Faculty-Staff Forums

As part of the effort to foster and improve the relationship between the faculty & staff with the Division of Athletics and to provide a direct communications link with athletics, the President’s Athletic Advisory Committee (PAAC) holds a series of informal meetings with faculty and staff on a regular basis.  The faculty and staff are invited to come and meet with the Director of Athletics, the Chair of PAAC, the NCAA Faculty Rep, the Director of the Counseling Program for Intercollegiate Athletes (CPIA) and the chair for the Faculty Staff Relations subcommittee of PAAC and to discuss any issue that might be on their minds about athletics at the university. 

The meetings currently take the form of an informal breakfast or lunch to discuss any issue, concerns, observations etc. about athletics.  We have found it useful to keep the meetings rather small and informal.  In the past, we have been fortunate to have a cross representation of faculty from virtually every department on campus and we hope that will continue.    The purpose of these meetings is to provide the faculty with a forum to engage in open and candid dialogue concerning the role that intercollegiate athletics serves at UConn. 

Most of those who attended these meetings have found them to be informative and educational.  Topics included, but were not limited to:

1.      The history and reporting structure of CPIA

2.      Student welfare.

3.      The roles that coaches play in the academic development of student-athletes.

4.      The ways in which the faculty should be aware of NCAA compliance issues.

5.      The ways in which the Division of Athletics serves a broader function: recreation, school spirit, or increasing the applicant pool.

6.      How UConn has achieved gender equity in the Division of Athletics.

7.      The development and implementation of Division I-A Football.

8.      The level of University funding to the Division of Athletics.

9.      The quality of support offered to student-athletes through the CPIA Program.

10.  The ways that Athletics can enhance academic programs.

If you are interested in attending any of the upcoming breakfast meeting (schedule shown below) please e-mail Carol Polifroni at carol.polifroni@uconn.edu.   

Upcoming PAAC Faculty/Staff Forums

October 4, 2012

November 28, 2012