect for contrasting beliefs and a higher degree of critical thinking
(Howard-Hamilton & Sina, 2001). Furthermore, Bruffee (1999) found through learning a
new culture, cohesive education presents the opportunity for groups to create shared
knowledge rather than it being presented to them. This concept of collaboration is a
fundamental element for all team sports and is therefore vital to the student athlete.
While this reciprocity and collaboration may come easy for the student athlete among his
or her peers in the athletics program, some student athletes find it hard to develop
relationships with their non-athlete peers and adjust socially (Ting, 2009). It is therefore
important for leadership to encourage collaboration in all areas of student life.
Encourage Active Learning
For students to learn, they must be engaged in their work by having discussions
about and reflecting on their academic growth. They are encouraged to connect it to past
and current experiences and apply it to everyday life. Overall, they must be able to
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integrate what they have learned into their lives (Chickering & Gamson, 1987). Students
benefit from learning in and outside the classroom. For the student athlete, the athletics
program provides them with a valuable opportunity to apply what they learn in a very
practical way. It is up to athletic leadership to find ways to incorporate these
opportunities for learning into their athletics program.
Give Prompt Feedback
At some point, leadership will have to let the students know how well they are
doing in their different areas of campus life. This provides an opportunity for the
students to reflect upon and assess their progress. This concept is applied in the
classroom when faculty return corrected homework in a timely manner to allow the
student time to assess their progress and understanding and to further prepare for tests.
Within the athletics department, competitions create an excellent opportunity for
leadership to provide feedback and for the student athletes to interact socially with one
another. For instance, after a game, the coach analyzes the game stats to select the areas
requiring the focus of the team. It is this prompt feedback that allows the student athletes
time to implement change before the next game. Overall, leadership allows for students
and student athletes to achieve their best possible outcomes when they give prompt
feedback.
Emphasize the Time to be Spent on Task
Effective time management is an essential part of a student’s college experience.
When leadership emphasizes the expected time needed for any given assignment or
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activity, they are enhancing the students’ learning process. Student athletes need to be
especially proficient in effective time management in order to successfully balance their
practices, competitions, studying, class time, and interactions with their faculty, coaches,
teammates, friends, and family. Ting (2009) found student athletes are likely to
encounter challenges to succeed academically because they are not able to manage their
time wisely and miss classroom participation due to competition and travel. It requires a
collaborative effort between the student athlete and leadership to resolve these time
management issues.
Communicate High Expectations
Higher expectations placed upon students often result in better preparation
(Chickering & Gamson, 1987). This extra preparation will always lead to an
improvement in the students’ progress. It is suggested the establishment of explicitly
communicated expectations within a learning environment will lead students to be
satisfied and successful (Astin, 1993; Bruffee, 1999; Pascarella & Terenzini, 1991).
When athletic leadership expresses their high expectations for the upcoming season or
game, a student athlete will be inspired to spend hours improving his or her skills and
preparing physically. If leadership applies this same high level of expectation to the
student athletes’ academic success, it will hopefully encourage him or her to study more
and expect better grades.
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Respect for the Diverse Talents and Methods of Learning
Students have an array of abilities and different pedagogical learning patterns.
Leadership should encourage their students to further explore and refine their own unique
set of talents and learning methods (Chickering & Gamson, 1987). For athletic
leadership, it is especially important they identify the specific strengths and weakness of
their student athletes. This will allow leadership to execute strategies in their game plans
by arranging its team’s talents and skills into harmony. It will also allow players to know
and understand their own limitations and allow them to embrace another teammate’s
different skills, thus strengthening the team as a whole. Chickering and Gamson (1987)
provided a valuable set of principles of good leadership practices that can be utilized by
institutional leadership and hopefully be a benefit for the students. These principles have
several practical applications for both the institution and more specifically for the
athletics program.
The Roles of Institutional Leadership
Leadership within an institution is divided into several different positions. These
potions can be categorized into three areas: executive leadership, academic leadership,
and student affairs. Each category of leadership has a separate role and function. The
following is a literature review of these institutional leaders.
The Role of Executive Leadership
Executive leadership within an institution refers to the positions traditionally
known as president, chancellor, or chief executive officer (CEO). Although the titles
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may vary, the function of executive leadership remains the same. Astin and Astin (2000)
went on to suggest, although the president’s two main roles are not the same they still
provide support to the campus. They become representatives and carry the colleges and
universities mission. According to Astin and Astin (2000), found that the president has
many roles such as being the ‘celebrity ’ or ‘merchandizer of good will’ (Kauffman,
1982); ‘representative’ (Monson, 1967); and ‘symbolic leader’ (Green, 1997).
According to Astin and Astin (2000), the president also has many functional roles,
such as “fundraising, public relations, consultation, budgeting, planning, articulating a
‘vision’, crisis management, mediation, staff development, consensus-building, and so
on” (p. 70). Instead of delegating and giving orders, Astin and Astin (2000) suggested
the leader must involve other people to implement transformative change, which leads to
a collaborative effort amongst the campus community. For instance, the leader could
select and assign one or more groups to develop and execute the plan (Astin & Astin,
2000). Thus ultimately, the president must be an active participant in order to execute
transformational change for the entire campus (Astin & Astin, 2000). Astin and Astin
(2000) further explained every senior administrator has hopes and dreams for the
institution and a vision of the growth, development, and improvement of the institutions.
To successfully institute these changes, the president must first develop a cohesive vision,
communicate it clearly and tactically, and meet his or her goals based on individual
strengths. However, the institution’s environment will call for a certain leadership style,
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which will ultimately affect how the president strategically shares and implements his or
her vision to the campus community.
Therefore, for the president to successfully implement his or her vision within the
campus and community, the president must aspire to be “authentic” and “self-aware.” To
initiate and facilitate reform on campus a president must be self-aware of the campus’
mission and purpose (Astin & Astin, 2000). Overall the role of an executive leader is
varied and complex. While the two primary roles of the president may seem
contradictory, they are both essential and vital to the well-being of the institution.
The Role of Academic Faculty
Since the students’ main objective for attending college or university is to
graduate and attain a degree, the majority of the time will be spent in the classroom. This
opens up an opportunity for students to develop a strong bond with their professors.
While the most obvious and primary role of the faculty is to teach, there are many other
roles faculty leadership plays in the lives of the student. Studies have shown some
students maintain their connections to their professors after college and beyond due to
possible graduate and career opportunities. Many former students would agree faculty
has the keen ability to develop young people by serving as mentors and being
transformational leaders (Astin and Astin, 2000). Because of faculty’s strong
commitment to the university, students, and research, students sometimes feel so
comfortable with the professor they end up building life-long connections. Due to the
faculty’s love for teaching creates the desire to assist and mentor students to become
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model citizens, scholars and professionals (Astin and Astin, 2000). Overall, while the
primary role of the faculty is to teach, many have chosen their position for its
opportunities to make an impact in a student’s life.
In support of the athletics program, faculty also has a say in all the developments
and sustainability of the program at the institution. Transformation leaders on a campus
such as faculty have the ability to make changes that impact the entire campus (Astin and
Astin, 2000). This type of transformative leadership potentially could increase the
prestige and overall reputation of the university.
The Role of Student Affairs
Student affairs professionals have an opportunity to be part of the integrative
model within the whole academic environment, mainly impacting the students.
