dear students, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents, · athletics builds community by deepening...
TRANSCRIPT
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Dear Students, Faculty, Staff, Alumni, and Parents,
The magnitude of developments on the national front can make it difficult to focus on other
matters. But it is important, perhaps more important than ever, that we also advance the work of
our institutions and do what’s necessary to keep them strong. I am writing today about one
particular aspect of our College life—the role of athletics, an area that was studied by a special
committee that completed its work at the end of this past academic year. I write to share their report. The committee, which I commissioned, was co-chaired by Shirley Tilghman, Amherst
trustee and president emerita of Princeton University, and Patrick Williamson, Edward H. Harkness Professor of Biology. The committee included several students, two additional faculty members, a coach, a trustee who was a varsity athlete at Amherst, and the dean of students.
Given the prominence, popularity, and professionalization of college athletics in American society,
it is important to step back periodically and take a careful look at our athletics programs to ensure
their strength, integrity, and contribution to Amherst’s overall educational mission. The special
committee’s report does just that and finds that Amherst has a strong, even exemplary, program
in athletics, one that enhances the experience of student-athletes, avoids the excesses of college
sports at other levels, and contributes positively to the life of the College. The committee bases
that view on the experiences and levels of satisfaction of student-athletes; the academic
seriousness and success of student-athletes; and the competitive success of our teams. The
committee also underscored the loyalty of alumni who were student-athletes.
It is a very positive report, but one that also points to areas of concern and makes
recommendations for addressing them. The report has been reviewed by the Committee of Six,
which discussed it this past fall, and by the faculty at their December meeting. The faculty will
discuss it again in early February.
There will inevitably be differences of opinion about the report’s findings and recommendations.
Given the erosion nationally of informed, truthful, and respectful exchanges of opinion, I can
think of nothing more encouraging than the ability on our campus, and among the wider
Amherst community, to engage in discussions that keep faith with the basic values of liberal arts
education. This is a time to model the virtues that are becoming too rare, but that we need to keep
alive at this college—thoughtful, open, critical, evidence-based reasoning and respectful
conversation that moves us forward together. Having had time to reflect on the report and on
recent events on our campus and others, I want to share some of my thoughts in this letter.
Athletics has long been integral to the residential liberal arts experience, both for student-athletes
and for those who enjoy sporting events from the sidelines or bleachers. I know from my own
experience playing basketball that athletics teaches indispensable lessons. These are lessons about
team work and the necessity of placing a higher priority on the success of a group than on one’s
own individual performance or gain; the shared joy of succeeding as a team; the importance of
discipline and repetition to learning; and finding a way to succeed when the odds seem stacked
against you. Such lessons are bodily as well as cognitive; they involve emotional learning that
yields pride and pleasure in improvement over time. Participation in sports builds the
psychological resilience that comes from high aspirations and from the need to deal with
disappointment and defeat. At its best, sports can also teach us how to make appropriate use of
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aggression and how to control it. For those of us who are not athletes, sports can offer the thrill of
witnessing the feats human beings can accomplish with their bodies and also what well-coached
teams can do with complex, well-designed, and well-executed game plans and plays. Finally,
athletics builds community by deepening friendships and connecting alumni across generations
with current students and with their college.
As we all know, athletics can also end up teaching negative lessons when sports becomes an
obsession; when winning is valued over the welfare of athletes or pursued at any cost; when loss
is treated as devastation; when team bonds are predicated on the exclusion or denigration of one
outside group or another; when athletes live in a world of their own at institutions that do not
provide them with a serious education or ensure that they earn a degree; when the money involved
in big-time athletics becomes a corrosive influence throughout society; when aggression is not
confined within the boundaries of the game.
Recent events involving our men’s cross country team and similar events on other campuses
remind us that we must ensure the integrity of our athletics programs and the well-being of those
who participate. These events also underscore the importance of accountability when individuals
or team behaviors cause harm. The problems that have been revealed of late, here and elsewhere,
are not new; they are not limited to particular individuals, to athletics teams, or to colleges and
universities. If they were, they would be much easier to uproot. They are deeply embedded,
society-wide problems that we must approach on campus by exemplifying the habits of mind we
teach in the classroom.
Our athletics teams have taken part in Title IX, sexual-respect, and bystander training—as have
students who are not varsity athletes. This spring we are stepping up our efforts, enlisting outside
professionals to augment what our own staff is already doing and taking a hard look at what
encourages problematic group behavior, how it can be changed, and what forms of engagement
we want as a community. There are no immediate solutions or top-down fixes. On this issue, as
with others, the most worthwhile progress, and the only progress worth pursuing, comes from
conversations that require learning and unlearning, hard work, and practice with the crafts of
thinking and speaking. Those are the conversations we are going to have; that is how we do things
here. Although the progress will inevitably be slow and uneven, it will be real. And it will keep
faith with what is best in our college’s history and tradition.
The special committee was particularly interested in whether the professionalization of athletics
across American society had affected the place of athletics at Amherst. The report affirms that the
New England Small College Athletics Conference (NESCAC) helps member colleges avoid the
excesses of other divisions and leagues. NESCAC institutions do not offer or allow athletics
scholarships, and they place limits on recruitment activities and on the length of playing seasons.
The conference regulates other aspects of sports as well. At NESCAC institutions, academics
comes first.
Nonetheless, the report cites several instances of intensification at Amherst, including growth in
the roster sizes of a few teams and the fact that the number of varsity athletes has grown faster than
the rate of growth in the student body as a whole. The report shows that student-athletes tend to
cluster in particular majors. We will explore the reasons for those patterns and consequences for
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students and departments. The report points out that fewer student-athletes take advantage of
opportunities to write a senior thesis, for understandable reasons, given time constraints, but with
the lost opportunity for an invaluable experience.
The report also focuses attention on the grouping of student-athletes on campus in ways that
separate them from students who are not involved in varsity sports. The report recommends that
we take measures to lessen the divide between student-athletes and non-athletes in residential and
social life. In fact, the College has already begun to make changes that will help ensure that social
and residential programs and events involve the initiative and participation of students from all
over campus. Our efforts to date include the design for our new residence halls; a new online room-
draw system that modestly limits the ability of any one group to occupy any one dorm; and the
mixing of class years in residence halls. These steps, together with new gathering spaces and party
policies, will make it easier for all students to move outside their comfort zones and get to know
new people throughout their time at Amherst. We are designing conversations for this spring about
the kind of community we want to be and what skills are necessary for bridging differences.
The report points out that our athletics teams are less socioeconomically and racially diverse than
the student body as a whole. Once again, the causes are society-wide. NESCAC schools have
historically recruited student-athletes from New England schools, and that pattern still affects
recruiting to some degree. In addition, NESCAC limits coaches’ access to young athletes,
restricting when and how they can make contact with them. The league regulates the amount of
money that member colleges should spend on recruitment-related travel. These constraints are
intended to prevent the kinds of abuses that have affected other leagues and divisions, and to ensure
equity across the teams in our league. They have also had the inadvertent consequence of making
it harder to achieve diversity on our teams. NESCAC presidents recently relaxed some restrictions
on a trial basis in order to give our coaches a better chance to succeed.
In addition, certain sports are still less diverse at every age and educational level. It will take a
longer time to increase diversity in those sports. Coaches in lacrosse, squash, and soccer, among
other sports at Amherst, have designed successful programs aimed at involving children and
adolescents from less privileged backgrounds in their sports and encouraging those already
involved to visit Amherst. In part as a result of our coaches’ determination, Amherst has
considerably greater diversity among its student-athletes than all of its peers in NESCAC.
Nevertheless, in order to make greater progress in this area, the athletics department will need to
develop recruitment strategies that are even more focused and creative.
There are two additional points I want to emphasize here. First, the committee recommends that
we consult experts on concussive and sub-concussive injury to ensure we are following the best
possible practices. I am working with NESCAC’s chief medical adviser, Dr. Paul Berkman, to
arrange for a NESCAC symposium on this subject that Amherst would host. Second, for reasons
of time, the committee was not asked to do a Title IX gender equity review, but we intend to
consider the organization of our athletics programs in this light as well. We have engaged the
services of a specialist in Title IX compliance, Janet Judge, president of Sports Law Associates,
LLC, who will conduct a review this spring.
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The Committee of Six has decided on a process for consideration of the report on campus. It will
involve three key governance committees—the College Council, the Faculty Committee on
Admissions and Financial Aid, and the Committee on Education and Athletics. Faculty, staff, and
students are represented on these committees. They will help develop mechanisms for broader
conversation on campus. I am asking colleagues in Alumni and Parent Programs to help organize
conversation among alumni and parents and to provide meaningful ways for them to offer their
views. “The Place of Athletics at Amherst” report will be publicly available for a limited time and,
going forward, will be accessible to our on-campus community under password protection.
I wish you all well.
Biddy
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THEPLACEOFATHLETICSATAMHERSTCOLLEGE
A.ExecutiveSummary
Inthefallof2014,PresidentBiddyMartinchargedacommitteeoftrustees,faculty,administratorsandstudentsto“weigh…theextenttowhichourathleticprogramsareconsistentwiththeoverallpurposeoftheCollege”. Inhercharge,sheposedanumberofquestionsthataimedtotestwhetherparticipationinathleticswascontributingto,orideallyenhancing,theeducationalandsocialexperienceofAmherststudents. Thisreportcomes15yearsafterareportonthesametopic,chairedbytrusteeColinS.Diver‘65,concludedthat“asageneralmatter,webelievethatAmhersthaskeptitsathleticprograminaproperbalancewithitseducationalmission”. AtthesametimetheDivercommitteenotedthatforcesoutsideAmherst’scontrolhadcreatedachallengingenvironmentinwhichtomaintainthedelicatebalancebetweenacademicandathleticachievement,andrecommendedthattheCollegereviewthestatusofathleticsatAmhersteverythreetofiveyears. Thisreportsummarizesthefirstofthosestock-takingexercises.
OurcommitteebelievesthatAmherst’sathleticprogramsarerightlyamongthemostadmiredinthenation. Fromthestudentathletes’perspective,Amherstaffordsthemtheopportunitytopursuetheirpassionfortheirsportwhileobtainingastellarliberalartseducation,embodyingthestudent/athleteideal. Athletessucceedacademically,andgraduatewiththeirclassmatesontime. Theybenefitfromhavingabuilt-incommunityfromthemomenttheyarriveoncampus,withupperclassteammatestomentorthemandcoachesandfacultyliaisonswhoarededicatedtotheirsuccessandwellbeing. OverallathletesreportahighdegreeofsatisfactionwiththeirAmhersteducation–bothinsideandoutsidetheclassroom-andremainloyalandgeneroustotheCollegeintheyearsfollowinggraduation. Thereareveryfewcollegesthatcanmakesuchclaims.
