Focused Report

Comprehensive Standard 3.2.11

3.2.11 The institution's Chief Executive Officer has ultimate responsibility for, and exercises appropriate administrative and fiscal control over, the institutions intercollegiate athletics program. (Control of Intercollegiate athletics).

Off-Site Committee Finding

The President of ASU has ultimate responsibility for the institution's intercollegiate athletics program as indicated in the Compliance Report and supporting documentation. The President's role and responsibilities are summarized in the Board of Regents Policy Manual: 200 Institutional Governance, Section 204 Presidential Authority and Responsibilities.

Board of Regents Policy Manual: 700 Finance and Business clearly classifies intercollegiate athletics "as an auxiliary enterprise for financial reporting" (Section 703.0102); and according to NCAA (2007-2008) Division II Manual , Article 6.1 Institutional Governance:

A member institution's president or chancellor has ultimate responsibility and final authority for the conduct of the intercollegiate athletics program and the actions of any board in control of that program.

The organizational chart shows the Athletics Director as a direct line report to the President. While the Compliance Report asserts that the President exercises appropriate administrative and fiscal control over the institutions intercollegiate athletic program, it provided no documentation of how this administrative and fiscal control is exercised. The On-Site Committee should seek evidence of such things as the president's evaluation of the athletics director and periodic performance reports of the athletics program.

Albany State University's Response

The President periodically evaluates both the Athletic Director (AD) and the overall performance of the University's athletics program. The president, as the immediate supervisor of the AD, is mandated by Board policies to perform an annual evaluation of his/her performance. The Athletic Director was appointed to the position on an interim basis in 2006 and was evaluated both by the Dean of Arts and Sciences and the President at the close of the 2006-2007 academic year [1] . The President maintains control of the University athletics program through meeting weekly with the AD as part of a systematic process to continuously review and improve both administrative and fiscal functions of the program [2] [3] .

Supporting Documentation

[1] Evaluations of Athletic Director (Dr. Bynum, President Freeman) [Hardcopy will be available upon request]

[2] Weekly Reports (Sample of Actual Reporting) : 2006 [Hardcopy will be available upon request]

[3] Weekly Reports (Sample of Actual Reporting) : 2007 [Hardcopy will be available upon request]