Furthermore, studies show the student affairs staff have an opportunity to provide
leadership development to students in their programs. Astin and Astin (2000) found by
providing programs in which “students can practice and integrate classroom knowledge
with real-life experiences” and by facilitating opportunities “for students to participate in
collaborative group learning and student governance” (p. 50), the leadership in student
affairs has the unique ability to foster leadership skills in the student population.
With regard to the role of student affairs in the athletics program, Hill et al.
(2001) believed that the student affairs leaders should keep current on the issues and
trends involving the athletics departments and student athlete experiences in the higher
education system by incorporating six recommendations. The first is to “develop an
46
understanding of college athletics and student athletes.” Next, it is to “provide campus
wide leadership in enhancing the learning environment.” Then, “develop crossfunctional teams and interdisciplinary approaches to address the compelling issues as
well as day-to-day needs of student athletes.” After that, they should “conduct systemic
and systematic inquiry regarding student athletes and related programs.” Then, they
should translate “knowledge about student athletes to the media and public.” The last
recommendation is to “implement a strategy for responding to rapidly changing
technology and information systems” (p. 73). Overall, it is the role of student affairs to
identify and address the specific problems faced by student athletes and to develop
helpful activities and programs to help.
Rationale
The purpose of this chapter was to provide a thorough review of the literature and
a rationale for the research questions. This section examined each of the four research
questions and showed how the literature supports and justifies the validity of these
questions. Thus, the extensive literature formulates and supports each question to be
valid, well thought out, and reasonable.
The first research question attempts to answer who benefits from the addition of
an athletics program at a new institution. There is plenty of data throughout the literature
to support the rationale that intercollegiate sports have benefits for both the campus and
its students. These benefits to the students are both developmental and social in nature.
47
The second research question attempts to understand the process and
sustainability of an athletics program. Research was found describing the processes and
challenges for establishing, growing, and sustaining an athletics program, the revenue
sources, and funding. There is sufficient research to support the development and
sustainability process of an athletics program through its funding by several sources.
For the third research question, there is adequate literature and research
supporting the importance of campus and community involvement and support of the
athletics program. Literature supports the idea of campus and community collaborating
with an athletics program. Therefore, the literature supports the study of the value of
campus and community collaboration.
The fourth research question attempts to find the role and importance of
institutional leadership in the athletics program. The literature showed the different
characteristics and criteria of institutional leadership and the values of that leadership.
There is sufficient literature related to the characteristics, roles, and values of leadership
in an athletics program. Therefore, since literature was discovered pertaining to overall
leadership, there is rationale to study the relevancy of the university’s specific leadership
roles.
In conclusion, there is sufficient literature to conduct this study. The research is
relevant and supports the research questions pertaining to an athletics program.
Therefore, a method can now be formed to study and to obtain the most applicable,
48
pertinent, relevant, and useful information that can be applied to institutions who desire
to add an athletics program.
Summary
A review of the literature showed justification and rationale for the validity of
each research question. Literature supports the notion that there are benefits to the
athletics program and a review of student development shows that extra-curricular
activities boosts and enhances development. To better understand how to develop and
sustain the athletics program, the institution must first identify the structure of the
campus, make-up of the student body and overall view toward the program. Then, by
understanding the role of the program campus leadership will recognize all the
sustainable efforts needed. The student athlete’s need for support is well documented in
the literature. This prompts the institution to discover developmental programs that
elevate the student athlete. There is also a link between these programs and the
community that justify why the athletics program’s involvement in the community is
essential. Finally, the literature validates the importance of institutional leadership’s role
by providing a thorough analysis of the need for good leadership and an explanation for
each of their functions and roles in the athletics program. The literature showed there is
reasonable rationale for the research questions and a justification for further research. It
is now time to proceed to the research portion of this study.
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Chapter 3
METHODOLOGY
Introduction
This chapter reviews the elements and process used to research the thesis’s four
main questions. For this study qualitative data were collected from a new research
university, University of California Merced, in the central valley area of California. The
data were collected in the form of interviews from various university leaders. The
following is a presentation of details pertaining to areas such as setting, instrumentation,
collection procedures, and methods of data analysis. All aspects of the study were
created and conducted by the author (who will be referred to as “the researcher” from this
point) and approved by California State University, Sacramento.
Setting of the Study
The setting of this study was the University of California Merced. UC Merced is
a relatively new university having only opened its doors in 2005. It was also recently in
the unique position of developing and opening a new athletics program. Since the focus
of this research is on the development of new athletics programs, UC Merced presented a
perfect setting.
At UC Merced, there were 6,200 undergraduate and graduate students as of 2013.
Almost 70% of the student population was Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander. Out of
50
all 10 University of California campuses, Merced led the percentage of students that
came from disadvantaged backgrounds, underrepresented ethnic groups, low-income
families and families whose parents did not go to college or receive a college degree.
Most UC Merced students were from California and more than one-third came from the
San Joaquin Valley.
UC Merced is part of the prestigious University of California system and requires
prospective undergraduate students to meet high admissions requirements. Freshman
students are required to complete the A-G requirements with a minimum grade point
average of 3.0. In addition, they are required to take the Standardized Assessment Test or
the American College Test. To be considered for admission to UC Merced as a transfer
student, they must fulfill the general eligibility requirements for Junior-Level, which
includes 60 transferrable units of UC credits, the seven-course pattern and a minimum
grade point average of 2.4. In addition, students are required to complete the preparation
requirement for their intended major.
In 2013, UC Merced had 920 full-and part-time leadership staff, not including
student staff. There were 180 Ladder-Rank Faculty who came from some of the world’s
top-ranked universities. The three current academic departments at UC Merced are the
School of Engineering, School of Natural Sciences, and the School of Social Sciences,
Humanities and Arts. UC Merced also plans to open a School of Management and
School of Medicine in the future. UC Merced offers a total of 20 majors and 22 minors
(see Appendix B).
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On April 19, 2011, during the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
national convention, UC Merced was approved for membership. They began playing in
the California Pacific Conference (Cal Pac) in fall 2011 in four sports: men’s basketball,
women’s volleyball, and men’s and women’s cross country. Women’s basketball and
women’s soccer was added in fall 2012 and men’s soccer in fall 2013. This was a very
exciting and successful start to their new athletics program
Research Design
Population
The qualitative data from this study were collected from one-on-one interviews of
institutional leaders who were employed at UC Merced at the time of the study. The only
selection criteria for an interview participant was that he or she be a high level
institutional leader who oversaw campus development and planning. All the participants
had a specific role with the athletics program, whether it was building the program from
the beginning, approving funds, and/or advancing collaborative efforts between the
campus/community and the athletics program.
The participants in the study were chosen as a convenience sample. This means
they were all selected based on being in the same general location. There was no reward
or compensation offered to the selected participants. There were 11 participants in total.
Of the 11 participants, three were female and eight were male. Out of the 11 participants,
five held executive level leadership positions, five held leadership positions in the student
52
affairs department and only one held a faculty leader position. The faculty leader
participant was chosen for their role in the classroom and the research department. All
participants were promised anonymity and will be referred to by a participant number.