Inreviewingmanyaspectsoftheathleticprogram,ourCommitteeconcludedthattheevidenceismixedwithregardtoescalationsincetheDiverReportintheintensitywithwhichathleticsispursuedatAmherst.Whilethenumberofvarsityteamshasnotincreasedinnumber,theoverallrostersizehasincreasedby~12%,inparallelwithan10%increaseinthesizeofthestudentbodyasawhole. Howeveritshouldbenotedthatthenumberof“athleticfactor”athletes,forwhomathleticprowessplaysasignificantroleintheadmissionprocess,hasactuallydeclined,from75to67athletesadmittedperyear.Neitherthelengthoftheofficialseasonnorthenumberofmid-weekgamesthatcausestudentstomissclasseshasincreased.WhathasincreasedisAmherst’ssuccessontheplayingfieldinmanysports,whichhasledto
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morecontests,primarilyinthepost-season. Wealsolearnedthatthecaptain’spracticesand“lifting”sessionsintheoff-seasonnolongerseemvoluntarytomostvarsityathletes,asthepolicyoftheDepartmentofAthleticssuggeststheyshould. Thusformostathletestheirparticipationinavarsitysportdoesnotbeginatthestartoftheseasonnorconcludeatitsend.Forthisreason:
TheCommitteerecommendsthattheNESCACPresidentspayparticularattentiontotheimpactofplayingschedules,particularlypost-seasonplayandout-of-seasonpracticeontheacademicexperienceofathletes.
OfgreaterconcerntotheCommitteewasthefrequencywithwhichweheardthatthereisaperceptible“divide”betweenathletesandnon-athletesthatinhibitstheirabilitytotakefulladvantageoftheeducationalbenefitoflivingandlearningtogether. Thisdivideisalong-standingone,anditwashighlightedasaconcerninthe2001DiverReport. TheperceptionofthedivideisexacerbatedbythefactthatathletesrepresentbyfarthelargestextracurricularcohortatAmherst(between35-38%ofthestudentbodyareontherostersofvarsityteams)andthusaremorevisiblethananyothergroup.ThesedifferencesbetweengroupsofAmherststudents,basedontheirparticipationinvarsitysports,wouldhavelessimpactonthestudentbodyasawholeifathleteswereasmallerpercentageofthestudentbody.
TheCommitteerecommendsthatthereshouldbenofurtherincreaseinthenumberofvarsityathletesorvarsityteams,eveniftheAmherstcollegestudentbodyincreasesinthefuture.Further,werecommendthatperiodicreviewsbeconductedtoensurethatvarsityteamsareviableandtheirrostersizesarenecessaryfortheteam’scompetitiveness.
Thedivideisfueledbythewayssomeathleteschoosetocongregateinthesocialdorms.Studentsreportthatathleticteamsdominatethesociallifeofthecollege,particularlythedorm“partyscene”,leavingsomestudentsfeelingexcluded. Itisalsofueledbythelackofdiversity(relativetothestudentbody)ofvarsityathletes.
Werecommendthateveryeffortbetakenbyadministratorsandstudentleaderstoensurethatstudentlivingenvironments,andcommunityactivitymorebroadly,provideforgoodandhealthymixingofstudentsofeveryinterest.
Thecommitteerecommendsstronglythatincreasingthediversityofstudentathletesandcoachesshouldbeahighpriorityfortheathleticdepartmentandadmissionsoffice.
Wealsodocumentedpatternsofengagementwiththecurriculumthatdistinguishathletes,especiallymaleathletesinhigh-profilesports,fromtherestofthestudentbody. Highprofilemaleathletestendtomajorinasmallnumberofdepartments,takefewerscienceclassesandclasseswithsmallenrollments,andarelesslikelytoelecttowriteaseniorthesis.
TheCommitteerecommendsthattheFacultyEducationandAthleticsCommitteeundertakeastudytounderstandtheunderlyingcausesoftheacademicdecisionsthatlead
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somestudentathletestoconcentrateinasmallnumberofdepartmentsandtosuggestremediesforanypoliciesandpracticesthatmaydiscourageordeterstudentathletesfromexperiencingthefullbenefitofanAmhersteducation.
Athletesreportthattheyhaveonoccasionfeltstereotyped,stigmatizedorpenalizedfortheirparticipationinathletics. Inthatsensebothnon-athletesandathletesfeelaggrievedinoneormorewaysbytheperceptionofadivide. Apowerfulantidotetonegativestereotypingofathletesisprovidedbythefacultyathleticliaisons,whoactaslinksbetweentheteamsandthefaculty.
TheCommitteenotesthattheFacultyLiaisonsProgramisofsignificantbenefittoAmherstCollege,andshouldbeencouraged,supportedandexpanded.
PresidentMartinaskedtheCommitteetoexaminetheincidenceofinjuries,especiallyconcussionsandsub-concussiveinjuries,tostudentathletesatAmherst. Footballandbothmen’sandwomen’srugbyreportlevelsoftheseinjurieswhichraiseconcernsfortheCommittee.
Giventheabsenceofcomprehensiveresearchonthenatureandlongtermconsequencesofconcussionsandsub-concussiveinjuries,theCommitteerecommendsthatAmherstconveneapanelofmedicalexpertstodevelopbestpracticesinthiscriticalareaofstudenthealthandwellness.
Rugbyisaclubsport,organizedandmanagedbystudentplayers,withsomeoversightbytheDepartmentofAthletics. Withthedramaticincreaseinthenumberofstudentsparticipatinginclubsportsinrecentyears,theDepartmentofAthleticshasbeenforcedtotriagetheattendanceoftrainersandmedicalpersonnelatpracticesandgames.
ThecommitteerecommendsthattheDepartmentofAthleticsapplythesamesafetystandardstoClubsportsasVarsitysports. Giventherisksofinjuryinrugby,theCommitteerecommendsthateitheradditionalresourcesbeprovidedtotherugbyteamswithtrainersandcoacheswhoareattunedtotheriskofinjurybyinexperiencedathletes,orthesportbediscontinued.
ThecommitteeheardfromstudentsandcoachesalikethatthejointoversightofclubsportsbythestudentgovernmentandtheDepartmentofAthleticsisnotworkingassmoothlyasitcould,anddoesnotmeettheneedsofthesesports.
TheCommitteerecommendsthattheprocessesforgovernanceofclubsportsbereviewedbytheDepartmentofAthleticsandtheDeanofStudentswiththegoalofensuringthatoversightbytheCollegeandtheclubsportscoachingstaffisconsistentwiththepotentialriskstobothstudentathletesandtheCollege.
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AnunintendedconsequenceofAmherst’ssuccessinsupportingpopularvarsity,clubandintramuralsportsprogramsisthechronicandfiercecompetitionforpracticeandplayingtime.ThisCommitteedidnotundertakeananalysisofthisproblem,excepttonotetheuniversalconcernsfromstudents,coachesandathleticadministrators.
WerecommendthattheCollegeundertakeanassessmentofthecurrentandfutureuseofourathleticfacilities,toascertainwhethertheyarebeingoptimallyandfairlyutilizedbythecampuscommunity,andtoidentifyadditionalfacilitiesthatmaybeneededinthefuture.
May2016
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B.Introduction
Inthefallof2014,PresidentBiddyMartinchargedacommitteeoftrustees,faculty,administratorsandstudents1to“weigh…theextenttowhichourathleticprogramsareconsistentwiththeoverallpurposeoftheCollege”2. Inhercharge,sheposedanumberofquestionsthataimedtotestwhetherparticipationinathleticswascontributingto,orideallyenhancing,theeducationalandsocialexperienceofAmherststudents.
ThisisnotthefirsttimeapresidentofAmherstCollegehasaskedagrouptoreflectonthisquestion. In2000then-PresidentTomGeretyformedasimilarcommittee,chairedbyTrusteeColinS.Diver’65. Theirreport,issuedinthespringof2002,providedacomprehensivelookatthestateofAmherst’sathleticsprograms,andconcludedthat“asageneralmatter,webelievethatAmhersthaskeptitsathleticprograminaproperbalancewithitseducationalmission”3. AtthesametimethecommitteenotedthatforcesoutsideAmherst’scontrolhadcreatedachallengingenvironmentinwhichtomaintainthedelicatebalancebetweenacademicandathleticachievement,andrecommendedthattheCollegereviewthestatusofathleticsatAmhersteverythreetofiveyears. Thisreportsummarizesthefirstofthosestock-takingexercises.
Inapproachingitschargethecommitteemetonsixoccasions,andheardfromstudents(bothathletesandnon-athletes),faculty,theDirectorandmembersoftheAthleticsDepartmentandtheDeanofAdmission. OurscheduleofmeetingsandtheindividualswithwhomwespokeareincludedinAppendixC4. WetookadvantageofareportbyanexternalreviewcommitteeoftheDepartmentofAthleticsandPhysicalEducationthathadbeencommissionedbythen-PresidentAnthonyMarxandthen-DeanoftheFacultyGregoryCallin2005. WiththeexpertassistanceofJesseBarbaintheOfficeofInstitutionalResearch,DeanCateZolkosintheOfficeofAdmissionsandAthleticsDirectorDonFaulstick,wecollecteddataregardingthenumberanddemographiccharacteristicsofstudentswhoparticipateinbothvarsityandclubsports;thesuccessrecordofeachteam;theacademicperformanceanddisciplinaryrecordofathletesandnon-athletes;thenumberofclassconflictsassociatedwithparticipationinvarsityathletics;housingpatternsofathletesandnon-athletes;andpracticesemployedtorecruitandadmitathletes. Inouranalysis,wewereparticularlysensitivetochangessincethe2002Diverreportthatreflectedescalationintheintensitywithwhich
1CommitteeRoster,AppendixA2PresidentMartin’sChargetotheCommittee,AppendixB3ThePlaceofAthleticsatAmherstCollege:AQuestionofBalance.ReportoftheSpecialCommitteeonthePlaceofAthleticsatAmherst,20024Meetingscheduleandspeakers,AppendixC
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athleticsispursued. PresidentMartinalsoaskedthecommitteetogatherinformationonthefrequenciesofinjuriestostudentathletes,payingparticularattentiontoconcussions.
