The Landmark Conference 2nd Academic Collaboration / Integration Institute ---Summary
(2009)
The Institute was held on February 3rd and 4th 2008 at the Liasion Hotel on Capitol Hill in
Washington D.C.
The Institute started promptly at 3:30 pm, as scheduled.
The Institute was attended by the Landmark Conference’s 8 Chief Executive Officers (CEO’s); 8
Athletics Directors (AD’s); 16 Conference Student Athlete Advisory Committee Members
(SAAC Members); 32 Head Coaches; the 2 members of the Conference office staff and four
guests: guest speaker Janet Judge. The total number in attendance for the Institute was 70. Most
all of the attendees were present throughout all sessions of the Institute.
Session # 1
3:30-3:55 pm. Tuesday February 3. Joel Cookson, Assistant Landmark Conference
Commissioner, “Retrospective: where we were and where we are today”. A summary of the
Landmark Conference 1st Academic Collaboration / Integration Institute, as well as a report on
the progress made relative to each action item resulting from the 2008 Institute.
5:30-6:30 pm. “Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct and Student – Athlete Welfare in sport for
the student-athlete, coach, parent(s) and the fan(s)”
Janet P. Judge, attorney at law, the interactive session featured feedback from roundtable
discussions of a mix of different participants.
5:35 pm. Chief Executive Officers and conference office staff attended their annual dinner
meeting at the residence of the Very Reverend David M. O’Connell, C.M.
5:35-6:50 pm. Dinner was served to the remaining group in a roundtable setting. Each table
included at least one athletic director who provided guidance to focus the discussion on various
pre-determined issues. In addition to the Athletics Director there were two student-athletes from
different institutions and four head coaches from four different institutions at each table.
Discussion topics included:
1. Should Leadership in athletics be considered in the awarding of financial aid in Division
III.
2. Legislation passed: certification in first-aid, CPR and AED for head coaches.
3. Sportsmanship among fans, parents, coaches and student–athletes.
4. Nutrition for student–athletes
5. Division III philosophy and marketing
6. Pre-game music as it relates to Sportsmanship
7. Facebook issues
8. The lack of female head coaches
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7:00 pm. Student-athletes and head coaches attended the Georgetown vs. Rutgers men’s
basketball game at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C.
9:00-11 pm. A social reception was held at the hotel. Student-athletes were presented with a
leather folder with the Landmark Conference logo embroidered on the front as tokens of
appreciation.
Session # 2
7:30-8 am. Continental breakfast was served for all attendees.
Activity #1: 8:15-10 am. Athletic Directors met with the Chief Executive Officers to discuss
various topics such as:
Working together and advancing academic issues
Data sharing
Cost containment
Should Leadership in athletics be considered in the awarding of financial-aid?
NCAA membership growth issues
Sports sponsorship: softball, women’s lacrosse and golf
Sportsmanship
Student-athlete welfare issues
Activity #2: 8:15-9 am. Student-athletes met to discuss and advance the agenda that resulted
from the fall 2008 meeting at Moravian and other various NCAA “hot topics”.
The group discussed the development of a Landmark Conference Sportsmanship Award and the
parameters for this award. The finals results are as follows:
Criteria for Landmark Conference Sportsmanship Award (one per team):
The Department acknowledges that to promote the character development of its intercollegiate
participants, and to enhance the integrity of higher education and promote civility in society, we
have an obligation to ensure that all program participants adhere to the fundamental values of
respect, fairness, civility, honesty and accountability. The Landmark Conference sportsmanship
award is given to one member of each of our intercollegiate teams at our annual awards
ceremony, regardless of their year in school. The award is designed to recognize a studentathlete who demonstrates these values in his/her interactions with teammates, opponents,
officials and the coaching staff. The selection of the recipient of this award is the responsibility
of each coaching staff and must be submitted 48 hours in advance of the ceremony.
Other discussion topics included the Landmark Conference SAAC bylaws; the developing
relationship between SAAC and the Special Olympics; and the integration of student-athletes
with other groups on campus.
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Activity #3: 8:15-9am. Head coaches met to discuss various topics pertaining to the rewarding
of financial aid as a result of athletic leadership; the importance of out of season practice;
recruiting technologies; student-athlete nutrition; sportsmanship; and how the conference office
can better meet the coach’s needs.
9-10 am. Student-athletes were given the opportunity to talk with Head Coaches as equals and
voice their opinions and insight on the topics previously discussed.
10:15-11 am. NCAA national SAAC member Alex Kulp, and the Landmark SAAC officers,
Bobby Piccardo and Katie Cordier) presented to the entire group national and local SAAC “hot
topics”
11:05-11:30 am. Participants were served a buffet style lunch. Roundtable discussions were
once again led by an Athletic Director with a focus on how to move forward on student-athlete
welfare issues. Concerns were brought up regarding safety issues for student lifting programs
and the coaches desire to monitor student-athletes and their routines to prevent injuries.
11:30-11:50 am. Presentations were made regarding “action items” for CEO’s, AD’s, Coaches,
and SAAC for the Conference to address during 2009.
11:50 am-12:00 pm. “Where we are and what is Next”. Closing remarks were made by Chief
Executive Board Chairman Christopher Thomforde.
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