Design of the Study
For this research, 11 institutional leaders who met the criteria of the study were
contacted and asked to participate in the study. One-on-one interviews were scheduled
via email and followed-up with a phone call. To protect the interview participants and
the integrity of the study, consent forms were sent prior to the scheduled interview (see
Appendix C). The researcher asked the participants to review and sign the consent form
before or on the day of the scheduled interview. The parameters of the interview did not
allow the participants to begin an interview until the consent form was completed. To
protect the integrity of the study, only the data from interviews with completed consent
forms were used. The consent form also included a confidentiality disclaimer that
described the researcher’s intent to keep all recordings on a personal computer with a
locked screen and delete them one year after the thesis was completed. They were also
notified that their answers to the interview questions would be mentioned in the thesis,
but not their names.
The interview portion of this study consisted of 13 questions, designed to elicit
the participants’ thoughts and assessments of the addition of the athletics program at their
university (see Appendix D). The answers to these questions were recorded and then
53
later transcribed. The data were then coded for themes and then analyzed for the
purposes of this study.
Data Collection Procedures
The data for this study were collected between the months of September 2012 and
March 2013 by the researcher. After all of the interview participants were selected and
confirmed, the researcher met each participant in his or her own office or the building’s
lobby. Before each interview started, the participants were asked to sign a consent form
and were reminded that there would be no compensation for there participation.
However, the researcher did share with all the participants that their participation in the
study might help increase the graduation and retention rates of all the at-risk student
athletes at UC Merced.
The actual interviews ranged from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours which allowed ample
time to gather detailed and descriptive data from the participants. Each participant was
asked a total of 13 questions and their answers were recorded by an audio recording
devise. The researcher utilized his own personal laptop computer to record the
interviews. The laptop has a built-in microphone by which the researcher could control
the sound levels for each environment and interview participant’s voice. The researcher
was able to capture their voices and delete any music or noise in the background. While
recording the interview, the researcher also took hand-written notes about aspects of the
interactions that the recording did not pick up (e.g., facial expressions or gestures). The
audio recordings were later transcribed into a word document to facilitate analysis and
54
documentation. Since the data was completely collected at the time of the interview,
there was no need for a follow-up meeting for clarification.
Instrumentation
The instrumentation used for this study was an interview comprised of 13
questions. The questions were generated by the researcher and were approved by
California State University Sacramento’s and University of California Merced’s
Institutional Review Boards to confirm clarity, content and relevance to the study. The
interview questions were designed to collect qualitative information. The formulated
interview questions were open-ended which led to open dialogue and discussion. In
some cases, in order to gain additional insight on the topic, the questions were designed
as two-tiered questions that requested the participant to follow up on their previous
answers. All 13 questions were formulated to obtain information on at least one of the
four research questions. The questions were also designed with the intended participants
in mind. Only institutional leaders would be able to answer some if not all of the
questions.
Data Analysis Procedures
To discover how to develop an athletics program at a new institution, the
interview questions served to provide qualitative data, which could be measured and
analyzed. All the recordings were transcribed into a word document to make the
measurement and analysis easier. The researcher then began to code the data by looking
for similar themes mentioned by the participants. The researcher highlighted words that
55
were of interest and then looked for patterns in the data. These patterns were brought
together electronically by using the highlighting function on the word processor. The
patterns were then identified as the themes of the data. To illustrate this process, a
common theme that kept appearing in the data was the importance of funding. The exact
words or phrases may have been different, but there were patterns in the overall answers
that detected a theme. The researcher was able to identify the following coded themes:
the benefits from an athletics program, funding is crucial for development and
sustainability, building strong relationships with all the surrounding communities is
essential to campus development, and the importance of leadership development. After
the data had been measured into the four themes, the researcher proceeded to analyze the
information as it pertained to the four research questions of this study. The researcher
then compared and contrasted the data against the literature obtained in Chapter 2.
Limitations of the Study
Due to the rarity of new institutions at the university level, UC Merced was the
only university researched. At the time of this study, UC Merced was the only public
institution that had recently or was currently developing an athletics program in
California. This limited setting was an unfortunate necessity but should still provide the
study with a general understanding of the research subject. While there are private as
well as public institutions with athletics programs, UC Merced is a public institution.
While there may be some differences in priorities and funding between these two types of
56
institutions, it is the researcher’s belief that the overall data is still valid. Another
limitation is UC Merced’s higher than average standards of admission. The NAIA has a
minimum level of requirements for student athlete participation that is significantly lower
than UC Merced’s minimum level. This discrepancy may put higher levels of pressure
and demand on the student athletes at UC Merced than at a more average institution.
However, the researcher believes this will not affect the integrity of the research. The
last limitation of the study is the qualitative nature of the data. Qualitative data is very
useful in gathering information, but can be difficult to measure because of its subjective
nature. Quantitative data would have provided a more measureable method of
information. However, for the purposes of this study, it was determined that the broader
scope of the qualitative data was better suited for the type of information that was being
gathered.
Summary
This chapter gave a clear explanation of the development and execution of the
research and data analysis done for this thesis. UC Merced was the setting for an 11participant study that asked each participant 13 questions in a one-on-one interview
format. This data were recorded, transcribed, and then coded for analysis. There were a
few limitations to the study, but overall, the researcher found the study to be sound.
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Chapter 4
DATA AND DATA ANALYSIS
Introduction
The following chapter is a presentation of the data collected from the research and
its analysis. The research included 11 one-on-one interviews with high-level leadership
at the University of California Merced regarding their thoughts and opinions about the
addition of an athletics program to a new university. The purpose of this chapter is to
organize and present the data and its analysis as it pertains to the four research questions
of this thesis.
Presentation of Data
The four research questions of this study were created to determine who benefits
from the development of an athletics program at a new university; the processes and
challenges for establishing, growing, and sustaining an athletics program; the value of
campus and community collaboration with an athletics program; and the importance and
role of institutional leadership for an athletics program. The qualitative data collected
from the research were organized by coding the themes. The coded themes that arose
from the data were the benefits of an athletics program, the importance of funding for
development and sustainability of the athletics program, campus and community
collaboration, and student and leadership development. The data were analyzed and then
58
interpreted in the sections below according to their relevance to each of the research
questions.
Question One: Who Benefits from an Athletics Program?
This section focuses on the data related to the benefits of an athletics program.
The literature suggested the students benefited from an athletics program. The research
supported this theory. All the interview participants agreed the athletics program
benefited the students in one form or another. These benefits ranged from
developmental, leadership skills, and or the creation of a full experience for the student
body. For the student athlete, the research showed there were numerous skills and
characteristics they learned while participating in athletics. Interview Participant 6
suggested “athletics really teaches our student athletes some valuable lessons such as how
to manage their time, how to lead others, how to be a good leader and listen to other
leaders.” This participant went on to suggest how these skills were very valuable and
highly sought after by big companies. He also said,
There’s a lot of social aspects that they learn as well, such as how to work in a
group in a really high stressed, dynamic situation where they’re all competitive,
all playing to win, all playing for a spot on the team and it teaches them how to be
competitive but yet, still know that they all have to work together to be successful.
(Interview Participant 6)
The skills the student athlete learns from an athletics program will benefit them in
their college experience and long after their time at the university is done.