ThisreportisnotintendedtoreplicatetheDiverreport. MuchoftheexcellentnarrativeinthatreportregardingtheplaceofathleticsatAmherst,anditsrelationshiptotheNewEnglandSmallCollegeAthleticConference(NESCAC)inwhichitcompetesandtothelargerlandscapeoftheNationalCollegeAthleticAssociation(NCAA)isasrelevanttodayasitwasin2002. RatherourpurposeistoupdatetheanalysesintheDiverReport,andtomakeourownrecommendationsforenhancingtheexperienceofstudents–athletesandnon-athletesalike–atAmherstCollege.
OnedefiningcharacteristicofAmherstthatinfluencedmuchofourdeliberationsisitssmallsize,consideredbyalltobeanenormousstrengthoftheCollege. Thesmallcommunityanditsintimateruralsettingaffordstudentsmanyopportunitiestoestablishcloserelationshipswithoneanotherandwiththefacultybothinsideandoutsidetheclassroom. Ironically,thatstrengthisatthecoreofthechallengeofachievingabalancebetweenacademicsandathletics.ForitssizeAmhersthostsalargenumberofvarsityteams(13men’sand14women’s),andstudentswhoplayonvarsityteamsconstitutethelargestandmostvisibleextracurricular“interestgroup”oncampus–between35-38%ofthestudentbodyinanygivenyear.5
Perhapsbecausetheyarethelargestcohortoncampus,thereisaperceptionheldbymanystudentsofanathlete/non-athletedivide. Suchadividecouldaffecttheabilityofstudents–bothathletesandnon-athletes-totakefulladvantageoftheeducationalandpersonalgrowththatcomefromlivingwithinabroadlydiversecommunityforfouryears.Studentsreportthatathleticteamsdominatethesociallifeofthecollege,andparticularlythedorm“partyscene”,leavingsomestudentsfeelingexcluded.Thevisibilityofathleteshasanegativeeffectonathletesthemselves. Somereportthattheyhaveattimesfeltstereotyped,stigmatizedorpenalizedfortheirparticipationinathletics,withbothfacultyandstudentsassumingthattheyarelessabletoundertaketherigorousacademicworkthatAmherstasksofitsstudents.Inotherwordsbothsidesofthedividefeelaggrievedinoneormoreways.
TheperceptionofadividewithintheAmherststudentbodycreatedbyparticipationinathleticswasverymuchinevidenceatthetimeoftheDiverReport,andthereislittlesignthatthedividehaslessened. AtatimewhenAmhersthasachievedanhistoriclevelofdiversitywithinitsstudentbody,andisfocusedonimprovingthequalityofresidentialandextra-curricularlifeforitsstudents,itisanopportunemomentforstock-takingofhowfarwehavecome,andhowfarwestillneedtogotocreatethekindoflearningcommunitythatisdescribedinthe2015StrategicPlan.
5Byusingthistermwedonotimplythatall“varsityathletes”areidentical,anymorethanall“non-athletes”areinherentlysimilar. Atthesametime,thegeneralprominenceofathletesoncampus,andinthelifeofstudents,mustbenoted.
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TheDiverReportidentifiedfourambitiousaspirationsoftheCollegethatareaffectedbyitshostingathleticteams:(1)thequalityandsuccessoftheacademicprograms;(2)thepersonalgrowthandsocialinteractionamongitsstudents;(3)thediversityofthestudentbody;and(4)thelevelofcollegespiritandsupport. Ournewcommitteerevieweddatathatarerelevanttooneormoreofthesegoals.
C. AnalysisoftheImpactofAthleticsatAmherst
1.AdmissionofAthletes
Indiscussingrosterathletesinthisreport,wemakedistinctionsbetween“athleticfactor”athletes,“coded”athletesand“walk-ons”. AthleticfactorathletesareidentifiedbycoachesandendorsedbytheDepartmentofAthleticsasprospectivestudentswhotrulyexcelattheirsports,andwhosepresencewouldhaveasignificantimpactonthesuccessoftheteams. Theirathleticprowessweighsprominentlyintheadmissiondecisionoftheseapplicants,andtheirnumbersareregulatedbyNESCACrulesaccordingtoaformulabasedonthenumberofvarsityteamsthatthecollegesponsors. ThatnumberforAmherstis67peryear,with14oftheslotsdesignatedforfootball,figureswhicharelowerthanthe75and20slots,respectively,atthetimeoftheDiverReport.
Codedathletesareacademicallyhigh-achievingstudents(termedacademic1’sand2’sona7-pointreader’sscaleusedbytheadmissionsoffice)whoareexcellentathletes,andhavebeensoidentifiedtotheadmissionofficebythecoaches. Thesestudentsareadmittedatamuchhigherratethanthegeneraladmissionrateforstudentsratedacademic1’sand2’s.ThereisnolimitimposedeitherinternallyorbyNESCAConthenumberofstudentsidentifiedinthisway,butingeneralcodedathleteswhoareadmittedtoAmherstnumberbetween60-90peryear. ItshouldbenotedthatathleticsisjustoneofthemanyfactorstakenintoconsiderationwhenassemblinganAmherstCollegestudentbody. Thereareprospectivestudentswhoareexcellentathletes,butwhoarealsoprioritiesforadmissiontothecollegeforotherreasons,suchasstudentsofcolor,firstgenerationcollegeattendance,legacies,thosefromlowsocioeconomicbackgroundsorwhohavestellaracademicqualifications. CoachesmaybringthesestudentstotheattentionoftheAdmissionOfficewithouthavingthemcountagainsttheirtotal.
Walk-onsarestudentswhohavebeenadmittedwithoutanyrecommendationfromacoach,buthavesuccessfullytriedoutfortheteam. Oneofthemajorchangesincollegeathleticsoverthepasttwodecadeshasbeenthedeclineinthenumberofwalk-onsinanysport. Amherstisnodifferent. Thereare~20walk-onsperclass,butfewofthemseemuchplayingtime,andmanydropthesportafterfreshmanyear.
Thebenefitatthetimeofadmissionthatathleticfactorathletesreceiveissubstantial.Incontrast,thecodedathleteslookmuchliketherestofthestudentbodyintermsofacademicperformancebeforematriculation.
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Anoft-voicedconcernamongthefacultywithwhomwespokeabouttheadmissionpreferencesthataregiventovarsityathleticsisthedegreetowhichtheathleticsdepartmentisinfluencingtheadmissionofasignificantfractionofthestudentbody–between125and150studentsoutofanincomingclassof~450(between27and33%fortheClassesof2010-2016).Theydonotarguethatthestudentsarelessableorworthy,butratherthatthecollegepaysanopportunitycostforhavingsuchasignificantfractionofthestudentbodyengagedinasingleextra-curricularactivity. Intheirview,thisimbalanceinstudentpursuitsandpassionsaddstotheperceptionofaculturaldividethatwouldbelesspronouncedifthestudentbodywerelarger,orthenumberofstudentathletesweresmaller.
2. TheNumberofParticipantsinVarsitySports
AmherstCollegeoffersanimpressivenumberofvarsitysportsinintercollegiatecompetitionforitssize: 13formenand14forwomen,figuresthathavenotchangedsincetheDiverReport. In2014-2015,607individualswerecountedonvarsitysportrosters,comparedto541individualsin2001-2,representinga12%increaseinthenumberofathletes.Giventhatthesizeofthestudentbodyincreasedby~10%duringthisinterval,thepercentageofvarsityathletesinthestudentbodyhasstayedroughlyconstant,althoughthenumberofathleticfactorathleteshasdeclined,asnotedabove.
Somesports,particularlymen’slacrosse,haveexperiencedasteadyincreaseinrostersizeoverthelastdecade,from30-33intheearly2000’sto45-46inthelastseveralyears.Thenumberofwomenplayinglacrossehasalsoincreasedfrom21in2002to28in2015. ItisnotcleartotheCommitteewhytheseincreasesoccurred,anditisworrisomethatoneexplanationprovidedbytheDepartmentofAthleticsisthefrequencyofinjuriesinthesesports. Similargrowthisevidentwithbothmen’sandwomen’strack,whichwerealsoincreasinginsizeatthetimeoftheDiverreport. Inthisinstancewelearnedthattheexpansionreflectstheadditionofacoachtofocusonwomen’strack,andanincreaseinthenumberofwalk-ons. Itshouldbenoted,however,thatneitherexpansionledtogreatergenderequityamongathletes,andthusdidnotaccomplishthegoalofbringingtheCollegeintocloseralignmentwithTitleIXrequirements.
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3.DiversityofAthletes
In2002theDiverreportnotedthatthevarsityathleticprogram“hascontributedverylittletotheracial,ethnicandsocioeconomicdiversityoftheAmherststudentbody”6. IntheClassof2003,12%ofvarsityathleteswerestudentsofcolorandonly6%werefromlowsocioeconomicbackgrounds. Despitethe15interveningyearswhenAmhersthassuccessfullyattractedarichlydiversestudentbody,thatstatementcontinuestohavesomevaliditytoday.AlthoughthenumberofstudentsofcoloronvarsityteamshasalmostdoubledsincetheDiverreport,lowincomeandfirstgenerationstudentsremainstrikinglyunder-represented(Table1).Thesedataillustrateanimportantcomponentoftheathletic/non-athleticdivide:namely,thatthestudentathletepopulationhasastrikinglydifferentdemographicprofilethantheoverallstudentbody.
Table1 DemographicsofVarsityAthletesforthe2011-2015Cohorts
Students International Studentsof
ColorWhite LowIncome First
GenerationMen’steams 4% 23% 73% 6% 4%Women’steams
2% 24% 74% 2% 2%
Non-athletes 12% 53% 35% 31% 20%Allstudents 9% 44% 47% 23% 15%
Thisdisparityisnotuniformacrossallteams. Severalsportsteamsdeserverecognition
forhavingamorediversecadreofstudents.Themen’ssoccerteam,forexample,hasarosterinwhichstudentsofcolorandwhitestudentsareequallyrepresented,andbothmen’sandwomen’stennisteamsaresignificantlymorediversethanotherteams(32%and74%studentsofcolor,respectively).
