Developing a great working relationship with your Faculty Athletics Representative means making him or her an integral member of your athletic department team.

By Dr. Robert Mathner

Robert Mathner, PhD, is Assistant Athletics Director at the University of Central Florida. He has also worked in the athletic departments of Syracuse University, Florida State University, and the University of Montana. He can be reached at: rmathner@mail.ucf.edu.

It wasn’t very long ago that the bridge between an institution’s athletic department and its faculty had a simple and unregulated structure. A faculty member who happened to love sports would step forward to serve as faculty-athletic liaison. He (and it was usually a he) attended a lot of games, often served as an advisor for many of the athletes, and helped out with any minor issues that might arise between the athletic and academic worlds on campus.

But times have changed, and in a big way. With the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate (APR) now in place and an increased emphasis on student-athlete welfare, the Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) has become a critical player in collegiate athletics. He or she is often the most dynamic link between athletics and academics, and his or her skills help determine whether the two sides have a healthy relationship.

Today’s FAR must have the respect of the academic faculty and the trust of the university president. He or she must intimately understand college athletics, and also be a great communicator. It’s a tall order, which is why athletic administrators need to make fostering their relationship with this individual a top priority. They should also make sure that their FAR has all the tools needed to be successful in this very challenging role.

DEFINING DUTIES
Every NCAA and NAIA member institution is required to have a FAR. However, a FAR’s specific duties are not mandated by either governing body. Here’s what the NCAA says in Bylaw 6.1.3:

A member institution shall designate an individual to serve as faculty athletics representative. An individual so designated after January 12, 1989 shall be a member of the institution’s faculty or an administrator who holds faculty rank and shall not hold an administrative or coaching position in the athletics department. Duties of the faculty athletics representative shall be determined by the member institution.

The NAIA rules are a bit more specific, requiring FARs to serve as an athletics student-athlete eligibility certifying official for the institution. Here is the description in NAIA bylaw Article I, Section C:

A faculty athletics representative shall:
• be appointed by the chief executive officer of the institution to represent the institution in the development of sound educational policies for athletics;
• be a regular member of the faculty, but not assigned as a coach or athletics administrator;
and
• be charged with the responsibility of ensuring that all participants in intercollegiate competition are eligible in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Association prior to their representing the institution in any manner.

Because each governing body’s description is so loose, it’s critical that member schools take the time to define what their FAR’s duties are. This can vary depending on the mission of the institution, its size, and the amount of athletic department resources available. Duties might also be based on the history of relations between athletics and academics and the athletic department’s current goals.

Institutions can look to the Faculty Athletics Representatives Association (FARA) handbook for assistance in this area. The handbook states that a FAR’s duties should center on:

• assuring the academic integrity of the athletics program
• monitoring student-athlete academic performance
• delivering academic services to student-athletes
• being involved in the monitoring and maintenance of student-athlete welfare
• meeting with student-athlete advisory committees
• participating in the mandated student-athlete exit interview process.

In addition, from an institutional control standpoint, it is critical that a FAR take an active role in the following:

• monitoring and assessing the effectiveness of compliance efforts
• being involved in the student-athlete eligibility process
• playing an active role in major institutional inquiries of alleged rules violations.

And from an advisory standpoint, the FAR should:

• provide advice to the university president
• meet with the athletic director on a regular basis
• serve on institutional athletics committees
• make regular reports to the faculty senate
• serve as an institutional delegate to the NCAA Convention.

Increasingly, the FAR’s duties are also being defined by athletic conferences. Dr. Dan Fulks, Professor of Accounting and FAR at Transylvania University, says that more and more FARs are attending annual conference meetings, where they interact with the conference members’ CEOs, athletic directors, and other FARs to discuss and vote on legislative issues and conference policy.

Ultimately, the FAR’s duties must be defined by the university’s CEO based on the institution’s goals and resources. Some FARs even play a role in shaping and determining their own formal duties. And responsibilities can be redefined as situations or issues arise involving the athletic department and academic affairs.

QUALITIES NEEDED
Because today’s FAR must handle a diverse array of duties, it takes a special person to be effective in the role. While the FAR is typically appointed by the CEO of the institution or elected by the faculty, the athletic director can play a big part in locating the right person. For this reason, it’s important for the athletic director to understand the qualities and skills that make a FAR effective.

