WASHINGTON, DC—Athletic scandals like the ones that plagued Penn State, Syracuse, and the University of North Carolina could have been mitigated or avoided with more trustee oversight. That’s the premise of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni’s inaugural web video, “Best Practices in Athletic Oversight.” The discussion of the role of athletics in higher education is hosted by University of Maryland Regent, Rhodes Scholar, Olympian and former Congressman Tom McMillen and University System of Maryland Chancellor Brit Kirwan.
McMillen, chairman of the Intercollegiate Athletics WorkGroup on the University System of Maryland board, championed the idea that student-athletes are students first. In October, the board unanimously approved a policy tying coaching bonuses to student-athletes’ academic performance.
“We’ve seen what happens when trustees sit back and let athletic programs assume an outsized influence on a campus,” said McMillen. “Board members must take an informed position on athletic matters—and that’s the goal of this web series.”
The web series, launched as trustees prepare for annual board retreats and likely discussion of recent scandals in college sports, is introduced by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, also formerly a professional athlete. He said ACTA’s work “is absolutely vital to raising awareness on an issue that still doesn’t get the attention it needs and deserves.”
“I’ve certainly seen the good and the trouble that intercollege athletics can cause an institution,” said Kirwan, who was president of the University of Maryland College Park and Ohio State University before being appointed chancellor of the University System of Maryland. “It’s just so important in this day and age, I think, for boards to really significantly increase their oversight of intercollegiate athletics because we’ve seen so many institutions—great institutions—have their reputations tarnished.”
The program references the groundbreaking report “Governance for a New Era,” the product of a summit of distinguished higher education leaders that focused on finding innovative governance solutions to the many issues confronting our colleges and universities.
According to the report, to which McMillen is a signatory, trustees must be active and engaged because they “cannot and should not expect participants in this multibillion-dollar industry to police themselves.”
The video is the inaugural program in a web series to help trustees increase accountability, usher in transparency, and better perform their duty to the public.
CONTACT:
Daniel Burnett
Director of Communications
202.467.6787 DBurnett@goacta.org
ACTA is an independent, non-profit organization committed to academic freedom, excellence, and accountability at America’s colleges and universities.
WASHINGTON, DC—Athletic scandals like the ones that plagued Penn State, Syracuse, and the University of North Carolina could have been mitigated or avoided with more trustee oversight. That’s the premise of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni’s inaugural web video, “Best Practices in Athletic Oversight.” The discussion of the role of athletics in higher education is hosted by University of Maryland Regent, Rhodes Scholar, Olympian and former Congressman Tom McMillen and University System of Maryland Chancellor Brit Kirwan.
McMillen, chairman of the Intercollegiate Athletics WorkGroup on the University System of Maryland board, championed the idea that student-athletes are students first. In October, the board unanimously approved a policy tying coaching bonuses to student-athletes’ academic performance.
“We’ve seen what happens when trustees sit back and let athletic programs assume an outsized influence on a campus,” said McMillen. “Board members must take an informed position on athletic matters—and that’s the goal of this web series.”
The web series, launched as trustees prepare for annual board retreats and likely discussion of recent scandals in college sports, is introduced by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, also formerly a professional athlete. He said ACTA’s work “is absolutely vital to raising awareness on an issue that still doesn’t get the attention it needs and deserves.”
“I’ve certainly seen the good and the trouble that intercollege athletics can cause an institution,” said Kirwan, who was president of the University of Maryland College Park and Ohio State University before being appointed chancellor of the University System of Maryland. “It’s just so important in this day and age, I think, for boards to really significantly increase their oversight of intercollegiate athletics because we’ve seen so many institutions—great institutions—have their reputations tarnished.”
The program references the groundbreaking report “Governance for a New Era,” the product of a summit of distinguished higher education leaders that focused on finding innovative governance solutions to the many issues confronting our colleges and universities.
According to the report, to which McMillen is a signatory, trustees must be active and engaged because they “cannot and should not expect participants in this multibillion-dollar industry to police themselves.”
The video is the inaugural program in a web series to help trustees increase accountability, usher in transparency, and better perform their duty to the public.
CONTACT:
Daniel Burnett
Director of Communications
202.467.6787 DBurnett@goacta.org
ACTA is an independent, non-profit organization committed to academic freedom, excellence, and accountability at America’s colleges and universities.
A 2015 poll by Monmouth University found that barely a quarter of Americans feel that “colleges with big-time sports programs maintain the right balance between academics and athletics.” Recent stories of academic misconduct in the athletic programs of the University of North Carolina and the University of Texas only serve to fuel public concern. Last […]
The first installment of ACTA’s new web series, this video presents best practices on the contentious issue of college athletics and affordability. After an introduction by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, you’ll hear from University System of Maryland regent and former Olympian Tom McMillen and University System of Maryland Chancellor William Kirwan. They discuss the problems inherent in athletics oversight and break down best practices into actionable first steps.
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