Nevertheless,thesestrikingoveralldisparitiesintheethnicityandsocioeconomic
backgroundsofathletesandnon-athletes,combinedwiththesubstantialfractionofstudentswhoareathletes,contributeinsignificantmeasuretothesenseoncampusthatthereisa“divide”betweenthetwostudentpopulations.Inthissense,theperceptionofadivisionbetweenathletesandnon-athletesisexacerbatedbythedifferencesintheirdemographics.Ourcommitteebelievesthatitisurgenttodevelopnewstrategiestoreducethisimbalance.
AdmissionpoliciesatAmherstcanrewardthosecoacheswhoaresuccessfulatrecruiting
adiversegroupofathletes. Asmentionedabove,whenacoachidentifiesastudentofcolor,lowincomeorfirstgenerationstudent,thestudentcanbebroughttotheattentionoftheadmissionofficewithoutthatstudentcountingasacodedor“athleticfactor”athlete.
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Itmustbeacknowledgedthatthecoachingstafffacescertainexternalchallengesin
recruitingdiverseathletes. Onesuchchallengeisthe“perfectstorm”ofracialandsocioeconomicinequalitycoupledwiththeintensificationofathleticsinadolescence. Asparticipationinathleticshasintensifiedduringmiddleschoolandhighschoolyears,childrenarespecializingintheirchosensportatmuchyoungerages. Theyareincreasinglyexpectedtotakepartincostlysummercamps,engagepersonaltrainersandpayfortheirexpensesontravelingteams. Allthesetrends“advantagetheadvantaged”,andmakeitharderforstudentsfromlowincomebackgroundstocompetesuccessfullyforplacesoncollegerosters.
Further,certainaspectsofrecruitment,regulatedbyNESCACrules,preventtheAmherstathleticsstafffromapproachingpotentialdiverseathletesduringperiodsinwhichotherschoolsinbothDivisionIandDivisionIIImayactivelyrecruit,admitandofferfinancialaidtothesestudents. Amherstthusmayneverhavetheopportunitytoattractsomeofthesecandidates.
FinallytheCommitteenotedthelackofdiversityamongAmherst’scoachingstaff. AtatimewhentheCollegeisfocusedonbringinggreaterdiversitytoitsfaculty,theCommitteebelievesthatthisinitiativeshouldincludethecoachingstaff.
4.HousingPatterns
Directevidenceforaseparationbetweenathletesandnon-athletescanbefoundinthehousingpatternsofmaleathletes,whoclusterinthe“socialdorms”,Pond,Stone,CrossettandCoolidge. Itisstrikingthatinthefallof2014,85%and80%oftheresidentsinPondandStone,respectively,wereathletes,particularlymaleathletes. Giventhatthesedormsareconfiguredinsuchawaythattheyaretheidealspacestohostparties,theconcentrationofathletesinthemallbutguaranteesthatathletesdominateatleastthisoneelementofthesociallifeofthecollege-theweekendpartyscene. Thisdominationofsociallifeisreflectedinthefactthatathletesaremorelikelytobecitedforminorrulesinfractions,andespeciallynoiseandunderagedrinking,eventhoughathletesarenotmorepronetobecitedforseriousinfractionssuchaspropertydamage,theftorsexualassault.Withthedecommissioningofthesocialdormsandtheopeningofthe“Greenway”dormsinthefallof2016,thereisagoldenopportunitytorebalancethehousingpatternsofstudents. Withroomdrawfor2016justconcluded,thereisveryencouragingevidencethatstudentshaveindeedredistributedmuchmorebroadlythroughoutthecampus.
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5.GraduationRatesandStudentSatisfaction
ParticipationinathleticsdoesnotaffecttheabilityofAmherststudentstosuccessfullynavigatetheacademicprogramandgraduateontime. Six-yeargraduationrateswereobtainedforthestudentsenteringbetweenthefallof2005and2009(correspondingroughlytotheclassesof2009-2013),whichrevealedthatthegraduationrateofmaleandfemalerosterathleteswas97.9%,significantlyhigherthanfornon-athletes(93.8%).
AtgraduationAmherststudentswhoparticipatedinNCAAathleticsreporthighlevelsofsatisfactionwiththeirundergraduateeducation,ashighandattimesslightlyhigherthannon-athletes(4.34versus4.04onascalefrom1-5in2014). WhenathletesfromtheClassesof2014and2015arequeriedabouttheirexperiencesasathletes,theygavehighmarkstoboththeircoachesandprofessorsfortheirwillingnesstoaccommodateaconflictbetweentheirathleticandacademicpursuits.Nevertheless,equalnumbersreportedthattheyweretreatedfavorablyorunfavorablybyaprofessorbecausetheyareathletesatleastonce(38and39%vs.42and38%for2014and2015,respectively). Asignificantminority(30-36%)alsoreportedthattheyhadchosennottotakeacoursesolelybecauseoftheirperceptionthattheprofessorhasnegativeattitudestowardathletes. SowhileathletesareclearlypleasedwiththeiroveralleducationalexperienceatAmherst,asignificantnumberofthemeitherperceiveand/orexperiencenegativeattitudesfromthefaculty(Figure1). TheCommitteebelievesthatthefacultyneedstoconsidertheseconcerns,whichareexperiencedbyasignificantfractionofstudentathletes.
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6. PostgraduateOutcomes
A2013ConsortiumonFinancingHigherEducation(COFHE)surveyofpostgraduateoutcomesofAmherstgraduatesoftheClassesof1938-2008suggeststhatathleteshavehistoricallybeenmorelikelytopursuecareersinbusiness(28%)thannon-athletes(18%),andhalfaslikelytoundertakecareersinthearts(6%vs.11%).
Sincethe1960s,athleteshavebeenfrequentandgenerousdonorstoAmherst,consistentlyeclipsingnon-athletesinparticipationpercentageaswellaslevelofsupport. Forexample,amongmembersoftheClassesofthe1960s76%ofathletesdonatedtoAmherstin2015,comparedto56%ofnon-athletes. Thistrendisreplicatedinthemostrecentclassesthathavegraduatedinthe2010s,inwhich43.8%ofathletesand36%ofnon-athleteshavemadegiftstoAmherst. Formerathletesrepresent48%ofthealumnibody,buttheyconstitute78%ofFoundersSocietymembers(donorswhohavemadecumulativegiftsof$1millionormore).Furthermore,formerathletesvolunteerforalumnirolesatAmherstataratethatisgreaterthannon-athletes. OneconclusionfromthesedataisthatparticipationinathleticsincreasesalumniallegiancetoAmherstCollege.
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7. CourseofStudyforAthletes
Whilemanystudentathletesareaswellpreparedastheirpeerswhentheymatriculate,therearedifferencesinthewaysinwhichtheyapproachandtakeadvantageofeducationalopportunitiesatAmherst. Forexample,asshowninFigure2fortheClassesof2010-2014,athletesarealmosttwiceaslikelytoconcentrateinEconomics(21-22%)comparedtonon-athletes(12%). Thisdisparityistrueevenforwalk-onathletes,suggestingthatdecisionsabout
Figure2MostfrequentMajorsbyAthleticStatus
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coursesofstudyarebeingaffectedbythecultureoftheteams. Thedisparityisparticularlyevidentinthehigh-profilesports,suchasmen’sbasketball,baseball,football,andlacrosse.Studentsparticipatinginthosefoursportsrepresent33%ofEconomicsmajors,37%ofthoseinpoliticalscienceand27%ofhistorymajorsintheClassesof2011-2015,eventhoughtheyrepresentjust11.8%ofstudents. ThedistributionofstudentsacrossthecurriculumwasnotaddressedintheDiverreport;thuswedonotknowwhetherthisbiasisalongstandingoneornot. Nevertheless,theconcentrationofathletesinafewacademicdepartmentsisanothersenseinwhichthereis“divide”amongathletesandnon-athletes.
Asecondpatternisapparentforathleticfactorathletes:theyarelesslikelytopursuestudyinascientificdisciplinethatrequireslonghoursinlaboratories(amongthesciencedisciplines,onlyenvironmentalstudiesreportsasignificantnumberofathleticfactorathletes(8%)). Thisdifferenceisnotapparentwitheithercodedathletes(19%inbiology,neuroscienceandchemistry)orwalk-ons(21%inbiology,chemistryandenvironmentalstudies). Thesedata
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Oneotherdifferenceintheacademicexperienceofathletesisthattheyarelesslikelytoparticipateinsmallclasses(Figure3). Asillustratedforclassesinthespringof2014,codedathletes(38%)andathleticfactorathletes(35%)spendlesstimeinsmallclasseswithfewerthan30studentsthannon-athletes(49%),andsignificantlymoretimeinlargeclasses.Thediscrepancydeclinesforwalk-onathletes(44%). Thisdifferencemaybeconsequentialassmallerclassesleadtomoremeaningfulinteractionsamongfacultyandstudents,andarerightfullyasourceofprideforthecollege.
Figure3CourseenrollmentsbySizeandAthleticStatus
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Oneofthemoststrikingacademicdifferencesbetweenathletesandnon-athleteswasthelikelihoodofwritingaseniorthesis. AsshowninFigure4fortheClassesof2011-2015,bothmaleandfemaleathleticfactorathletesweresignificantlylesslikelytoelecttowriteaseniorthesis(16%)thannon-athletes(49%). Furthermore,thelikelihoodappearstobedecliningoverthefive-yeartimeperiodwesurveyed. Thethesisparticipationratesforcodedathletesandwalk-onathletesarefarmorevariable,makingitdifficulttoidentifyatrend,althoughitisapparentthatingeneralmale(butnotfemale)codedathletesarelesslikelytowriteathesis.Suchagenderdifferenceisnotevidentamongnon-athletes.
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Thedecisionwhethertowriteaseniorthesisisacomplexoneandisnottheonlyindicatorofanintenseacademicexperience.Thechoicetoforegotheexperiencemaybemotivatedbypositivefactorssuchasthedesiretoexplorethecurriculummorebroadlyinone’ssenioryear,ortopursueindependentwork. Yetsuchconsiderationsdonotexplainwhyathletesmakedifferentchoicesthannon-athletes. Itseemslikelythatweakerpreparationorthelargetimecommitmentthatathleticsrequiresmakesitdauntingforsometoundertakeamajorpieceofwork.
