Appropriate faculty input was involved in the development of the Department of Athletics' Mission Statement. The preamble explicitly states support for the University's Mission Statement (see self-study library), and the way in which the department is operated supports the institutional Mission Statement. In keeping with the educational purpose of NCSU, the current Department of Athletics administration has demonstrated a renewed commitment to integrity, service, the total development of the student-athletes, and both academic and athletic success. The critical elements of the athletics program are evaluated regularly and systematically to ensure continued compliance of the Department of Athletics with the educational purpose of NCSU [5.6.1, 5.6.2, 5.6.3].
The mission of the NCSU Department of Athletics is to provide an athletics program of the highest standard of integrity that:
This mission is subject to the following definitions:
"Highest standard of integrity" is compliance in practice and spirit with NCAA, ACC, and University policies and rules; the application of ethical business practices; the insistence on a high moral code of honor, mutual trust, and personal accountability; and a consistent application of appropriate values.
Consonant with the tradition of North Carolina State's mission as a land-grant university, "service" is the provision of resources to coaches and staff to enable them to mentor, facilitate, and emphasize the student-athlete's total development; service to the greater University community; service to the people of North Carolina; and timely service that reflects positively on the University.
"Total development" of the student-athlete and department staff is the achievement of a balanced life. For the student-athlete, this means academic growth as measured by knowledge gained, skills learned, and graduation; athletic growth as measured by successful competition at the highest level; and personal growth as measured by character development and contributions benefiting the community. For the department staff, this means professional growth as measured by career advancement and increased expertise; and personal growth as measured by character development and contributions benefiting the community.
"Opportunities for success" include the creation of an environment dedicated to the pursuit of excellence and based on the principle of equal opportunity that encourages the realization of personal and professional goals; the most effective use of resources entrusted to the department; and the development of new resources to meet current and future requirements.
The Department of Athletics' Mission Statement contains an explicit reference to the academic success of student-athletes, and calls for the "total development of the student-athlete including athletic growth as measured by successful competition, and personal growth as measured by character development and contributions to the community." The Mission Statement also calls for the creation of an environment that encourages the realization of the student-athlete's personal and professional goals. This provision of the Department of Athletics' Mission Statement is implemented through the Formula for Success program. Designed to develop a winning lifestyle on and off the playing field, Formula for Success takes a holistic view of the student-athlete's growth and development by promoting leadership training, life-skills programming, and outreach opportunities for student-athletes. Thus, the Department of Athletics is operated in a manner that implicitly, and actively, supports the concept of "physical and emotional well-being, and social development of student-athletes," as called for by the SACS criterion [5.6.1.1, 5.6.1.2].
Recommendation 11.1: The NCSU Department of Athletics should rewrite its Mission Statement to include explicit references to the physical and emotional well-being, and social development of student-athletes.
Evaluations of the intercollegiate athletics program within NCSU, but external to the Department of Athletics, are done at times of self-study for NCAA certification, the recently instituted SACS accreditation review of athletics, and for special purposes such as application for Phi Beta Kappa membership (see self-study library). At the request of the University, the NCAA completed a review of NCSU's compliance program in fall 1992 [5.6.1.3, 5.6.1.4].
An NCAA-mandated self-study of the intercollegiate athletics program is conducted every five years. Designed to enhance the integrity of the program, the self-study covers at least the following topics: institutional purpose and athletics philosophy (this part of the self-study is a self-evaluation of the Department of Athletics' mission and its relationship to the University's mission); the authority of the chief executive officer in Personnel and Financial Affairs; athletics program organization and administration; athletics-program finances; employment of athletics-program personnel; the sports program; recruiting, admissions, and eligibility; services for student-athletes; and student-athlete profiles.
The NCAA dictates the form and content of this self-study, but the results are shared with the chancellor, administrators of the Department of Athletics administrators, and the faculty athletics representative, who take appropriate corrective action, if necessary (see self-study library for NCAA self-study guidelines). During the 1994-95 academic year, an NCAA peer-review team will visit the University to review the self-study that will be conducted during the 1993-94 academic year. The evaluation of that self-study determines whether NCSU's athletics program will continue to be certified by the NCAA.
During 1992 the Department of Athletics developed a compliance manual that clearly establishes appropriate procedures and responsibilities for all aspects of the University's compliance with NCAA and ACC regulations. As a part of that process, the Department of Athletics invited the Compliance Services Division of the NCAA to conduct a voluntary audit of the University's compliance program. The final NCAA report offered a number of suggestions for changes in procedures and organizational structure.
These suggestions are currently being addressed by the University (see self-study library for the final NCAA report, the NCSU response, and related correspondence). The NCSU compliance manual requires that the NCSU Department of Athletics appoint compliance-advisory teams responsible for reviewing compliance procedures. Each team includes members external to the Department of Athletics.
In addition, each year the Department of Athletics conducts exit interviews with student-athletes who have completed their eligibility. The NCAA requires interviews for only 10 percent of exiting student-athletes, but NCSU interviews approximately 75 percent. Interviews are conducted by members of the Department of Athletics staff, and faculty on the NCSU Council on Athletics. The interview questions are open-ended and are designed to elicit the student-athletes' feelings about the strengths and weaknesses of the program in their specific sport. Respondents are encouraged to provide suggestions for improvements in identified areas (academics, facilities, dining hall, residence facilities, competitive opportunities, etc.). Last, the student-athletes are asked if they would choose NCSU if they were making the choice again, and to explain why or why not. Information from these interviews is provided to the director of athletics, who systematically reviews the results and uses them to evaluate coaches, services provided by the Department of Athletics, and the overall experience of student-athletes at NCSU (see self-study library for exit-interview checklist).
Although the exit interviews provide the Department of Athletics with valuable information, the procedure could be enhanced. First, the department is currently using a large number of exit interviewers with varying backgrounds and roles. This leads to inconsistency in interviewing procedures and in reporting results.
Recommendation 11.2: The NCSU Department of Athletics should standardize its procedures for conducting and reporting exit interviews.
Second, a follow-up interview conducted some years after student-athletes have graduated or left the University (perhaps at five and ten years) would provide a valuable perspective about the long-term benefits of the intercollegiate athletics program.
Recommendation 11.3: The NCSU Department of Athletics should conduct regular interviews with former student-athletes some years after they have graduated or left NCSU.
Recommendation 11.4: The NCSU faculty athletics representative should formally participate in the hiring and annual review of coaches.
Guidelines for evaluating administrators in the Department of Athletics are being developed.
Recommendation 11.5: The NCSU Department of Athletics should establish guidelines for evaluating administrators in the Department of Athletics.
