The following File was provided by Athletic Director Kilkenny -- it contains information presented to the UO Senate 9 January 2008. It is posted with his permission.

BULLET POINTS FOR PRESENTATION TO UNIVERSITY SENATE

 

 Priorities for the athletics department (and the relation of these priorities to the university mission):

 

            Our department knows the University of Oregon is a quality research university, and it is a member of the Association of American Universities. We are keenly aware everyone associated with the university wants this to be a great university and remain a part of the AAU.

 

For its part the athletic department, as a window to the institution, can help the university fulfill its mission and promote its quality throughout the state and the nation. We have initiated a number of efforts to utilize athletic events and media coverage to recognize faculty excellence and programs of regional and national significance.

 

The department is dedicated to the principles of equality, opportunity and freedom from discrimination. We may have one of the most diverse departments within the university and play a significant role in attracting minority students to the campus.

 

Our athletes are students first, and like all other parts of the institution, our goal in athletics is to ensure they receive the best possible experience academically and athletically. We must graduate as many of our student-athletes as possible.

 

Our student-athletes do act as positive role models on campus and in the community.

 

We are here to educate the next generation of leaders. The intrinsic value of participation in sports and the life lessons learned by these young men and young women cannot be overstated.

 

We would like our teams to be successful in the Pacific Ten Conference. We would also like our teams to compete well in the national arena, which they have done!

 

We must be fiscally responsible, passing from a self-supporting department to a self-sustaining one. This can only be achieved with the cooperation and support of the entire university community.

Possible roles for faculty governing bodies to assure that academic policies and practices are consistent with supporting the intellectual growth and academic success of student athletes and the viability of athletics as an integral part of campus life:

 

The IAC continues to be the primary faculty governing body to assure academic policies and practices are consistent with supporting the intellectual growth and academic success of student athletes and the viability of athletics as an integral part of campus life.

 

The department has assigned a department member to meet regularly with faculty members (and administrators) to insure we are apprised of concerns faculty might have.

 

Issues related to student athlete welfare:

 

The Athletic Department is making an effort to enhance student life by coordinating the academic support component and the student services component. They have existed as separate entities in the past. One area in particular we wish to expand for the student-athletes in the new Academic Learning Center is career planning.

 

It is useful to note that while the limitations of the present Academic Learning Center in Esslinger Annex have been obvious for some time, there had not been a significant push to replace that facility until recently. Some of our coaches when asked by athletic donors about potential needs within the athletic department suggested the need to replace the present ALC immediately rather than wait on the arena to come to fruition. The coaches asked for action now, and we along with several donors have responded to this exigency accordingly.

 

The construction of the Academic Learning Center will definitely enhance the welfare of our student-athletes.

 

Changes in facilities management that might affect the university community:

 

None at this time, although the Academic Learning Center, the arena and the new baseball stadium should affect the university community upon their completion in a positive way. The Academic Learning Center will include a new lecture hall for academic use (when not being used for team meetings which should be a rarity) as well as amenities for the university community. While the arena is still in a design phase, several conference rooms are being discussed/planned which should be available to the university community.

Any major violations by the athletics department, and their resolutions:

 

No major violations to report (although we still remain on probation for a “signing” violation in football in 2003).

 

Changes in the status of sports teams:

 

It is still the intent of the department to terminate wrestling at the end of this season while still honoring the financial aid commitment to wrestling’s student-athletes until their graduation. Our new baseball staff is already in place and our players will begin arriving on campus next fall. We intend to staff our new competitive cheer team this spring.

 

Financial status of the athletics department:

 

The athletic department presently has a budget of roughly $47 million. It is paying all of its bills and included in this is over seven million dollars being put back into the university’s economy for services provided.

 

Over two-thirds of our income comes either directly or indirectly from football. Donations and ticket prices continue to increase.

 

Many on our staff, like our faculty, are underpaid in comparison to our peer institutions.

 

Our financial situation is fragile. There are no reserves at this time, and we do not anticipate any substantial reserves until the Legacy Fund is in place, fully funded and functioning as intended, as well as the additional revenue the new arena can provide.

Planned expansion, remodeling or removal of athletics facilities:

 

In addition to the aforementioned Academic Learning Center, the first phase of the new baseball stadium is scheduled to be completed by the spring of 2009. A site has not been definitively selected, but we are moving closer to a resolution there. Keeping the new baseball student-athletes integrated with our other student-athletes (i.e. in and around the Cas Center) is a primary consideration in selecting a site. All of the first phase of the new baseball complex will be paid for by new donations.

 

 

 

Obviously, the arena is the other, new facility garnering the most attention. The need for a new facility is clearly stated in the senate budget sub-committee’s report. Members of the athletic department staff have spent over five years examining the most logical method to finance this project. The funding model we have proposed has been used by numerous universities, including the University of California, to fund this type of project.

 

The bottom line is should NEW income from the arena not materialize as expected: maintaining the revenue stream we presently have at Mac Court; utilizing present Duck Athletic Fund donations and replacing those donations at the operational level with the interest from the Legacy Fund if only invested at T-bill rates; the athletic department would be able to meet the debt service projected by the arena.

 

The university’s bonding capacity will NOT be jeopardized, nor will the need exist to come back to the university requesting general fund assistance. More significantly, if arena revenues do materialize even at the conservative levels projected by the athletic department and CSL, the department becomes a self-sustaining entity regardless of our on-field success or lack thereof.

Any others topics the athletics director deems relevant to the university community:

 

University athletic events and events associated with the athletic department (i.e. the Olympic Trials) continue to have a significant impact on the region’s economy.

 

The athletic department has been working in conjunction with a local middle school to create a pilot program in positive behavior reinforcement. The program entails free admission to Oregon athletic events for those students who exemplify proper behavior at the middle school. In the evaluation of the middle school staff, the program has been extremely successful and they hope to expand it throughout their district and other local districts next year.

 

Our national championship cross country team and our basketball and football team’s success have brought positive attention from across nation to the university community and the region.

 

Four (4) members of the men's Pac-10 and national championship cross country team were Academic All Conference selections (1^st team, 2nd team or honorable mention) as were five (5) members of the women’s team which placed second in the nation at the NCAA championship meet.

 

It is significant to note within the two most visible sports, men’s basketball and football, all five of our seniors on the basketball team have completed their degree requirements; of the seventeen (17) seniors on our football team, seven have already completed their degree requirements; six will do so by the end of the winter term; and the remainder can complete their requirements by the end of the academic year.

 

Six of our football players made the All Pac-10 Academic Team at some level (1^st team, 2^nd team, or honorable mention). Nick Reed, an all-league defensive end, was selected as an Academic All-American by ESPN the Magazine.

        

Dennis Dixon received one of the NCAA’s Top VIII Awards for outstanding athletic, academic and community achievement (Oregon’s 5^th recipient of that award). He was also the recipient of the College Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete Award and a Draddy Award finalist, which is considered the academic Heisman award.

 

All of these accomplishments fall well within the university’s mission as a community dedicated to the highest standards of learning and service.