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Figure5PercentofstudentsstudyingAbroad
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AlargefractionofAmherststudentselecttostudyabroad-39%ofstudentsintheClassesof2006-2015tookadvantageoftheopportunity. Rosterathletesinthesameclassesweresomewhatlesslikelytostudyabroad(34%). Interestingly,rosterathletesexhibitedthesamegenderbiasasthestudentbodyasawhole,withwomenfarmorelikelytostudyabroadthantheirmaleclassmates(Figure5). Predictablythelikelihoodofstudyingabroadwasinfluencedbytheseasonofthesport,withparticipantsinthewinterandtwo-semestersportssuchasbasketball,hockey,golf,trackandswimmingamongtheleastlikelytohavestudiedabroad.
8.AcademicPerformanceofAthletes
Itisnotsurprising,giventhedifferenceinacademicqualificationsatthetimeofadmission,thatathleticfactorathletesgraduatewithslightlylowercumulativegradepointaverages(GPAs)thancodedathletes. However,thereisnoevidencethatparticipationinathleticsdisadvantagesathleticfactorathletes,fortheyactuallyperformsignificantlybetterthannon-athletesadmittedwithsimilarcredentialsofreader’sratingof~4. Athleticfactorstudentscompleteseniorthesesatasignificantlylowerratethancomparablenon-athletes(18%vs26%),buttheygraduateatahigherratethannon-athleteswhomatriculatedwithequivalentacademiccredentials. Aswithathleticfactorathletes,thereisnoconsistentGPAdifferencebetweencodedathletesandwalk-onsandnon-athleteswithsimilaracademiccredentialsatmatriculation,reinforcingtheconclusionthatparticipationinathleticsdoesnotcompromisetheabilityofathletestoexcelacademicallyatAmherst.
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9. TimeCommitmentofAthletesandAcademicConflicts
TheDiverreportnotedin2002aworrisomenationwidetrendofescalationinthetimedemandsonstudentswhoparticipateinvarsitysports. Thattrendhasnotdiminishedintheinterveningyears. WithintheNCAA,someDivisionIandIIIleagueshaveexhibitedawillingnesstolengthenseasons,increasethenumberofpracticesandgames,andextendthetraveldistancesacrossleagues. Thesedemandsforgreatercommitmenttoathleticsinevitablyreducethetimeavailableformeaningfulacademicexperiences,andmayinterferewithattainingit.
Inmanyrespects,AmherstisprotectedfromtheworstofthesepressuresbyitsmembershipinNESCAC,aDivisionIIIleaguewhosecollegesanduniversitiesarerelativelywellalignedwithrespecttothegoalofacademic/athleticbalance. PlayingseasonsaresignificantlyshorterthanthoseallowedbyNCAArules. TheprohibitiononathleticscholarshipsensuresthatstudentathletesarenotbeholdentotheDepartmentofAthleticsforthefundstoattendAmherstandthatcollegescholarshipfundsareawardedonaneedsbasisonly.
Nevertheless,AmherstandNESCACarenotimmunetotheseoutsidetrends. Whilethe
lengthoftheofficialseasonhasnotincreasedoverthepast15years,itisapparentthattheextentofpost-seasonplay,aswellastheamountoftravelandgametimes,andexpandedexpectationsofout-of-seasonpracticeshavetogetherincreasedtherequiredcommitmentofvarsityathletes. Forexamplebetween2001and2015,thenumberofcontestshasincreasedsignificantlyinanumberofsports–baseballhasgrownfrom32to42contests;women’sbasketballshowedajumpfrom25to33contestsafterthe2007-8season;men’slacrossehasgrownfrom16to21inrecentyears.
Asignificantfractionoftheincreaseinthenumberofgamesisduetopost-seasonplayinbothNESCACaswellasNCAADivisionIII. AmherstteamsareremarkablysuccessfulwithinNESCAC,withonlyarchrivalWilliamsoutpacingtheirrecordofNESCACchampionshipsinrecentyears. Someteams,suchasmen’sbaseball,basketball,soccer,swimmingandtennis,regularlycompeteinbothNESCACpostseasontournamentsandreceivebidsforNCAApostseasoncompetition. Likewise,women’sbasketball,fieldhockey,icehockey,lacrosse,soccer,swimming,tennisandvolleyballareperennialfavoritestogoontopost-seasonplay.Withthatsuccesscomesgreatertimecommitmentfromstudents,andthepossibilityofmorefrequentconflictswithclassesandotheracademicactivities.
Post-seasonplayisparticularlyproblematic,asitofteninvolvessignificanttravelandoftencomesattheendofasemesterwhenstudentworkloadstendtoincreaseandexamsarescheduled. Inaddition,theextentofpost-seasonplayinanyparticularyearforanygivensportisdifficulttoanticipateinadvance.TheDiverReportdocumentedanaverageof18classconflictsperyearduetopost-seasonplaybetween1999and2001;thetotalfor2014-15is29conflicts,reflectingbothAmherst’ssuccessontheplayingfieldaswellasincreasedoptionsforpost-seasonplayoverthelast15years.
Everyteam,withtheexceptionoffootball,hasformanyyearsscheduledmid-week
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games. Thenumberofthesegames,whicharethemostlikelytoleadtoclassconflicts,especiallywhenthegamerequirestravelingtoanothercampus,hasstayedrelativelyconstant.Acrossallsports,theDiverReportestimatedthattherewere50regularseasonmid-weekclassconflictsidentifiedbycoachesineachofthe1999-2000and2000-2001seasons.Thatnumberforthe2014-15academicyearisapproximately45. Overallthecoachingstaffhasbeenabletolimitthissourceoftensionbetweenstudentsandfaculty.
Whentheydooccur,missedclassesareasignificantsourceoftensionbetweenstudentathletesandsomefaculty. Insomecases,conflictsmayrequireafacultymembertowriteandproctorseparateexamstoaccommodatethestudents’absences. Boththefacultyandcoachesworktoresolveschedulingconflicts,employinglatevansforstudentswhocouldnotmissaclassorexam,whileothersarrangetravelindependently. Somestudentsareabletomakeindividualarrangementswiththeirprofessorstocatchupwithclassmaterialorassignments.Somefacultyfeelthatadecisiontoforegoclassisasignofdisrespectfortheacademicmissionofthecollege. Wedidnothearechoesofsuchdisrespectamongthestudentathleteswithwhomwemet;tothecontrary,theyexpressedadeepcommitmenttotheiracademicwork.Thefacultyliaisonstothesportsteamsexpressedtheviewthattheirstudentathletesarecommittedtotheiracademicworkinspiteofhavingdifficultyresolvingtheseschedulingconflictsfromtimetotime.Itmustbenoted,asmorethanonefacultydid,thatstudentsmissclassesforavarietyofreasons,suchasconflictswithmusicandtheaterperformancesandjobinterviews,orsimplybychoice. However,thereappearstobeheightenedsensitivitytoathletically-motivatedconflicts. Thismaybeinpartbecausestudentathletesaresuchalargeandvisiblecohortand/orbecauseathletesareenjoinedtoinformtheirprofessorswhentheymissclass.
10. SafetyofStudentAthletes–theIssueofConcussions
SincetheDiverReporttherehasbeenagrowingandalarmingbodyofscientificevidencethatpointstothelonglastingnegativeeffectsofconcussionsamongstudentandprofessionalathletes,includingchronictraumaticencephalopathy(CTE). CTEiscausedbyrepetitivebraintraumathatcouldresultfrombothconcussionsthatcausesymptoms,andsub-concussivehitstotheheadthatcausenosymptomsandthusgoundetected. TheCTEsymptomsincludememoryloss,confusion,impairedjudgment,impulsecontrolproblems,aggression,depression,anxiety,suicidality,parkinsonism,and,eventually,progressivedementia.7 Althoughthesesymptomsaccelerateinseveritywithage,theyhavebeenobservedinyoungcollegefootballplayers,includingafootballplayerattheUniversityofPennsylvaniawhocommittedsuicide,andwhosebraindisplayedsignsofCTEatautopsy, yethadneverreportedhavingexperiencedaconcussion8. 7BostonUniversityCTECenter. http://www.bu.edu/alzresearch/ctecenter/chronic-traumatic-encephalopathy-faqs/8NewYorkTimesSeptember13,2010.http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/sports/14football.html?_r=0
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Theabsenceofahistoryofconcussionsinthisyoungmanillustratestwoconcernsaboutparticipationinpotentiallyviolentsports. Oneisthattheplayerswhostartthesportatanearlyagearelikelytoreceivemultiplehitstotheheadbeforecollege,noneofwhichmayrisetotheseverityofaconcussion,andthusgounreported.Thesecondisthatplayersarereluctanttoreporthits,fearingthattheywillnotbeallowedtocontinuetoplay. Thoseconcernspointtotheneedforvigilantattentionbymedicalpersonnelatbothpracticesandcontests,inordertoidentifyheadcontactthatmaybesub-concussive,andthereforeunreported.
Concussionsposeanespeciallyseriousissueatacademicinstitutions,asstudentswhohavebeendiagnosedwithaconcussionarerequiredtorefrainfromanyseriousintellectualworkforperiodsoftimethatcanextendtoweeks. Thosestudentsarethenataseveredisadvantageintheclassroomaswellasontheplayingfield,especiallygiventheshortlengthofthesemester.
AthleticDirectorDonFaulstickprovidedthecommitteewiththeheadinjuryprotocolthatisfollowedatAmherstandtheotherNESCACschools. Theplanoutlinesthestepstakenontheplayingfieldtodiagnoseheadinjury,andtheguidelinesthatarefollowedbeforeastudentmayreturntopracticeorplaying. Thiscommitteedoesnothavetheexpertisetojudgewhethertheprotocolisstate-of-the-artinthefield,butwedoquestionwhetherstudentswhohavereceived3concussionsshouldeverbeallowedtoresumeplay,evenwhensymptomshavedisappeared.ThisstandardshouldbereviewedbyoutsidemedicalexpertsandtheirfindingsreportedtothePresidentandAthleticDirector.
AtAmherst,thefootballteamhasbeenreportingonaverage6concussiveandsub-concussiveeventseachseason,witharangefrom1-12.Thenumberinmen’shockeyhasbeenincreasinginrecentyears,to4and6forthe2013and2014seasons,respectively. Mostworrisometothecommitteeisthenumberofreportsofconcussionandsub-concussionsintwoclubsports,men’sandwomen’srugby.AlthoughtheDepartmentofAthleticsprovidesaccesstothesports-medicinestaffandfacilitytoallstudents,itdoesnotcurrentlyhavetheresourcestoprovideathletictrainersforallpracticesandmatchesforeventhe27varsityteams. Insteadthedepartmentprioritizestheircoveragebasedonthenumberandseverityofinjuries. ItiscleartotheCommitteethatrugbyisaclubsportthatneedsextensivecoverageinthefuture.Moregenerally,weurgethecollegetoregularlyreviewthepoliciesrelatingtodetection,treatmentandmonitoringofconcussiveandsub-concussiveevents,andtoensurethatappropriateresourcesareallocatedtothiskeysafetyconcern.
