Minutes of the Meeting of the
Faculty Athletics and Recreational Policy Committee
February
21
The meeting was called to order by the Chair, Ruth Pagell, in the Woodruff PE Center (WPEC). Members present were Ron Johnson, Harvey Klehr, Edie Murphree, and Betsy Tanner; student representative Kate Bowler; and ex officio members John Arenberg, Edgar Flores, John Ford, Dan Magee, and Betsy Stephenson. The guest was student Jessica Frizell.
Kate (women’s water polo captain) and Jessica (Club Sports treasurer and women’s
water polo president) presented an overview of Emory’s Club Sports Program
and its funding. [Attached]
The Club Sports program at Emory is very successful, with 21 clubs and approximately
500 athletes. (Varsity teams field 330 athletes.) This program is an excellent
recruitment tool for the University, attracting students who do not want to
play at the varsity level but still want to compete. Overall the teams are
very competitive, with teams going to regional and national playoffs, and
members being named to numerous all-conference, all-academic, all-tournament,
and all-national teams. Emory’s only Olympians are from this program.
All Clubs are student-led and have a unique blend of undergraduates and graduates,
from Emory University and Oxford College, furthering the University’s aim
of athletics and recreation for all. Faculty, staff, and alumni of Emory University
may also join a Club if permitted by that Club's constitution. Oxford College
also has a Club Sports program.
The current funding from SGA and Athletics & Recreation is $62,600. This
amount has not increased in five years, and only partially funds the program.
Most Clubs raise at least 30% of their own budgets, mainly from dues, fundraisers,
and alumni and parents. Members usually pay for their own equipment. There
have been two recent efforts to increase the funding through SGA: a $5/year
student activity fee increase for Club Sports was defeated; a motion to move
SGA funds from Student Legal Services to Club Sports was tabled.
Dan Magee stated that Club Sports programs at other schools are supported
by various means, from having an endowment to no funding at all.
In concluding, Kate and Jennifer said that the funding level is insufficient
for the current program. A Club is not chartered unless it can show sufficient
support – at least 20 members, officers, a faculty/staff advisor, a practice/competition
facility on campus or locally – and is approved by the other Clubs. For the
current level of Club activity, Kate and Jennifer suggested a budget of $90,000,
a 44% increase.
Edgar Flores, the Director of Athletics and Recreation at Oxford College,
gave a report on the success of their varsity teams – women’s soccer, men’s
basketball, and women’s and men’s tennis. Oxford is a member of the National
Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and the Georgia Junior College
Athletic Association (GJCAA), so goes by their rules. Currently the basketball
team is doing very well, with good school spirit enhanced by having a high
school band play at the home games. The weight room is undergoing renovation,
at a cost of $70,000. The booster club raised $20,000; funding also is coming
from SGA, Athletics and Recreation, and from the Dean.
Respectfully submitted,
Betsy K. Tanner