Faculty Council discusses Life After Sports program

By Jaryd Wilson

Published April 3, 2007

The athletic department's report, which informed the Faculty Council about MU athletics and related items, was the highlight of the council's March 22 meeting.

Intercollegiate Athletics Committee Chairwoman Anne McKendry and NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative Lori Franz were on hand to speak about athletics related to MU.

Academic Affairs Chairman Bill Lamberson said the athletic department reports annually to the Faculty Council.

Lamberson said a main part of the report discussed the Life After Sports program, a program founded specifically and solely to help educate and prepare current and former student athletes with their transition to a future without sports.

According to the Life After Sports Web site, 95 percent of student athletes in college will never go on to careers in professional athletics, which is why the program builds on skills developed through athletic competition and uses them to develop goals for future careers. Adrian McBride and Julia Dorn-McBride, two former student athletes at MU, founded the program.

"This is a position mandated by the NCAA for all universities associated with the NCAA," Franz said of her position with the NCAA. "The position provided for faculty is oversight of athletics, among other things."

The NCAA requires this position to promote academic integrity and student-athlete welfare, and the representative works closely with the chancellor and the athletic director to oversee the intercollegiate athletics.

McKendry also discussed the advisement of student athletes and talked briefly about majors in relation to student athletes.

Another issue discussed at the meeting was a resolution recognizing UM system President Elson Floyd for his services.

Floyd has served as system president since January 2002 after serving as president of Western Michigan University for more than four years. According to the UM system Web site, during Floyd's presidency, enrollment at the four UM system campuses was at a record high of more than 63,700 in 2006. Also, minority student enrollment increased at all four campuses, graduate and professional enrollment increased, 266 new scholarships were created and a $20 million reduction in administrative expenditures was implemented. Floyd is leaving the UM system to take over as president of Washington State University.

The next council meeting is scheduled for April 19 and will follow the General Faculty Council meeting on April 17.