Dr. Carol Garrison, President of the University of Alabama-Birmingham, believes it’s essential for the FAR to be a consensus builder within the campus community. She looks for someone who has enthusiasm for student-athletes, yet also has a real commitment to academics. In addition, Dr. Garrison believes the FAR needs to understand athletic issues and be able to think independently about them so they can be addressed in a proactive—not reactive—manner.

At the University of North Alabama (UNA), President Dr. William Cale views the position in a similar light. Cale suggests choosing a faculty member who can help make institutional decisions related to athletics—someone who can gather facts and present findings in an impartial and objective manner. Cale believes it’s also important that the FAR has enough time to devote to the position, along with excellent time management skills.

Dan Radakovich, Director of Athletics at Georgia Tech, says he wants a FAR who understands the structure of the institution, who is fully engaged with fellow faculty members, and who sits on institutional committees. Those qualities help a FAR create an environment where there’s a free flow of ideas between athletics and academia. They also further the school’s system of checks and balances.

Radakovich’s preferences are embodied by Patricia Roden, Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Mathematics and FAR at UNA. Having a good relationship with the faculty and being involved in faculty issues, she says, lends credibility to the role of FAR and shows both academia and athletics that there is a genuine desire to serve both interests.

To be effective, a FAR must also have broad and complete understanding of college athletics to allow him or her to be an advocate for both athletics and academics, says Dr. Joel Erdmann, Director of Athletics at UNA. Erdmann appreciates that Roden has built a solid rapport with the student-athletes and that her role has been embraced by the entire athletic department.

Dr. Michael Wasylenko, who serves as Professor of Economics, Senior Associate Dean of the Maxwell School, and FAR at Syracuse University, believes a FAR must have an appreciation for the value of intercollegiate athletics to an institution. He says they have to articulate this value to their fellow faculty members without seeming unfairly biased. When addressing faculty members, the FAR should be able to shed light on an athletics issue and help the faculty to understand and appreciate what the athletic department is trying to do.

At the University of Montana, Dr. Jim Lopach, Professor of American Government and Public Law, is the school’s FAR. He believes it’s critical to have good analytical skills and writing skills, as well as the interpersonal skills and assertiveness to effectively communicate with student-athletes, coaches, athletic department staff, and institutional staff. Integrity is another key element, says Lopach, because the FAR is one of the main voices helping a school maintain institutional control of its athletics department.

In fact, Lopach recommends that the FAR be involved in investigating and reporting all infractions, not just "major" ones. He adds that the FAR’s effectiveness also involves relating well and working closely with not just the compliance coordinator and athletic director, but with other campus personnel. This includes the athletic academic advisor, admissions officers, the registrar, the financial aid director, and the senior woman administrator. He has found that many problems are identified and errors corrected by having this kind of "institutional control." The more people the FAR has contact with, Lopach says, the better.

HELPING HANDS
Because FARs typically serve in part-time and temporary appointments, they need support and help from the athletic department to excel at their job. To start, encourage your FAR to attend orientation and in-service training programs offered by the FARA, and to communicate with FARs at other member institutions. They should also attend regional compliance seminars hosted by the NCAA or NAIA.

It’s important for the FAR to get to know the institution’s student-athletes on a personal level, too. Have them attend freshman student-athlete orientation sessions so every athlete knows who they are, what they do, and how to contact them. Ask the FAR to be present at as many SAAC meetings and student-athlete exit interviews as possible. Of course, they should attend a diverse array of athletic contests as well.

Be sure to open lines of communication with your FAR from the very start. This means inviting them to all department meetings and activities, including senior administrative staff meetings and coaches’ meetings. Doing so will help them better understand the inner workings of your athletic department. And the FAR certainly needs to be involved in compliance meetings, debates on NCAA or conference legislation, and discussions of student-athlete welfare.

Athletic directors should also set aside time to talk to the FAR one-on-one about university and athletic department goals. For some, it works well to have a standing appointment with a set agenda, while others prefer to talk at athletic contests or informal get-togethers. No matter your meeting preference, it’s key that both of you be on the same page and speak the same language during these discussions—even if you disagree.

To get in sync, the athletic director needs to really listen to the FAR’s ideas and react to their concerns. The athletic director also needs to actively embrace the FAR’s role and treat them as a partner who can help the athletic department reach its goals. Once you develop this mutual understanding, decisions will more likely be reached via consensus, and relationships will be solidified.

