During the 2007-08 academic year, President Michael Roth asked the Athletics Advisory Council (AAC), led by Co-Chairs Moira James ’78 and Dennis Robinson ’79, to prepare a set of recommendations on how to improve Wesleyan athletics. Some of these recommendations, such as the establishment of the Athletics Hall of Fame and a switch to the Front Rush recruiting database, have already been implemented, while others look to be put into place soon.

Roth explained that his desire to improve the University’s sports teams stemmed from the University’s goal of excellence in each of its endeavors.

“I think a lot of people would feel like I do, which is that if Wesleyan is going to do something, we’re going to do it very well,” he said. “So I spoke with Dennis, our coaches, [Athletic Director] John Biddiscombe, and [Professor of Earth and Environmental Science] Peter Patton last year…to see what we could do to give our players a better chance at success.”

A number of the AAC’s recommendations focused on communications with regards to athletics. Two of Wesleyan’s NESCAC peers, Amherst and Williams Colleges, have full-time assistants in their sports information offices, and Hamilton College sponsors a sports information internship program. Wesleyan, however, maintains a one-person office, with a support staff consisting primarily of students. The AAC recommended hiring a full-time assistant, a proposal that will be seriously explored as the University works to develop its “integrated communications strategy.”

“I don’t think there’s any question…that we could use additional resources within the sports information department,” Robinson said. “The question is, when, and can, we find the resources to actually do it. But that was one of our recommendations.”

Roth noted that this effort to expand communications within athletics is part of a larger general effort to improve communications in the University as a whole.

“We recently reorganized all of our communications programs, and I expect that you’ll see improvements in communications around athletics, as we would expect to see them in other areas,” Roth said. “We’re not going to devote a lot more resources to athletics, in particular in communications, but…we’re expecting better performance in communications across the board.”

Roth also noted the success of the Athletics Hall of Fame in displaying the accomplishments of Wesleyan athletes to a broad audience.

“[The Athletics Hall of Fame] is a good communications vehicle…to get the stories of success and achievement in Wesleyan’s athletic history out to a broader public, and especially to our own constituencies, our alumni and families,” he said.

In addition, University Relations (UR), in conjunction with Information Technology Services (ITS), is actively exploring the use of new media technologies such as webcasts and podcasts. The athletic department is in its third full year of webcasting selected contests, and Roth expects new media to play a significant role in future athletic communications.

“Webcasting, podcasting, prompt dissemination of information, and also getting the great stories out about Wesleyan athletics are going to be very important,” Roth said. “And getting those stories out in ways that people can pass around and that especially younger people use more frequently than they use The Argus or other print materials, that’s really important. Lots of our younger alumni and staff members are now involved in creating digital communication tools that will be helpful in the future.”

The AAC also explored the University’s athletics support staff, including its training staff. Wesleyan currently has three full-time trainers—fewer than many of its NESCAC peers—and Robinson noted that augmentation of the training staff and facilities is a priority for the Council.

“You cannot, in any way, sacrifice the health and welfare of student-athletes,” Robinson said. “We [the AAC] feel it’s a priority to make sure resources are put there, and, if there is a need from a fundraising standpoint in that regard, that it should be one of the top priorities; there’s no question about that.”

The issue of fundraising is another one that was extensively explored. Currently, athletic fundraising is team-specific, and donations to teams do not count as donations to the Wesleyan Annual Fund (WAF). In addition, Roth noted that while he supports donations to athletics, he does not want to encourage team-specific fundraising if it will come at the expense of donations to WAF.

“I certainly am not looking for, nor do I encourage, team-specific fundraising on behalf of one’s favorite team at the expense of fundraising for the Annual Fund to support current scholarships,” he said. “So I think our athletic teams are well supported, and I’m glad they are, but I want to make sure our fundraising is targeted at our highest priorities, which right now are financial aid endowment and increasing the economic capacity of the school in these difficult times.”

Robinson stated, however, that the AAC is currently exploring ways to integrate athletic donations with University-wide fundraising.

“There have been discussions about how [to] incorporate athletic fundraising within the context of fundraising for the University as a whole,” Robinson said. “And there have been ongoing discussions on that. So we do think that we can do a better job…with athletic fundraising within the context of the overall goals of the University.”

Ultimately, Robinson noted that while the current economic downturn may lead to a delay in implementing some of the AAC’s recommendations, the University is committed to following through on these suggestions.

“Our priorities are where our priorities are, and the priorities will stay where they are,” he said. “You have to work within the resources that are available, but I think we’ve prioritized them pretty well, and even though some of the plans may [be] delayed because of the current financial climate, that doesn’t mean they won’t happen over the long term.”

“We’ve gotten a good start,” he added. “I think over the next two or three years, you will see some results.”