59
While the literature pointed out there was a non-athlete and faculty prejudice that
student athletes’ lack intelligence and are unable to keep up in the classroom, two
participants who oversaw program development disagreed with the bias, which they
called a “dumb jock theory.” One participant added, “I’m seeing better academics from
our student athletes. They are doing better than they would have done if they weren’t
athletes.” She went on to give her opinion as to why this was the case, saying:
It’s because they’re a small community and they have people monitoring their
academic success. They also have a big consequence if they don’t meet
eligibility, which is one they would see the next week on the bench because they
wouldn’t be able to play. They have more incentives to get their act together and
succeed.
While the athletics program may put more demands on the student athletes’ time and
focus, it also provides them with added support, monitoring, and incentive to succeed.
The research also showed a smaller institution, such as UC Merced, was more
interested in adding effective student development programs and building a strong sense
of unity within the community. One participant added that because of an athletics
program:
There’s a benefit to the campus community because it begins to enjoy something
that binds them together and when you take people from all of these different
backgrounds that our students have and from different geographical areas, the
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idea of having something to unify the school spirit culture is a very positive step
forward for us. (Interview Participant 3)
By strengthening the campus morale, the athletics program will create campus
pride and a sense of loyalty toward the campus. Interview Participant 3 added that for a
student, “being able to attend athletic events is part of developing a bond with your
school.” This bond can even last well after the students graduate, causing them to share
their experiences with other prospective students. The research also found student
athletes continued to be a representative of the university after graduation. When
prospective students hear about all the great things the campus is doing, what it offers
them, and how they can be a part of creating things, they may be inclined to do a little
more research and consider applying. In many cases, a strong athletics program can
possibly raise student enrollment. One participant added:
A strong successful athletics program benefits the campus for two other reasons:
one, because it builds school spirit by giving students a chance to come out and
cheer for their athletic teams. Secondly, it’s wonderful for admissions because of
all the intercollegiate athletics stories about the players, coaches and games that
often end up in the newspaper. People get to know about our institution through
our intercollegiate athletics teams. (Interview Participant 11)
She went on to describe the many excellent attributes of the students UC Merced
currently had and faculty hoped to continue having. She ended by saying, “As we
continue to grow, it’s imperative we continue to attract these types of students through
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our athletics program” (Interview Participant 11). The research showed the athletics
programs provided a rallying point for the whole student body, which in turn led to a
sense of identity and loyalty. This loyalty is an attractive quality that has the potential to
attract new students.
It was evident from the literature that big name Division I universities benefited
from the revenue aspect of the athletics program. However, the research showed this was
not the case for smaller universities, such as UC Merced. Instead it revealed small
institutions’ athletics programs could place them on the recruitment map, increase the
value of their brand to the community at large, develop campus pride, provide
developmental programs, and possibly raise enrollment in the fall and spring. Although
the literature did not reveal this as a potential benefit, 70% of the interview participants
mentioned having a strong athletics program at a smaller university could increase its
notoriety. Interview Participant 5 added:
When you are trying to attract an ever more capable group of students for the
university, having a strong athletics program can be one of the tools in which you
can do that. Additionally, it actually helps with the overall promotion of the
university…You have more coverage in the newspapers and online when you
have a good athletics program. It can be the public face of the university.
While revenue may not be a benefit for smaller institutions, there are several benefits that
will hopefully allow the institution to grow and thrive.
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The data revealed UC Merced took pride in providing growth and development
for its students. The interview participants believed institutional leaders and educators
needed to find a way to balance student academics with recreation, health, and social
activities for the students to flourish and ultimately graduate. The research showed
because of the success of the athletics program, it provided the institution with an
opportunity to highlight all its research accomplishments and showcase all its other
successes. Overall, there was a widespread agreement among the interview participants
the campus benefited from adding an athletics program because it became a part of the
institution’s identity. As the athletics program grows, so will other departments. The
research showed a general agreement the success and notoriety of the athletics program
had the potential to attract qualified students and world-renowned faculty it might not
have otherwise attracted.
The data showed there were many benefits for both the students and the
institution when an athletics program was added. These benefits included valuable skills
and characteristics for the student athlete; an increase in support, monitoring, and
incentive for the academic success of the student athlete; a sense of community and
loyalty that united the student body; numerous benefits for the growth of the institution;
and finally, it attracted a high caliber of students and faculty. Overall, the research found
there were enough benefits to warrant the addition of an athletics program.
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Question Two: What are the Processes and Challenges of Establishing, Growing,
and Sustaining an Athletics Program at a New University?
This section presents the data and analyses pertaining to the second research
question. According to the literature, the institution should add programs that naturally
evolve and are not forced. In the research, there was a general consensus among the
interview participants that as the institution continued to grow, it should continue adding
new student-focused programs and followed the university’s missions, purposes, and
goals. One participant said, “adding new leadership programs such as the athletic
program should be part of its evolution as a young University of California campus”
(Interview Participant 2). However, before any program can be added, it should go
through a period of assessment and research to verify its worth. The research suggested a
committee of institutions leadership (faculty, administration, and students) should be
formed to address such questions as the program’s value, structure, and funding. Such
preliminary discussions and dialogues are necessary to determine the viability of a
possible new program at the institution. Interview Participant 6 shared how the
discussion for an athletics program began at UC Merced saying:
In our meetings with the committee we were trying to get the actual campus feel
on whether or not students wanted athletics. The challenge was in being able to
really decipher how much athletics meant to the student body, and coming up
with a plan to finance the program, and how to go about presenting it to the entire
student body in their own language.
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The literature found after all of the discussions are finished, all levels of administration
will make the decision on where intercollegiate sports align in their institutional
development plans. The research confirmed it is eventually the committee’s decision to
determine what happens next. After the viability and worth of a program has been agreed
upon, the next step is the actual planning and implementation of the said program. One
participant related what that looked like for the athletics program at UC Merced, saying,
“campus administration formed a committee and hired consultants to advise the
committee on how to add a successful athletics program. The Blue Ribbon Commission
Report was formed.” He went on to say:
We just didn’t pick a model from another university and drop it in place in our
campus. We looked at many different models from various universities and
picked what we thought was really unique, functioned well, and focused on what
we thought were important and we put those pieces together. (Interview
Participant 4)
There is an exhaustive and comprehensive process involved in the mere selection
of which programs are accepted and implemented at an institution. This process includes
all levels of leadership and a great deal of discussion and assessment. After a program is
accepted, a great deal of planning also goes into the structuring of the program. Every
program should be unique to the institution and encompass all the values and goals
associated with the institution.
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After the athletics program is accepted and structured, the research showed
funding should be a top priority in order to sustain and grow the program. The literature
pointed out the need for a strong focus on the budget. The research agreed with this.
Several of the interview participants pointed out UC Merced faced several challenges in
obtaining funding for the athletics program, and this had the potential to limit the athletic
program’s development for some time. One participant laid out some necessary
expenditures and the need to properly budget for them.
A university cannot have a successful intercollegiate athletics program without
funding because we have to hire more staff, coaches, health and physical wellness
people who train the student athletics so they we can help prevent injuries.
Funding is needed to pay for travel to and from competitions, pay for uniforms,
and for equipment. We are going to construct more and someone has to operate
those buildings, fields, venues and in the near future a pool. The desire to have an
official pool is costly; however, there are very affordable pools out in the market.