What happens if relations with your FAR become strained? The best strategy is to not be confrontational or unresponsive, but to talk through the issue. In academia, faculty members are trained in how to argue their point with vigor, so sometimes you need to nudge them out of their academic mode. Let the FAR know you understand their point of view and try to bring the discussion back to focusing on the ultimate goals—student-athlete welfare and the university’s mission.

At the end of the day, it is the CEO who makes final decisions on the academic-athletic balance, but having a FAR who understands your department’s interests can go a long way. A FAR in your corner can promote any initiatives the athletic department would like to bring forward, help you make the most of NCAA and conference votes, and be an important component of any successful athletic program.

Sidebar: ON THE SAME PAGE
At Texas Christian University, Athletic Director Danny Morrison and Faculty Athletics Representative Rhonda Hatcher, an Associate Professor of Mathematics and the NCAA Division I-A representative to the Faculty Athletics Representatives Association (FARA), have developed a great working partnership. In this Q&A, they talk about staying on the same page.

AM: What makes this team work?

Morrison: When I came here in 2005, the department was already running smoothly, with a strong, positive relationship with its FAR. It was my good fortune to come into a situation where our FAR is not only very knowledgeable about athletics, but also highly respected by her peers on the faculty.

Rhonda works closely with the registrar and the admissions office and keeps abreast of NCAA legislation, communicating regularly with us on national issues. She cares deeply about our student-athletes and is highly invested in how they’re doing, both athletically and academically. She’s firm in her beliefs but very open-minded, able to hear different opinions and study the issues before making a decision.

Hatcher: Danny is very fun to work with, and he works harder than anybody I know. He’s a great citizen of this university and is not isolated from people on the academic side of campus. He runs a great athletic program—but even more importantly, he runs an honest program with a lot of academic integrity. If that were not the case, I wouldn’t do this job.

How often do you meet?

Morrison: Rhonda and I have a 7:30 breakfast meeting once a month on the same day the athletic department staff has its monthly lunch meeting. That way, I have a faculty member’s fresh viewpoint beforehand and I'm reminded to always keep academic issues at the forefront.

Hatcher: That was Danny’s idea, and it’s a really good one. We probably run into one another 10 times a month, but having that breakfast meeting is essential in creating time to talk, even if we don’t think there are any pressing issues.

Part of why we work so well as a team is that I know Danny respects my opinions. He includes me in all the athletic department's major decisions, which isn’t something all athletic directors do. If there’s an opening for a head coach or an associate athletic director, I’m on the hiring committee. There’s nothing that requires him to be so inclusive—he just does it naturally, and that earns him respect from the entire faculty.

Morrison: Rhonda also does a lot of work with other people in the athletic department. She attends our all-staff meetings, and meets monthly with our Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and our Senior Woman Administrator. The three of them work closely together on governance issues, which Rhonda then summarizes for me. We’ll generally agree, but even when we don’t see eye to eye, we come out with a greater understanding of each other’s opinion.

How do you handle disagreements?

Hatcher: There are definitely times we haven’t agreed, but everyone in this department understands the value of compromise. They let me have my way sometimes, and I regularly defer to them when it comes to the intricacies of scheduling.

For example, I’d love it if student-athletes never had to miss a class. But realistically, I have to recognize that’s just not the way college athletics works, and part of being a faculty rep is understanding all the issues that go into making a complex decision. It has to do with our areas of expertise, and if one of us is really passionate about a particular issue, the other side can usually be persuaded.

Can you give an example?

Hatcher: A few years ago, before Danny was here, we needed to talk about the new NCAA academic progress rules. In general, coaches didn’t welcome them, so some athletic administrators were inclined to vote against the changes. But I was involved in the legislation process, so I knew a lot about the data and could effectively argue the case for it. We had a discussion, and that resulted in a unanimous decision to support the higher standards.

To be an effective faculty rep, you need a pretty strong backbone. Your primary role is to ensure things are being done right, and you have to be tough enough to stand up to the pressure. But there are a lot of compromises, too, and if you aren’t flexible, you aren’t going to succeed.

What’s the next stage in building this relationship?

Morrison: I think organizations make the most progress in incremental steps, so we’re just going to keep trying to do things a little better. If all goes well, after five or 10 years, we’ll be able to see how far we’ve come.

Hatcher: The steps are gradual, but they’re important. As the job evolves, Danny has suggested new responsibilities for me, like meeting with the board of directors. I’m part of the decision-making process, my voice is listened to, and that’s what really matters.

Morrison: This relationship is predicated on respect for one another, and at the end of the day, that’s what drives our whole program.

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