11. ClubandIntramuralSports
Inadditiontovarsitycompetition,Amherststudentscanchooseamongarichmenuofclubsportsinwhichtoparticipateandcompete. Indeed,thenumberofstudentswhoparticipateinthesesportsisquitehigh. In2014-15approximately390students,nearly22%ofthestudentbody,tookpartinsportsrangingfromarcherytowrestling(Figure6).Thatnumberhasbeenrisingrapidlyoverthepastfiveyears,from245in2010-11toanall-timehighof404studentsin2012-13. Thisincreasedinterestinplayingaclubsport,whichisahealthyadditiontostudentlifeatAmherst,hasputnewpressureontheathleticdepartmentanditsfacilities.
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Unlikevarsityteams,clubsportsteamsareoverseenjointlybythestudentgovernmentandtheDepartmentofAthletics. Inordertoberecognizedasaclubsportagroupneedstoestablishthatthereisanactivecohortofstudentsinterestedinthesport,andreceiveapprovalfromtheStudentActivitiesOfficeandfundingfromthestudentgovernment(AAS). TheDepartmentofAthleticsassistswithvettingcoaches,whoareidentifiedandhiredbytheteamsthemselves. TheDepartmentalsoprovides,inadditiontomedicalassistance,hazingawarenesstraining,andmaintainsrostersandschedules.
AnumberofClubsportshavelong-standinganddedicatedcoaches,andthestudents’commitmentstothesesports,whichoftenaretypicallyfullvarsitysportsatpeerschools(forexample,crewandrugby),maymirrorthatofvarsitysports.Forthosewhowishtoparticipateinathletics,butdonotwanttocompeteonclubsportsteams,thereareintramuralleaguesinbasketball,dodgeball,kickball,soccer,softballandvolleyballin2014-15. Approximately323Amherststudentsparticipated.
Theschedulingofathleticsfacilitiesisreportedtobechallengingforout-of-seasoncaptains’practices,aswellasforclubandintramuralsports. Thefactthatvarsityteamsaregivenpreferenceforfieldsandcourts,especiallyduringtheirplayingseasons,whilelogical,isasourceoftensionbetweenvarsityathletesandeveryoneelse.Theselimitationsalsoputpressureonlessformalathleticactivities–suchasexerciseprograms,individualworkoutsandsmall-groupcasualgames--whicharealsoimportanttotheCollegecommunity. WhileAmherstisfortunatetohavegenerallyattractiveathleticfacilitiesandfields,findingspaceforallthoseinterestedinengaginginathleticsappearstopresentmanychallenges.
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D. ConclusionsandRecommendations
The2002DiverReportconcludedthat“OveralltheCommitteefindsthatAmherstoperatesanexcellentandverysuccessfulvarsityathleticsprogramthatprovidessubstantialbenefitsnotonlytothosewhoparticipatedirectly,butalsototheCollegeasawhole”. Weagreewiththisassessment. InmanyrespectsAmherst’sathleticprogramsareamongthemostadmiredinthenation. Fromthestudentathletes’perspective,Amherstaffordsthemtheopportunitytopursuetheirpassionfortheirsportwhileobtainingastellarliberalartseducation,embodyingthestudent/athleteideal. Athletessucceedacademically,andgraduatewiththeirclassmatesontime. Theybenefitfromhavingabuilt-incommunityfromthemomenttheyarriveoncampus,withupperclassteammatestomentorthemandcoachesandathleticfacultyfellowswhoarededicatedtotheirsuccessandwellbeing. OverallathletesreportahighdegreeofsatisfactionwiththeirAmhersteducation–bothinsideandoutsidetheclassroom-andremainloyalandgeneroustotheCollegeforyearsfollowinggraduation.Thereareveryfewcollegesthatcanmakesuchclaims.
MuchofthecreditforthesuccessofourathleticprogramsgoestotheDepartmentofAthletics,whichhasalong-establishedtraditionofrespectingtheprimeimportanceofacademicsatAmherstwhileseekingexcellencebothonandoffthefield. Indeed,atleastoneoftheCollege’smostadmiredco-curricularprograms,AmherstLEADs,startedasanathleticsprogramandhassincebeenintroducedacrossthecampus. Likewise,weheardmanyexamplesofcoachesdemandingthehigheststandardsofethicsandgoodconductfromtheirteammembers,andwemetstudentathleteswhoserecordswereequallyimpressiveonandoffthefield.
Atthesametime,someoftheCollege’ssuccessinathleticscomesatacosttotheCollegeandtoherstudents,andleadsustoask,astheDiverCommitteedidinitsreport,“whetherthecostsbearaproperproportiontothebenefits.9” Belowwediscussthosecosts,andofferpossibleremediesdesignedtotipthebalanceinthedirectionofthebenefitsofathleticstoAmherst.
1. ThePerceivedDivideBetweenAthletesandNon-Athletes
Throughoutthisreportwehavehighlightedthesignificantnumberofwaysinwhichtheexperiencesofathletesandnon-athletesdeviatefromoneanother,whichleadtoapervasivesenseamongstudentsthatthereisa“divide”betweenthetwogroups. Maleathletesinparticularcongregateinthesocialdorms,whichfurthersthesenseamongmanystudentsthatathletesdominatealargesectorofthesociallifeoftheCollege.Athletesstandoutinpart
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becausetheyare,ingeneral,lessdiversethanthestudentbodyasawhole,bothethnicallyandsocioeconomically. Theydistributeacrosstheacademicdepartmentsinverydifferentwaysfromtheirclassmates.Someathletesarelesslikelytoworkcloselywithfacultyinsmallclassesortowriteaseniorthesis.
ThesedifferencesbetweengroupsofAmherststudents,basedontheirparticipationinvarsitysports,wouldhavelessimpactonthestudentbodyasawholeifathleteswereasmallerpercentageofthestudentbody. Representing35-38%ofthestudentbody,varsityathletesconstitutethelargestgroupofstudentsasdefinedbyextra-curricularinterests,whichmeansthatthedifferencesarehighlyvisibleandcanbecomeamplifiedinthemindsofstudentsandfacultyalike. Moreover,thereisaveryrealopportunitycosttotheCollegeinhavingsuchalargefractionofitsstudentbodyengagedinasinglepursuit-lessbreadthintheinterestsandpassionsthatstudentsbringtocampus. AtatimewhenAmherstisdedicatedtoimprovingthequalityofstudentresidentiallife,andtoensuringthatstudentsareabletotakefulleducationalbenefitfromtheextraordinarydiversityofitsstudentbody,addressingtheperceiveddivideamongthestudentbodywillbecriticaltoachievingthatgoal.
ThedivideisaninevitableconsequenceofthenumberofvarsityteamsandtheirinterestinbeinghighlycompetitivewithinNESCACandbeyond. Itfollowsthatoneway,albeitcontroversial,toreduceboththeopportunitycostandthedivideistoreducethenumberofstudentsparticipatinginvarsityathletics–byeliminatingsomesports,forexamplethosethatarechronicallyunsuccessfulontheplayingfield,orproblematicbecauseofthefrequencyofinjuries,orhavedifficultyattractingarosterofcapablestudentsinsidetheclassroomorontheplayingfield,orcontributeverylittletoengenderinginterestinorloyaltytotheCollege.
Alternativelysometeamrostersmayhavebecomelargerthanisnecessaryfortheteamtobecompetitive,andcouldbereduced. Thatapproachseemsfarpreferabletoreducingrostersizesacrosstheboard,whichwouldthreatensometeams’long-termcompetitiveness.Foracollegethatiscommittedtoexcellenceineverythingitchoosestodo,itwouldbedifficulttoarguethatinthisonerespect–athleticachievement–itwouldbeacceptabletounderperform.
TheCommitteerecommendsthatthereshouldbenofurtherincreaseinthenumberofvarsityathletesorvarsityteams,eveniftheAmherstCollegestudentbodyincreasesinthefuture.Further,werecommendthatperiodicreviewsbeconductedtoensurethatvarsityteamsareviableandtheirrostersizesarenecessaryfortheteam’scompetitiveness.
AtthesametimetheCommitteebelievesthatthereareopportunitiestoidentifyandreducedifferencesintheexperiencesofathletesandnon-athletesthatseemmostproblematic,andmostlikelytocontributetothedivide. Thiswouldinvolve,forexample,limitingsomeofthemoreextremeclusteringofathletesincertaindorms,andencouragingabroaderinterminglinginlivingspaces.WearealsoawarethattheCollegeisfocusedoncreatingadditionalsocialspacesandopportunitiestopromoteabroadersocialmenuforathletesandnon-athletesalike. Studentleadersonbothsidesofthe“divide”needtotakeownershipof
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theseissues,andworktogethertobuildstrongerconnectivityandcommunityamongathletesandnon-athletes. Manystudentswithwhomwemetindicatedagenuineenthusiasmforthisundertaking.
Werecommendthateveryeffortbetakenbyadministratorsandstudentleaderstoensurethatstudentlivingenvironments,andcommunityactivitymorebroadly,provideforgoodandhealthymixingofstudentsofeveryinterest.
Anothersteptoreducetheappearanceofadividewouldbetoincreasethediversityamongvarsityathletessothatitmorecloselyresemblesthatofthestudentbody. TherehasbeenprogressonthisissuesincetheDiverReport,andthecommitteerecognizesthatitisnotrealistictohaveeveryteamreflecteverydimensionofdiversityamongthebroaderstudentbody. WiththeCollege’sstrongreputationofattractingatalentedanddiversestudentbody,wewouldexpectthatAmherstcanexploitthiscompetitiveadvantagefurtherinitsathleticrecruiting. WeurgetheDepartmentofAthletics,coachesandtheAdmissionsOfficetoexploremorecreativelyopportunitiestoincreasediversityamongvarsityathletes.
Thecommitteerecommendsstronglythatincreasingthediversityofstudentathletesandthecoachingstaffshouldbeahighpriorityfortheathleticdepartmentandadmissionsoffice.
