Academic Articles

From Article V, section 3(i) of the Academic Articles, University of Notre Dame:

The Faculty Board on Athletics serves as the principal advisory group to the President on educational issues related to intercollegiate athletics. In that capacity, the board fosters the University’s commitment to academic integrity within the athletic program, strives to ensure that the University’s athletic program operates in consonance with its educational mission, and actively promotes the welfare and educational success of the University’s student-athletes. The board also functions as a formal liaison between the faculty and the Department of Athletics.

In carrying out its charge, the board periodically reviews policies, procedures, and practices that affect the educational experience of student-athletes and advises the President of its findings. The board provides appropriate mechanisms for considering concerns of student-athletes. Periodically, the board reviews data on admission of student-athletes, academic performance, progress toward degree, and graduation rates, and assesses the effectiveness of institutional support for student-athletes. In addition, the board sets and modifies, as necessary, guidelines for all student petitions for a fifth year of athletic eligibility and decides whether to approve each petition. The board reviews and amends, as necessary, guidelines for all intercollegiate athletic schedules and qualifications for the captaincies of all University teams and decides whether to approve any schedule or captain candidate not in compliance with those guidelines. The board also assesses and revises, as necessary, procedures for resolving conflicts between final examinations and post-season championship tournaments. In its role as liaison to the broader faculty, the board disseminates appropriate, non-confidential information and initiates discussions on educational issues related to intercollegiate athletics of concern to the faculty and administration. The board may assume other duties as assigned by the President. The Chair of the board provides an annual report of its activities to the Academic Council through its Executive Committee.

The Faculty Board on Athletics consists of 15 members—seven elected, four appointed, and four ex officio members. Seven members of the board are elected as follows: one elected by and from the tenured and tenure-track faculty of each College, one elected by and from the tenured and tenure-track faculty of the Law School and the School of Global Affairs, and one elected at large from the tenured and tenure-track faculty. Four members are appointed by the President—three are appointed from the tenured and tenure-track faculty and one appointed annually from the student body. The Vice President for Student Affairs, the Director of Athletics, the Director of Academic Services for Student-Athletes, and a representative of the Office of the President serve as ex officio members.

Only appointed and elected members of the tenured and tenure-track faculty, the Vice President for Student Affairs, and the student representative vote on matters before the board. When necessary, the Faculty Board on Athletics is called into Executive session by its Chair or the President. During Executive session it may be appropriate for the Director of Athletics, the Director of Academic Services for Student-Athletes, or both, to be excused from the proceedings.

Elected and appointed faculty members serve staggered three-year terms and no faculty member other than the Chair may serve more than two consecutive terms. A faculty member who leaves the board after having served two consecutive terms may not begin to serve another term on the board until five years have elapsed from the date on which the second consecutive term has ended. Likewise, a faculty member who serves two non-consecutive terms within any eight year period may not begin to serve another term on the board until five years have elapsed from the date on which the second non-consecutive term has ended.

The President appoints the chair of the Faculty Board from among the tenured faculty elected or appointed to the board. The President appoints the Chair to a three-year term and may, after consultation with the board, renew the Chair for additional terms of up to three years each. Previous service, continuous or not, as a member of the Faculty Board does not preclude an individual’s appointment as Chair.

The Chair, who also functions as the University’s faculty athletics representative to the National Collegiate Athletic Association, calls meetings of the board on a regular basis and develops the board’s agenda. Members of the faculty and the members of the board may propose items for the board’s agenda. The Chair meets periodically with the President to discuss issues of interest or concern to the board.