(Interview Participant 2)
Therefore, a strong focus on budget affairs is needed to avoid having the costs of the
program outweigh the benefits. Several interview participants discussed the formulation
of a budget that calculated the foreseeable risks involved in an athletics program. UC
Merced’s overall athletic budget is almost $600,000. This is not a large budget compared
to some universities in the nearby region. Having a budget is essential, and 50% of the
interview participants agreed leadership needed to put together a financial model that was
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stable and compatible for a small and growing enrollment with limited facilities and/or
venues and funding constraints.
For UC Merced, funding was a problem because of its location in California
where laws forbid public universities from receiving federal or state funding for their
athletics programs. The literature found when the government’s financial support of
public universities disappears, the amount of money the campus gives to the athletics
program goes down too. However, the research showed this was not the case for UC
Merced. Ninety percent of the interview participants agreed that because the desire for
an athletics program came from the undergraduate students, leadership found increasing
fees was the best way to help fund the program. The research showed most United States
universities used student fees to fund extracurricular programs because the students
recognized the benefits of funding a program that benefited them both at the university
and long after.
According to Interview Participant 4, 80% of the undergraduate students
approved the increased fees to fund part of the athletics program. However, graduate
students voted against the increase because they did not believe athletics would benefit
them. They uniformly agreed they were at the university strictly for research purposes.
While most of the interview participants agreed with this assessment, one participant had
a different view. This participant suggested that if the athletics program was successful
and increased enrollment, there was an opportunity the athletics program could help fund
research through UC Merced’s large pot of funds. These funds are disbursed throughout
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all units and departments and could be a benefit to the graduate students in the long term.
However, this was just one person’s opinion, and the overall majority voted to approve a
fee increase for the undergraduate students only. This increase was only $75 per student
for two semesters. Overall, the research showed students were willing to pay for
extracurricular activities and programs as long as they believed in the programs’ direct
benefits to themselves.
The addition of funds from the students will help the athletics program grow
responsibly and put the program in a position to stay within the budget and not
overspend. Since part of the funding is coming from the student body, there is a strong
desire from all the interview participants to help develop a strong program that fosters
and develops the student athletes into leaders, scholars, and contributing members of
society. They want to shift the focus of the program clearly away from the potential
revenue sources and onto the development of the students. But increasing student fees is
clearly not enough to completely fund the program, and 40% of the interview participants
were opposed to raising anymore student fees, so other avenues need to be assessed.
Eighty percent of the interview participants agreed the university and the athletics
program needed to obtain other sources of funding.
According to the literature, fundraising is often a valuable and effective form of
obtaining funds. The literature even mentioned several strategies that could be employed
to obtain these donations. For the athletics program to grow, it cannot continue to place a
burden upon a small student body; therefore, the campus is challenged to increase
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enrollment and/or find a larger donor. Since the process of increasing enrollment takes a
while, the goal therefore becomes to find and rely on large donors. This becomes a
challenging goal but one that is still attainable. However, according to the research, UC
Merced has yet to fully explore and capitalize on this avenue of funding.
Several of the interview participants stated that while they have yet to take
advantage of fundraising, it is the next proposed step. One participant shared, “we have
to take advantage of current opportunities for stewardship and development to raise
additional money and support because it’s critical we fund programs like this and find the
resources for them (Interview Participant 10). One participant also mentioned if there
were ways for the campus to help donors realize that there could be very positive benefits
from the athletics program, it would help justify the spending that happens to fund and
support athletics (Interview Participant 3). Overall, the research showed while
fundraising may be a future goal for UC Merced, there was little evidence of its current
effectiveness.
The data presented in this section showed the overall process of establishing and
sustaining an athletics program is in and of itself a challenge. The challenge is to first
assess the value and viability of the program before it can even be implemented. Once
the program is established, the primary and ongoing challenge becomes the funding. The
research showed a couple methods for obtaining funding and their subsequent pros and
cons.
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Question Three: What is the Value of Collaboration between the Athletics Program
and the Campus and Community?
This section focuses on the data pertaining to collaboration between the athletics
program and the campus and community. The literature found academic staff had the
potential to be transformative leaders, but leadership had to come from within the
individual’s mission and values. The research showed 30% of the interview participants
agreed with this view. Part of the responsibility and role of all academic advisors is to
know what students are available for and are qualified to do. In academic affairs, their
goal is to help people, even if the student has many extra demands on their time. The
interview participants mentioned as long as the academic affairs department was
committed to being involved, academic advising was able to be a collaborative effort
with the athletics department.
However, 70% of the interview participants stated getting the faculty from all the
different academic schools to actively support the student athletes was very challenging.
One participant shared the details of this problem. During the first semester UC Merced
was admitting student athletes, the student athletes found it difficult to find enough
classes that would fit around their training schedule. The student athletes were also
finding their advisors were attempting to create generic class schedules regardless of a
student’s need. “This created huge trouble because the advisors over there wouldn’t be
flexible and work with those students individually.” Later, when this interview
participant attended a meeting with all the academic advisors, the issue of the student
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athletes was brought up. It turned out to be a very volatile conversation with an overall
consensus the advisors needed more assistance and resources to coupe with the individual
needs of the student athletes.
One school even went so far as to say they were discouraging all student athletes
from even entering its program. This participant clearly stated her opinions on this
matter. “That’s a huge problem because you can’t tell someone not to be in your major
especially if the athletics program is out there recruiting athletes for all the schools. The
student athlete feels rejected because it turns out that the school doesn’t even want them
to be in the major. That’s a problem and it is discriminatory, inappropriate and
contradicts our value as educators.” This story clearly outlined the need for collaboration
between an athletics program and the campus. In this particular situation, the academics
department showed a clear bias toward student athletes. As a temporary measure, UC
Merced did appoint a particular group of student affairs staff to be the academic resource
for all student athletes. However, for the student athletes to succeed academically, as
well as athletically, action needs to be taken to prevent such problems from arising in the
future.
The research shows universities should be innovative in ways to foster student
success. An interview participant shared a few leadership efforts set in place that may
serve as good practices for institutions desiring to add an athletics program. One practice
could be to give priority enrollment to student athletes so it limits some of the stresses of
meeting campus deadlines in addition to their sport responsibilities. Another possibility
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is for campuses to foster academic success through a program that provides laptops for
student athletes to check out while traveling to athletic competitions. The research
proved that this could continue their success in the classroom. In addition, another
method would be to provide them with a handbook with the most significant information
on the useful services on campus. Many campuses may not have enough funding and
resources for these programs; however, if the possibility arises, a method in which
campuses could create a learning community would be to set up a center highlighting
student success. At UC Merced, the Calvin E. Bright Success Center has been created to
provide additional academic support to student athletes such as free tutoring, advising,
peer academic advising, and developmental workshops. The center’s primary focus is to
empower students to be successful in their academic and personal development. The goal
is to enable them to overcome life barriers and attain skills in leadership.
