When it comes to intercollegiate athletics, Dartmouth College President James Wright does much more than just sit on the sidelines; he is a member of the 18-member NCAA Division I Board of Directors.
Wright attended a meeting of the board this weekend in Indiana.
"A lot of issues we discussed are ones that came up this year," Wright said.
These include increasing the graduation rates of athletes, commercialism of college sports and the current length of athletic seasons.
Another concern discussed at the meeting is that "the cost of intercollegiate athletics continues to climb," Wright said.
"One [issue] that might affect Dartmouth is the possibility of some reduction in the length of competitive seasons or some reduction of off-season training."
Wright also belongs to a task force made up of eight college presidents who are currently looking into eligibility standards, both at the time of an athlete's initial entrance into college and during his or her college career.
"We are hoping to come up with a system that is somewhat more flexible than the current system," Wright said. "Initial eligibility would be determined by a combination of SAT scores and high school grades. In this way, performance in school could compensate for test scores."
"Since the Board operates partly on a rotational schedule, the smaller conferences do not receive representation every year like the larger conferences," Wright said.
When Wright's term ends in 2003, the Ivy League will not be represented for several years.
The 18-member board was established in 1997 when the NCAA decided to do away with the one-school, one-vote system for approving legislation.
Instead, they created a system of conference representation.
"I consider strengthening academic opportunities for all intercollegiate athletes our top priority," Wright said.
Currently, the Board is working on a program to enhance the graduation rate among all athletes.
"Dartmouth always does very well in this respect," Wright said, "but some schools have such low graduation rates that it is extremely embarrassing for them."
"To speak more broadly, the decisions of the Board affect all of us," he added.
"It is important for us to remember that the purpose of universities and colleges is to provide an education, and those belonging to sports teams are still students first and foremost."
