Campus Athletics Governance, the Faculty Role:  Principles, Proposed Rules, and Guidelines

Back to Outline        Full Text Version        to Section 1.A

1.  The Nature and Role of the Faculty Athletics Representative

The NCAA Constitution requires that all member institutions designate a Faculty Athletics Representative.  This individual must have faculty rank and not hold either an administrative or coaching position in the athletics department.  It is suggested that the FAR play a central role in the overall checks and balances system designed to insure academic integrity, sound governance and commitment to rules compliance, attention to equity, and athlete welfare. 

Some duties related to these functions are stipulated in the NCAA bylaws.  Others are left to the discretion of each institution or the individual who occupies the position.  Both mandated and optional duties are listed in The Faculty Athletics Representative Handbook (referred to below as the Handbook).   The Faculty Athletics Representative:  A Survey of the Membership further itemizes FAR duties under the categories of:  a) academics, b) compliance and rules interpretation, c) student-athlete welfare, and d) administration.

The overall success in performing these functions varies considerably from campus to campus.  At some institutions, the FAR enjoys a considerable amount of visibility and influence.  At others, the position carries less prominence and clout.  Even at schools where a long history of support for the FAR exists, some parts of the job may go well while others languish.  

Given this variability in the role of FAR and inherent difficulties in executing all parts of the job well, the following guidelines have been developed. They are designed to provide principles and strategies for strengthening the FAR position and thereby increasing faculty voice in overseeing intercollegiate athletics.