WhiletheoverallacademicperformanceofvarsityathletesatAmherstisgenerallycomparabletothatofthestudentbodyasawhole,weobservedcertainpatternsthatmaysuggest,atleastonaverage,studentathletesdonothavethesameacademicexperienceastheirnon-athleticpeers.TheCommitteedidnothavethetimetoexploretheunderlyingcausesofthesedifferences. Wecanspeculateonpossiblefactors: theadvicepasseddowneachyearbytheirupperclassteammatestoincomingfreshmen;theschedulingofclassesandlaboratoriesthatareincompatiblewithathletics;theschedulingofathleticconteststhatareincompatiblewithacademicpursuits;varyinglevelsofpreparationforcertainsubjectsamongathletic-factorathletes;perceptionsthattherearedifferencesinthereceptivenessoffacultytoathletes;ortheworkloadofaparticularcourseofstudy.
Wewouldnotethatatleastsomeofthesolutionstomanyoftheseconcernsdonotrestentirely,andperhapsnotevenprimarily,withthestudentathletesthemselves.WeurgethefacultyandDepartmentofAthleticstodeepentheopenandconstructivedialoguethatwehavewitnessed,andtoreflectonwaystoaddresstheseconcerns. AllAmherststudentsshouldfeelthattheyareabletotakefulladvantageofthecurriculum,andopportunitiestoworkcloselywithfaculty.
TheCommitteerecommendsthattheFacultyEducationandAthleticsCommitteeundertakeastudytounderstandtheunderlyingcausesoftheacademicdecisionsthatleadsomestudentathletestoconcentrateinasmallnumberofdepartmentsandtosuggest
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remediesforanypoliciesandpracticesthatmaydiscourageordeterstudentathletesfromexperiencingthefullbenefitofanAmhersteducation.
TheCommitteeheardfromstudentathletesthattheyoccasionallyencounternegativeattitudesoffacultybasedontheirparticipationinathletics,andsomestudentsbelievetheyhavebeenpenalizedbyfacultyfortheirathleticparticipation. ThesurveyshowsthatthisisnotapervasiveproblematAmherst;atthesametime,ideallythisisaproblemthatshouldnotexistatall. Apowerfulantidotetonegativestereotypingofathletesisprovidedbythefacultyathleticliaisons,whoactaslinksbetweentheteamsandthefaculty. TheCommitteemetwithagroupofliaisons,someofwhomaremotivatedbypastexperienceasstudentathletes,someofwhomarefansofspecificsports,otherswhohadnoathleticpropensitybutsimplywishedtoconnectwithanewgroupofstudentsandevensomewhoarelookingtoattractmorestudentstotheirdiscipline. Thesefacultyunanimouslyexpressedrespectandsupportfortheirstudentteams,andforthequalityofthecoaches,whilerecognizingthatsmallconflicts(primarilyrelatingtoscheduling)inevitablyarise. Theyalsoexpressedgreatconfidenceinthepotentialofthestudent-athletemodeltoberealizedatAmherst.Thesefacultyserveacrucialroleinbridgingapotentialdividebetweenfacultyandstudents,andprovidingwiseadviceandsupporttostudentathletesandcoachesalike.
TheCommitteenotesthattheFacultyLiaisonsProgramisofsignificantbenefittoAmherstCollege,andshouldbeencouraged,supportedandexpanded.
2. EscalationintheIntensityofAthleticCompetition
Asearlyas2002theDiverreportnotedthatAmherstisnotimmunetothenationaltrendtowardintensifyingcompetitivepressuresincollegiateathletics.Thatpressurehas,ifanything,increasedinthelast15years. Storiesaboutscoutingandrecruitingstudentsinmiddleschoolarebecomingcommon10,andcheatingscandalsatacademicallyhighlyregardeduniversitiesarenolongersurprising11. HappilywedetectnoevidenceofeitherofthesetrendsatAmherst.
WithitsmembershipinNESCAC,AmherstisbufferedfromtheworstpracticeswithinthelargerNCAAuniverse.NESCACimposesfarmorestringentrulesthantheNCAAregardingrecruitmentofprospectivestudents,admissionsstandards,thelengthoftheplayingseason,thenumberofcontests,theacademicqualificationsandthesizeofrosters,andtheextentofpost-seasonplay.Inonerespect,however,Amherstisavictimofitsownsuccess. AsourteamshavebecomemoreandmoresuccessfulwithinNESCAC,winningfarmorethanourfairshareofleaguechampionships,theambitiontogoontotheNCAADivisionIIIplayoffs,andonoccasion
10http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/27/sports/committing-to-play-for-a-college-then-starting-9th-grade.html?_r=011Cheated: The UNC Scandal, the Education of Athletes, and the Future of Big-Time CollegeSports.JMSmithandMWillingham.PotomacBooks(2015)
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evenwinanationalchampionship,becomeseverstronger.Thatentailscompetingagainstteamswhoplaybyverydifferentnon-NESCACrules.
DuringitsdeliberationstheCommitteeuncoveredsomeevidenceofintensificationinthepursuitofathleticsatAmherst. Inparticular,wenoteda12%expansioninthenumberofvarsityathletessincetheDiverReportwithoutachangeinthenumberofvarsityteamsduetotheexpansionoftherostersizesinlacrosseandtrack. Atatimewhena10%increaseinthesizeofthestudentbodymighthavecausedtheproportionofvarsityathletesoncampustodecline,theproportionhasactuallygrownslightly.
Therearealsosignsthattheathleticexperiencehasbecomemoreintense,andrequiresagreatercommitmentoftheathletesduetopost-seasonplayandout-of-seasonpractices.TheCommitteedocumentedanumberofinstancesinwhichthenumberofcontestsplayedbyateamhasescalatedsincetheDiverReport. Theseincludebaseball(~33to~41);men’slacrosse(~15to~21);andwomen’sbasketball(~25to~33). Asignificantfractionoftheescalationisduetopost-seasonplay,whichhascreatedmoreclassconflictsthaninthepast.Wealsonotethatbothbaseballandsoftballhavesignificantlymorecontests,includingmid-weekgames,thanmostothersports. Astheseareissuesthatmustberesolvedattheleague-widelevel:
TheCommitteerecommendsthattheNESCACPresidentspayparticularattentiontotheimpactofplayingschedules,particularlypost-seasonplayandout-of-seasonpracticeontheacademicexperienceofathletes.
Noaspectofcollegeathleticsismoreproblematicorfraught,ormoresubjecttoescalationandabuse,thantheissuessurroundingrecruiting. OnceagainwewerepleasedtodetectnochangeintherigorousandethicalrulesthatAmherstandNESCACapplytothisprocess. Schoolstypicallycompetefiercelyamongstthemselvesaccordingtorulessetbytheleague,andtheyfrequentlycompeteforstudentswiththeIvyLeague,theonlyotherleaguethatdoesnotofferathleticscholarships. ItmustberecognizedthatthetimingoftheNESCAC-recruitingprocess,theabsenceofathleticscholarships,andthelackoftimelinessinprovidingfinancialaidoffers,resultintheexclusionofalargenumberofpotentialathleticcandidatesfromtheAmherstadmissionspool. Wesuspectthisincludesmanycandidateswhowouldincreasediversity.
3. TheSafetyofAmherstAthletes
TheCommitteecommendsPresidentMartinforincludinganexaminationofinjuries,especiallyconcussions,inourcharge. Inthe15yearssincetheDiverReportithasbecomeincreasinglyevidentthatstudentswhoplaycontactsportssuchashockey,lacrosseandfootballmayincurinjuriestotheirbrainsfrombothfrankconcussionsaswellasrepeatedsub-concussivehits,oftenwithconsequencesnotevidentuntilmidlife.
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Giventheabsenceofcomprehensiveresearchonthenatureandlong-termconsequencesofconcussionsandsub-concussiveinjuries,theCommitteerecommendsthatAmherstconveneapanelofmedicalexpertstodevelopbestpracticesinthiscriticalareaofstudenthealthandwellness.
AtAmherstfootballisofthegreatestconcern,withannualreportedconcussionsandsub-concussivereportsincreasingfrom1and2(in2006-7and2007-8,respectively)to12in2012-13,withanaverageof6peryear. ThisspringtheIvyLeagueannouncedthatitwaslimitingthenumberoffullpad/contactpracticesduringfootballseason,enhancingeducationofstudentsontherisksofrepetitivebraintrauma,andinstitutingmorestringentpost-gamereviewofhelmet-to-helmethits12. WeencouragetheNESCACpresidentstoadoptsimilarpractices.
Inexploringtherationalebehindthegrowthinthemen’sandwomen’slacrosserosters,welearnedthatitwaslargelydrivenbyinjuriestoplayers. TheCommitteefeelsthattheresponsetoincreasedinjuriesistounderstandandamelioratethenatureoftheproblem,nottoincreasethesizeoftheroster.
AthirdsportofconsiderableconcernforAmherstismen’sandwomen’srugby,apopularclubsport.Inthe2014-15season,6malesand2femalesreportedaconcussiveorsub-concussiveinjury,continuingaworrisometrendinwhichbothmenandwomenwerereportingbetween1and7injuriesperseason. Asaclubsportrugbyattractsstudentswhohaveneverplayedthesport,andfreshmenareoftenthemostinjuryproneastheyarelearningthegame.ArecentreportbyagroupofhealthexpertsintheUnitedKingdomcalledforabanontacklingbyteenagersinrugby,basedonthekindsofinjuriesthatoccurinthesport13.
TheCollegemustapplythesamesafetystandardstoClubsportsasVarsitysports.Giventherisksofinjuryinrugby,theCommitteerecommendsthateitheradditionalresourcesbedirectedtoprovidingtherugbyteamswithtrainersandcoacheswhoareattunedtotheriskofinjurybyinexperiencedathletes,orthesportbediscontinued.
4. TheOversightofClubSports
Clubsportsprovideopportunitiesforstudentstopursuecompetitiveathleticsinsportsoutsidethe27varsitysports,suchasbadminton,crew,fencing,wrestling,UltimateFrisbeeandrugby. ManyofthesesportsareamongtheoldestattheCollege;othersreflectmorerecentpopularityamongstudents. Becauseofitspopularitywithstudents,men’sandwomen’sclubsoccerteamshavebeenaddedtothelistinrecentyearsaswell. Thenumberofstudentswho
12http://www.ivyleaguesports.com/sports/fball/2011-12/releases/ivy_league_presidents_approve_concussion-curbing_measures_for_football13http://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/mar/02/uk-health-experts-call-for-ban-on-tackling-in-school-rugby
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participateinclubsportshassteadilyriseninthelastdecade,with388playersinvolvedin2014-15,withverylittleoverlapwithvarsityteammembers.Someofthesestudentspursuetheirsportwiththesamelevelofintensityasvarsityathletes,andthuscontributetothesizeofthepopulationofstudentsatAmherstwhoviewathleticsasaprimaryactivityoutsidetheclassroom.