The literature showed a strong athletics program should collaborate with the
surrounding community. One reason mentioned for this collaboration was it provides the
outside community with an opportunity to visit the campus. For the institution to
continue its development, it will need to be visible in the community. The research
showed a general agreement with this finding. In fact, one of the athletics program’s
missions is to be a vibrant part of community, outreach to future recruits, and be able to
inspire them to attend UC Merced. The interview participants stated the athletics
program presented an opportunity to showcase the university to the community, and at
the same time, invited the community to UC Merced. One participant agreed and liked to
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think of an athletics program as “the front porch to the community” (Interview
Participant 2). The institutional leaders can use the athletics department to create a
marketing strategy showcasing the wonderful things student athletes do. That is when the
athletics program can create a strong and faithful community fan base. In addition, 80%
of the interview participants agreed the athletics program served as a gateway to connect
and outreach with younger people in the community and to help increase the collegegoing rate in the area. Furthermore, 60% agreed that because Merced is a small
community, it had the opportunity to build a very strong campus and community
connection. Another participant added:
Whether it’s the immediate community or outside the city, the athletics program
provides an opportunity for the student athletes to participate in getting involved
with the local community. It also allows the community to visit the campus and
identify with the university. Therefore, bridging the gap and potentially creating
greater awareness of the university. (Interview Participant 9)
Overall, the research highlighted the value of collaboration between the athletics program
and the community as it benefited the institution as a whole.
The research showed when the athletics program collaborated with the
surrounding community, opportunities for community service increased. Community
service allows the student athletes to gain information and exposure to local, regional,
and national issues, as well as service programs. One of the missions of all nine UC
campuses is for students to participate in community service. All the interview
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participants mentioned this mission and found it was very important the UC Merced
student athletes gave back to the community supporting them. One participant shared
that even prior to the addition of varsity athletics, the club sports had to participate in 10
hours of community service.
Several other participants mentioned the NAIA Champions of Character program.
This program was developed as a student development model to formulate strong leaders
in the community. The Champions of Character program views it as a priority for student
athletes to get involved in the community through community service (see Appendix E).
The literature also mentioned the value of this program. The research also went on to
identify several types of community services that were ideal for student athletes. Fifty
percent of the interview participants mentioned the collaboration of the athletics program
with the local softball parks and new high school through social projects, camps and
clinics, and volunteering in classrooms and academic services. One participant added:
For example, we put on four clinics based on four hours a day. Of those clinics,
there’s sixteen hours, they can give us six to eight weekends at two hours each
during the spring semester so our students can come and swim. We do the clinics,
and they allow on a larger scale for our students to be there. Those types of
collaborative efforts are called joint use agreements. (Interview Participant 6)
Another participant shared that during the past semester, the women’s soccer team
volunteered for a day at the food bank packaging food while the men’s basketball team
did a project in South Merced where they painted some houses. The student athletes also
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do much with the local Boys and Girls Club. These community service projects create a
strong connection with the community of Merced. This connection further enhances the
overall collaboration between the athletics program and the community because it adds to
the development and growth of the city by the participants’ leadership, research,
stewardship, and community service.
Finally, the collaboration between the athletics department and the community
can come in the form of support from the community for the athletics program. The
community can work effectively with the campus to sustain and support the athletics
program. Sixty percent of the interview participants added this support could have been
in the form of direct fundraising, donations to student scholarships, a donor who provided
a gift to support travel for teams, a grant helping support a student athlete learning center,
the participation of the local Rotary clubs, or an internship leading to a career after
college. There are numerous ways for the community to support the athletics program.
This section analyzed the data from the research pertaining to the third research
question. The data showed a strong need for collaboration between the athletics program
and the campus, especially the academics department. Unfortunately, there were many
obstacles and biases making this collaboration difficult. The data also showed the value
of a collaborative relationship between the athletics department and the community. The
institution, the community, and student athletes gain several benefits from this
collaboration.
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Question Four: What is the Role and Importance of Institutional Leadership in an
Athletics Program?
The following section presents the data that pertains to the issue of institutional
leadership.
The literature suggests the institutional leadership’s role is to provide a good
education, especially for student athletes who have the competing priority of athletics.
The research showed a definite agreement with this assessment. The general consensus
among the participants was that institutional leadership’s role in the athletics program
should be to ensure that the program remains consistent with the mission and values of
the institution while actively ensuring the student athletes’ academic success. One
participant shared why it was crucial campus leadership played an active role in
providing leadership to the athletic program:
Although, the athlete part is very important at times, we have to work across
student affairs and academic affairs to make sure our students athletes are
receiving appropriate academic support and they are being successful
academically. They carry a fulltime load. They have to at the University of
California. All undergraduates have to be full time students. They have to carry
at least twelve credit hours in the University of California, which is incredibly
competitive. So they have to balance that with very demanding practice
schedules, very demanding competition schedules and of course we want our
students to be well rounded. So we expect our student athletes to participate in
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other opportunities on campus including community service. With all of those
expectations we owe to work across the various divisions in the university to do
what we can to make sure our student athletes are succeeding and graduating with
at least the rate of the entire population. (Interview Participant 2)
While an institution wants their student athletes to excel in their chosen sport, it is the
leadership’s responsibility to ensure they are excelling in academics as well.
The research showed that all the participants believed they could provide
leadership to the athletics program whether it was to help with fundraising, attending
games, or becoming a booster. Forty percent of the interview participants were active
leaders in the beginning phases of the athletics program. Their roles included developing
models and plans to move forward despite having limited space, facilities, and resources.
The institutional leadership also tried to foster and create a learning environment for
students and create opportunities for them on campus and in the surrounding community.
Seventy percent of the interview participants said their leadership role is to get continued
support for athletics from the entire student body. This includes getting students to want
to participate and become fans. In addition, 60% of the interview participants said their
leadership role was to meet with the external public to get community members or
potential donors to support the athletics programs and bring in more community fans.
Sixty percent of the interview participants mentioned one event that presented an
excellent opportunity to obtain this support. This two-day event is called the Ma Kelly
Golf Tournament and is hosted annually by UC Merced. It is a fundraiser that unites
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people in the local community and San Joaquin Valley and centers on intercollegiate
athletics. In addition, 60% of the participants believed their roles were to help other
members of the institutional leadership to also appreciate and support what athletics
brings to the institution and the students. One interview participant shared the dynamics
of how the institutional leadership should be promoting the athletics program to the entire
campus including other leaders:
If we can continue to promote our student athletes as ‘students’ and let the
campus know student affairs is supporting our student athletes to be successful
academically, this communicates to the academic affairs that we still recognize
that as an important element. Then we should also look for more ways where we
can invite faculty members to attend games and be a part of the athletic
experience themselves so it gets them connected to what goes on the court or on
the field and how that contributes to the overall campus environment and
atmosphere. (Interview Participant 3)
The overall majority of participants agreed their role in the athletics program is to
engender support from all areas; campus, community and other leadership.
The literature referenced the strong role coaches and other leaders play in the life
of a student athlete. As the institution strives for excellence, their leadership’s role
should be to recruit and hire appropriate staffing to lead the athletics program. Fifty
percent of the interview participants mentioned that student athletes have the most
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contact with their coaches. One participant shared regarding the bond and relationship
between coaches and student athletes:
For most of our student athletes their strong relationships are not with their
faculty, academic advisors, residential advisors, or their roommates, it’s their
coach. The reason is because even prior to attending UC Merced the student
athlete is recruited by a coach…A student athlete will make a decision partly
based off the comfort level they feel with the coach…That is why coaching
decisions are so important on who we hire. (Interview Participant 6)
The institutional leadership’s role is to ensure that the most influential mentors in the
student athletes’ college experience are of high quality. The overall staffing of an
athletics program is an important responsibility.
In this section, the research showed that institutional leadership has several
important roles in an athletics program. One participant summed up the overall goal, “the
success of that student is a responsibility of all of us in leadership roles” (Interview
Participant 10). The leadership is responsible for the academic success of the student
athlete, encouraging support for the athletics program and staffing the athletics program.
