From rsweiss@spot.colorado.edu Mon Nov 26 10:37:31 MST 2001 MIME-Version: 1.0 X-Sender: rsweiss@spot.colorado.edu Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2001 15:57:34 -0700 To: lizb@cs.colorado.edu From: Rita Weiss Subject: Position Paper for Nov.26 meeting Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Dear Liz, Could you please have copies made of the following for Monday's meeting? Thanks. To: BFA Intercollegiate Athletics Committee From: Rita Weiss POSITION PAPER ON GRADUATION RATES FOR STUDENT/ATHLETES 1. The Committee should focus on raising FOOTBALL graduation rates. (a) the number of football student/athletes (s/a) is largest and most visible. (b) other sports will be more likely to follow the football model. 2. The Committee needs to gather information from the football players themselves. (a) meetings should be scheduled immediately after the football season ends. (b) s/a to be interviewed should be selected jointly by the Athletic Department and the Committee. (c) s/a should be interviewed in a setting free of pressure to perform, i.e., s/a should be unaccompanied by any Athletic Department representatives. 3. Academic advising of s/a should be a joint endeavor of the Athletic Departmentd and the University Advising system, as recommended by the Knight Commission report. [Mark says this was instituted two years ago -- s/a now reqd to consult academic advisors as well as oass advisors. Anecdotal evidence exists that it's working (Mestas comments). Would like more than anecdotes.) 4. Football s/a need assistance in changing their mindsets re college graduation vs " making it in the NFL." For too long, s/a have been lectured incessantly about their poor chances of getting into the NFL and have just stopped listening. (a) NFL coaches should be invited to address the s/a on the importance of college education/graduation in order to ENHANCE their prospects of "making it into the NFL." The NFL coaches should be asked to emphasize that football today has become more than just a physical prowess sport, that the playbooks are more difficult/complex and that today's professional players must be intelligent, mature and able to make good decisions both on and off the field. (b) Attempts should be made to hire CU football coaches who have college degrees. After all, coaches act not only as mentors but also as role models.