WeheardfromstudentsandcoachesalikethatthejointoversightofclubsportsbytheAASandtheDepartmentofAthleticsisnotworkingassmoothlyasitcould,anddoesnotmeettheneedsofthesesports. TheCommitteeapplaudsthestudent-initiatedandstudent-governednatureofclubsports,whichgivestudentsopportunitiestohaveownershipandassumeleadershipintheorganizationandmanagementoftheirteams. ThisalsoensuresthattheclubsportsthataresupportedbytheCollegearethosethathavesignificantstudentinterest. Ontheotherhand,clubsportsincurpotentialrisksfortheCollege,includingtraveloffcampustomatches,injuriestoplayersandcompensationandperformanceofcoaches. TheDepartmentofAthleticsiseagertoworkwithstudentgroupsinordertoreducetheseriskstobothstudentsandtheCollege,buttheCommitteeheardnumeroustimesthatthecoordinationbetweentheAAS,clubsportsleadersandtheDepartmentisuneven,andneedsimprovement.Thelackofcommunicationattimesmakesschedulingpracticeandplayingfieldsproblematic,andthevettingofcoachesandnegotiatingtheircontractsisnotuniformlymanaged.
WenotethatmanyClubsportshavecoacheswithalonghistoryatAmherst,whileothersseemtohavedifficultymaintainingtheseroles(stillothershavenocoachatall). TheremaybeusefullessonsforthebroaderClubsportsprogramfromsomeofthesesuccessfulrelationships.
TheCommitteerecommendsthattheprocessesforgovernanceofclubsportsbereviewedbytheDepartmentofAthleticsandtheDeanofStudentswiththegoalofensuringthatoversightbytheCollegeandtheclubsportscoachingstaffisconsistentwiththepotentialriskstobothstudentathletesandtheCollege.
5. AthleticFacilities
NovisitortotheAmherstcampuscanfailtotobeimpressedwiththequalityandbeautyofourathleticfieldsandfieldhouses. However,anunintendedconsequenceofAmherst’ssuccessinsupportingpopularvarsity,clubandintramuralsportsprogramsisthechronicandfiercecompetitionforpracticeandplayingtime. Itisunderstandablethatvarsityteamsinseasonaregivenfirstpriority,whichcanaddresentmenttotheathlete/non-athletedivide,butthatoftenleaveclubsports,intramuralteamsandcaptains’practicesofvarsityteamsoutofseasonscramblingforspacetopracticeandplay. Afurtherconcern,acknowledgedbytheDepartmentofAthleticsitself,isthestrainthesesportsputoncertainfacilitieswhichareintendedtobeusedbythelargerstudentbodyaswell,forpersonalexercise,groupclasses,informalsportsactivitiesandgeneralathleticleisureuse.ThisCommitteedidnotundertakeananalysisofthisproblem,norareweinthepositiontomakearecommendationabouttheneed
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forexpansionorreschedulingofcurrentfacilities,excepttonotetheconcernsfromstudents,coachesandathleticadministrators.
WerecommendthattheCollegeundertakeanassessmentofthecurrentandfutureuseofourathleticfacilities,toascertainwhethertheyarebeingoptimallyandfairlyutilizedbythecampuscommunity,andtoidentifyadditionalfacilitiesthatmaybeneededinthefuture.
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AppendixAThe Special Committee on the Place of Athletics at AmherstPatrickL.Williamson,EdwardH.HarknessProfessorofBiology(Co-chair)ShirleyM.Tilghman,TrusteeandProfessorofMolecularBiologyandPublicAffairs,PrincetonUniversity(Co-chair)RyanM.Arnold’15(untilJune 2015)CarlosdeBracamonte‘16(sinceApril2015)MercedesMacAlpine‘16(sinceApril2015)GregoryS.Call,PeterR.PounceyProfessorofMathematicsAndrewJ.Nussbaum’85,TrusteeandPartner,Wachtell,Lipton,RosenandKatzMonicaM.Ringer,AssociateProfessorofHistoryandAsianLanguagesandCivilizationJustinSerpone,Men’sSoccerCoachChristopherM.Tamasi’15(untilJune2015)AlexVasquez,DeanofStudentsDiannePiermattei,SecretarytotheCommittee
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AppendixB
AMHERSTCOLLEGETheSpecialCommitteeonthePlaceofAthleticsatAmherst
CommitteeChargeTheSpecialCommitteeonthePlaceofAthleticsatAmherstwillweighoverthenextacademicyeartheextenttowhichourathleticprogramsareconsistentwiththeoverallpurposesoftheCollege.TheidealatAmherstisthatourathleticteamsandindeedallofourextracurricularactivitiesshouldenhancetheintellectualandsocialexperienceofourdiversestudentbody.Howwelldotheyperformthiscomplexfunction?Toanswerthisquestionthecommitteeshouldscrutinizetheexperienceofallstudents,butespeciallythoseparticipatinginvarsityandclubathleticsattheCollege.Whataretheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofsuchparticipationforourstudents?DotheyvaryaccordingtothebackgroundsandinterestsofstudentsatAmhersttoday?DoesparticipationineithervarsityorclubathleticsfosterintellectualandsociallifeattheCollege?Doesparticipationfosterourdiversity?DotheathletesatAmherstthriveasmuchasthenon-athletes?Dothevarsityteamsplayadifferentrolefromtheclubteamsorfromotherextracurricularactivitiessuchasthestudentradioornewspaper?Howmuchtimedothevariousformsofathleticpracticeandpreparationrequireofundergraduateparticipants?Hasthetimecommitmentexpandedsignificantlyoverthelast20or30yearswithspecialattentionpaidtotheperiodsincetheDiverreport?Hasittakenawayfromthetimedevotedtostudyandclassroomattendance?Asasmallcollege,Amhersthasanactiverosterofvarsityandclubsports:IsthenumberofsuchteamsappropriateforacollegeofAmherst’ssizeandambition?Wouldasmallernumbereasethetensionsbetweenacademicpromiseandextracurriculartalentinadmissions?HasAmherstdoneenoughinstrivingforequitybetweenthesexesintheclubandvarsitysportswenowoffer?HowshouldAmherstaddresstheemergingscientificunderstandingaboutthelong-termhealthrisksofconcussion?HastheCollegeworkedeffectivelytomitigatethedangerposedtostudent-athletesbyconcussions? HowdoesAmherst’sapproachtothisissueandthepoliciesthattheCollegehasputinplacecomparewiththoseofpeerinstitutions?TheroleofcoachesattheCollegehasevolvedoverthelastdecades,ofteninresponsetoforcesinourlargercultureandinourathleticconference.Towhatextentandinwhatwayshasthisevolutionaffectedtheplaceofsportsinundergraduatelife?TowhatextenthasitaffectedtherelationshipsbetweenthecoachesandtheircolleaguesontheFacultyandintheadministration?Aretherereformsthatmightimprovetherelationshipbetweencoachingandthemanyotherrolesoncampusthatcontributetoteachingandlearning?Amherst’sathleticconference,theNewEnglandSmallCollegeAthleticConference(NESCAC),bringstogetherelevencollegesanduniversitiesinthenortheast.ItsrulesprovideforcompetitionunderthemoregeneralrubricofDivisionIIIoftheNationalCollegiateAthleticAssociation(NCAA).IsNESCACortheNCAAitselfadesirableandhelpfulvenueforourvarsitycompetitions,particularlywithourhistoricrivalssuchasWilliamsorWesleyan?
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Appendix C
SpecialCommitteeonthePlaceofAthleticsatAmherstMeetingSchedule
January22,2015DonFaulstick,DirectorofAthletics
March26,2015DonFaulstick,DirectorofAthleticsGreggDiNardo,AssistantDirectorofAthleticsCassieFunke-Harris,HeadCoach(Women'sCrossCountryandTrackandField)JenHughes,HeadCoach(Women’sSoccer)JessicaJohnson,HeadCoach(Women'sSoftball)MarkKlingensmith,AssociateAthleticTrainerCarolKneer.HeadCoach(FieldHockey)EJMills,HeadCoach(Football)NickNichols,HeadCoach(Swimming)CateZolkos,DeanofAdmission
May21,2015BuffyAries,ClarenceFrancis1910ProfessorinSocialSciences(Psychology)DonFaulstick,DirectorofAthleticsCatherineSanderson,ManwellFamilyProfessorofLifeSciences(Psychology)AustinSarat,WilliamNelsonCromwellProfessorofJurisprudenceandPoliticalScience
October15,2015LouiseAtadja’16(Track,Neuroscience)YevaBerkovich’18(Sociology)CharlotteChudy’16(Swimming,EnglishandEuropeanStudies)ChristopherGow’16(Football,MathematicsandReligion)EileenHarris’16(IceHockey,Economics)MohamedHussein’18(CrossCountry&Track,Undeclared)RashidKosber’17(Economics/Chemistry)NicoPascual-Leone’16(Soccer,Chemistry)ChrisRoll’17(IceHockey,EnglishandPsychology)SavannahSutherlin’18(undeclared)FrankTavares’18(English)GeorgeWard’17(Lacrosse,Economics,PoliticalScience)SydneyWatts’17(FieldHockey,Psychology)
January11,2016RhondaCobham-Sander,EmilyC.JordanFolgerProfessorofBlackStudiesandEnglishSteveGeorge,ManwellFamilyProfessorofLifeSciences,Emeritus(BiologyandNeuroscience)LawrenceDouglas,JamesJ.GrosfeldProfessorofLaw,JurisprudenceandSocialThoughtMollyMead,SeniorAdvisortotheDeanoftheFacultyJoeMoore,ProfessorofPhilosophyMatthewSchulkind,ProfessorofPsychologySarahTurgeon,ProfessorofPsychologyVanessaWalker,JosephW.andDianeZerbibAssistantProfessorofHistoryFrankWesthoff,ProfessorofEconomics
March31,2016CommitteeMeeting