Summary
The purpose of this chapter was to analyze and interpret the data collected from
the research. The qualitative data allowed the study to more fully explore all the possible
answers to the four research questions. The data revealed several benefits from the
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addition of an athletics program, not only for the students but for the institution as a
whole. The data also provided a view into the processes and challenges that go into the
development of an athletics program. It pointed out the issue of funding as being a
primary obstacle. Next the data explored the complex and valuable relationship that
develops when the athletics program collaborates with the campus and the surrounding
community. Lastly the data illustrated the importance of good institutional leadership
and what their primary focuses should be in regard to an athletics program. Overall, this
chapter provided a clear presentation of the findings of this study.
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Chapter 5
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMENDATIONS
Summary
To review, the study proposed four questions for research and then did a
comprehensive and extensive literature review. This review provided a rationale for the
thesis questions. Then a method was created to find the data, which included one-on-one
interviews with some high-level institutional leaders at a new university who oversaw
campus development and planning. After collecting the data, they were coded and
organized. After analyzing the data, the study showed the beneficiaries of an athletics
program and how to create and sustain one. In addition, the researcher discovered the
importance of campus and community collaboration and the role of institutional
leadership in the athletics program.
The literature review gave a general background of the subtopics that support the
thesis. Having an understanding of the issues concerning an athletics program and who
benefits is imperative to conclude why the focus should be about fostering and
developing the student athlete holistically to attain academic achievement. The literature
also showed that the athletics program must have strong institutional leadership and
community support and be properly funded to maintain its success and sustainability.
The research’s function was to ask questions that were formulated to encourage
discussion about the athletics program. The questions asked during the one-on-one
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interviews discovered the opinions and thoughts of high-ranking institutional leaders at
UC Merced. Their opinions matter because they could decide how to move forward with
the athletics program and set policies affecting the entire campus. After the interviews
were conducted, the data were analyzed and interpreted. The data successfully answered
all four of the research questions. However, the data also showed there are more
recommendations for topics related to the development of an athletics program at a new
university.
Conclusions
Based on the data examined and interpreted, major conclusions have come to
light. Several key factors have been identified as recommendations for future athletics
programs at institutions across the United States if their missions are to foster a learning
environment for student athletes and achieve academic success. Studies in the literature
review show how strong leadership at a university could impact the development of an
athletics program. The data continued to prove that any successful leadership that
focused on the student first, could improve academic success, retention, and graduation
of student athletes. A need for funding and resources has to be set in place since it is an
institutional leader’s responsibility to implement developmental programs for all
members of the university. Before adding an athletics program, an institution should
have a complete understanding of their student body, because students are the ones who
should be interested in the program and lead the effort. Furthermore, data analysis
82
proved how coaches, faculty, academic departments, student affairs staff, and all those
who work with at-risk students could take a holistic approach to the development of their
students. The study shows this may include creating and sustaining collaborative
learning communities such as study tables required for all student athletes with the
purpose of fostering their academic success. Also, another possible way future athletics
programs could foster learning is to provide on-campus resources and academic support,
therefore, empowering and achieving independent growth. Additionally, the data showed
how a successful athletics program could produce a strong student leadership body.
Recommendations for Further Study
During the process of organizing the data, some additional information outside the
research questions was revealed. If further study were to be done on this subject, the
following are some recommendations for future research questions. Assessment is a key
component to attaining accreditation for all colleges and universities in the United States.
If a college or university does not receive accreditation, then they do not qualify or
receive financial aid. If the college or university does not receive financial aid, then they
cannot offer money to students to pay for college. This significantly limits the
institution’s development and growth. In some cases, the Western Association of
Schools and Colleges (WASC) has closed and placed institutions on probation and at risk
of loosing their accreditation. While at the same time, the public’s negative opinion and
perception of athletics programs across the United States, as well as the current economic
83
recession, has called colleges and universities to be accountable and prove their value and
worth. Especially now when college tuition is too expensive for many families, there
seems to be a negative public perception about students who go to college and cannot
find a career afterward. They are ultimately stuck with thousands of dollars in debt due
to student loans. Colleges and universities need to provide research showing the true
value of higher education, which is done through assessment. In light of this situation,
institutions are being called on to evaluate and be accountable for their athletics
programs.
As noted, the campus’s primary focus should be about degrees and in some cases,
research—not entertainment. The athletics program should serve as one of the many
auxiliaries for student leadership development and should not place a burden on the
growth of the institution but instead support its missions and values. To further this study
good institutional leadership should engage in reflective practices, especially if it can
alter and transform the entire campus. It is recommended for further study that UC
Merced continue its assessment model to measure and quantify the development of the
athletics program over time. Thus, institutional leadership is called to be visionary
change agents. Hopefully, the action research will continue to produce innovation and
leadership through utilization of additional best practices for the athletics program at UC
Merced and future athletics programs.
Due to the student body that currently makes up UC Merced, further study calls
for additional assessment of the athletics program. If a student is involved in athletics or
84
participates in the health and wellness programs at UC Merced, what impact does that
have on the persistence of the student? What level does that impact have on the success
of the student to achieve and ultimately graduate or maybe even go beyond that? In
addition, is there a correlation between these programs and the level of students going on
to graduate school, particularly when the campus is dealing with an “at-risk” population
compared to the rest of the UC system, which has such a high representation of first
generation and low-income students? Uniquely, first-generation and low-income
students will look for opportunities. For instance, education provides an opportunity for
social gain or social mobility that may not otherwise happen. In American society,
athletics as a whole has been an opportunity for upward mobility for a much smaller
percentage of the population, but literature and research prove there are people who come
from low-income families and are successful in attaining academic success. Since both
situations have become successful, can education and sports combined provide an upward
mobility opportunity for UC Merced’s student athletes? Also, due to the focus on the
development of the student holistically, is there a correlation between the impact of the
athletics program and nonprofessionally bound athletes?
Due to the high demands of the University of California’s academic requirements
and extensive holistic selection criteria, an invitation for further study into the selection
criteria is necessary. Data provided in the study indicated what it takes to be successful
for a student at the university and how to formulate the selection criteria. In addition, UC
Merced looks beyond the grade point average and test scores. Since additional factors
85
play a role in the selection process, to what extent is the new athletics program impacting
the entire student population? For instance, at what point do student athletes become
active in organizations and clubs on campus? At what level do they take advantage of
opportunities presenting themselves in their residence halls? To what extent do they
study more or do work beyond the classroom, such as through internships and research?
What kind of jobs do they have on campus? How do they get involved in athletics, and
what is their overall experience? More importantly, does UC Merced have indicators that
are measurable on how to be a successful student athlete at UC Merced? Further study
must take place as the university continues to grow, and the selection criteria will become
more complex due to the lack of funding, resources, and space.
As a result of this study, it may be beneficial to take a deeper look in these areas
noted. By tradition, higher education leadership has sought innovative methods to
increase retention and graduation rates within and beyond the classroom. Possibly,
further study could explore these internal and external factors that could increase
academic achievement and meet the institution’s mission and values.
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APPENDICES
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APPENDIX A
Seven Vectors
Synopsis of the Seven Vectors of Student Development
VECTOR
Developing competence
Managing emotions
Moving through autonomy
toward interdependence
Developing mature
interpersonal relationships
Establishing identity
Developing purpose
Developing integrity
CHARACTERISTICS
-Intellectual competence;
-Physical or manual competence;
-Interpersonal competence
-Develop emotional awareness;
-Acknowledge emotional signals;
-Learn appropriate channels for release;
-Balance self control and self expression
-Function with self sufficiency;
-Pursue interests;
-Stand on convictions;
-Organize activities and solve problems
-Tolerance and appreciation of difference;
-Capacity for intimacy
-Comfort with body and appearance;
-Comfort with gender and sexual orientation;
-Sense of self;
-Sense of self-concept;
-Self acceptance and self esteem;
-Personal stability and integration
-Vocational plans and aspirations
-Personal interests
-Interpersonal and family commitments
-Humanizing values
-Personalizing values
-Developing congruence
Source: Chickering and Reisser (1993).
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APPENDIX B
Charts, Graphs, and Tables
TOTAL STUDENTS BY CLASS LEVEL AT UC MERCED (2013)
Level
Number
Percent
Undergraduate
5,837
94.2
358
5.8
6,195
100
Graduate
Total
TOTAL UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS BY ETHNICITY
AT UC MERCED (2013)
Ethnicity
Number
Percent
366
6.3
Asian/Pacific Islander
1,518
26
Hispanic
2,560
43.9
Native American
14
<1.0
White
889
15.2
Nonresident Alien
171
2.9
Two or More Races
241
4.1
Unknown/Declined to State
78
1.3%
Total
5,837
100%
African-American
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GRANT FUNDING FOR RESEARCH BY FISCAL YEAR
AT UC MERCED (2013)
Fiscal Year
Amount (in millions)
FY 2012-13
$17.3
FY 2011-12
$22.3
Cumulative
$152.9
(since 2003)
SOURCES OF PRIVATE SUPPORT AT UC MERCED (2013)
TOTAL AMOUNT OF GIFTS – $5.04 MILLION IN FY 2012-13
Source
Percent
Corporations/Businesses
13
Foundations
47
Individuals
35
Other Non-Profits
5
90
DESIGNATED PURPOSES OF PRIVATE SUPPORT AT UC MERCED (2013)
Purpose
Percent
Campus Improvement
5
Departmental Support
18
Other Purposes
31
Research
17
Student Support
26
Unrestricted
3
FACULTY AND STAFF AT UC MERCED (2013)
Number
Ladder-Rank Faculty
180
Lecturers
162
Other Academic Appointments
70
Full- and Part-Time Staff (Does not include student employees)
920
Total
Sources: University of California, Merced (2013)
1,327
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The Dimensions of Wellness
DIMENSION
EXPLANATION
Coping effectively with life and creating
Emotional
satisfying relationships.
Good health by occupying pleasant, stimulating
Environmental
environments that support well-being.
Satisfaction with current and future financial
Financial
situations.
Recognizing creative abilities and finding ways
Intellectual
to expand knowledge and skills.
Personal satisfaction and enrichment from one’s
Occupational
work.
Recognizing the need for physical activity,
Physical
healthy foods and sleep.
Developing a sense of connection, belonging,
Social
and a well-developed support system.
Expanding our sense of purpose and meaning in
Spiritual
life.
Source: Swarbrick (2006).
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APPENDIX C
Letter of Consent to Research Participants
Dear colleague,
You and other senior administrators at University of California, Merced are being
asked to participate in action and qualitative research. Abraham Lopez is a graduate
student in the Educational Policy and Leadership Studies Masters Program at California
State University, Sacramento. The study will investigate factors related in developing an
athletics program at UC Merced while fostering leadership and student development. The
researcher is investigating the importance of supporting a new campus effort at a new
university, which includes athletics. The enclosed questionnaire is designed to find out
your knowledge and views in developing and sustaining a new and successful leadership
effort at a new university.
You and other senior administrators at UC Merced will be asked to participate in
an one-on-one interview with the researcher. If the results of this study are to reflect
opinions of the athletics program, your knowledge and expertise is essential to further
this study. Please review the questionnaire prior to the interview. The researcher will set
up a one-on-one interview at a future date and time.
You may gain additional insight into factors that affect our current student’s
success in college, or you may not personally benefit from participating in this research.
The goal is that the results of the study will be beneficial for future leadership programs
and efforts designed to develop the student holistically. The researcher understands the
demands for your time can be overwhelming therefore your participation is greatly
appreciated.
Your responses in the interview will remain anonymous in the thesis. With your
permission, all interviews and discussion will be audio recorded. The audio will be
destroyed as soon as the discussions have been transcribed, any event no later than one
year after they were made, or until the thesis is completed. Until that time, the researcher
will store the data in a secure and username and password-locked location placed in the
researcher’s personal laptop. Each interview participant’s result for the study will be
reported and no names or other identifying information will be utilized in the thesis.
Please note that you will not receive any compensation for participating in this
study. If you have any questions about the study, you may contact the researcher. Your
participation in this study is entirely voluntary. Your signature below indicates that you
have read this page and agree to participate in the study.
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____________________________________
Signature of Participant
______________________________
Date
94
APPENDIX D
Instrumentation
Many of the following questions are of a highly personal nature. Please
understand that UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES will the members of the university or
administrators see the individual responses you indicated here. Your responses will be
kept strictly confidential and will be used to better understand the services that the
university needs to provide to student-athletes in order to assure their academic, personal,
and career development.
When the interview is conducted please answer the questions that best describe
your own feelings regarding statements presented. Please remember, your answers will
be kept strictly confidential.
Beginnings and Development
1) What is your opinion about the addition of the athletics program at UC Merced?
2) What was your role in developing an athletics program at UC Merced? What will you
do to help sustain the athletics program?
3) What were some challenges or barriers in providing leadership to the athletics
program? What were some of the highlights and positives?
4) How does administration bridge the gap between student affairs and academic affairs
in support of the athletics program?
5) In what ways does UC Merced benefit from having an athletics program?
Funding
6) Do you agree or disagree that funding is needed for the development and sustainability
of an athletics program? If you agree, what is your opinion on funding the athletics
program?
7) How much funding is set aside for the athletics program at UC Merced?
8) What is the role of campus and community collaboration in an athletics program?
9) What collaborative measures are being taken to secure funding for the future?
95
Student Development
10) In your opinion, where does athletics/sports fit in student development?
11) In your opinion, what are the most valuable factors that should be included in
recruiting student athletes and ensuring they earn their degree?
12) Do you agree or disagree that student athletes should contribute to the overall
development of the university? If so, what valuable factors are required for student
athletes to ensure contribution to the campus community?
13) How do students and the campus community benefit from having an intercollegiate
athletic program at UC Merced?
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APPENDIX E
NAIA Champions of Character – Five Core Values
CORE VALUE
EXPLANATION
Integrity
Know and do what is right.
Respect
Treating others the way you want to be treated.
Responsibility
Embrace opportunities to contribute.
Sportsmanship
Bring your best to all competition
Servant Leadership
Serve the common good.
Source: http://www.championsofcharacter.org
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Astin, A. W. (1985). Achieving educational excellence: A critical assessment of priorities
and practices in higher education. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Astin, A. W. (1993). What matters in college: Four critical years revisited. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Astin, A. W., & Astin, H. S. (2000). Leadership reconsidered: Engaging higher
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