The following organizational changes took place during the past three-year period, resulting in major impacts on the Athletics Department:

• In March 1996 the Athletics Advisory Committee recommended the consolidation of the separate men and women's programs into one Athletics Department, effective April 1, 1996. This change in structure allows for greater consistency in management decisions related to Title IX.
• During FY97 the Athletics Department began a reorganization of its management structure with definition of responsibilities for each of the administrative positions changing to reflect the needs of a unified department. For AY 1996-97 management of the department rested with the Athletics Director, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Compliance, Associate Athletics Director for Internal Operations, Assistant Athletics Director for Finance, and Director of Fundraising and Development. (For AY 1997-98, the Associate AD for Internal Operations was replaced with the Associate AD for Team Administration/Events Management. The Athletics Department also brought in an external affairs consultant to oversee promotions and marketing, tickets, media relations, sales, and licensing, and to make recommendations for any further organizational change.) The reorganized management team has been charged with the responsibility of providing equitable support for similar teams.

• In June 1994 the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), U.S. Department of Education, selected the University for a compliance review with respect to equal opportunity for males and females in UNH intercollegiate athletic programs.
• On December 18, 1995, UNH signed a Compliance Agreement with OCR designed "to fully accommodate the interests and abilities of the female students." The University agreed to implement a plan that would ensure substantial proportionality by the 1997-98 academic year. Further, the University agreed to award athletics financial assistance to each sex in proportion to the number of students participating by AY 1998-99, to increase recruitment funding for female athletes to 50% by AY 98-99, to ensure coaching equivalency between the men's teams and the women's teams, and to increase funds provided to the women's programs until the opportunities, benefits, quality, kind, and treatment provided members of both sexes are equivalent. Further, UNH agreed to reassess participation and enrollment proportions by September 1, 1998, to determine if additional action will be necessary to ensure that participation opportunities are substantially proportionate to enrollment. Each year UNH reports to OCR on its progress toward meeting the goals of the Compliance Agreement. A copy of the most recent report is found in Appendix S.
• In June 1997 the National Women's Law Center named the University as one of 25 institutions in its administrative complaint to OCR, specifically citing discrimination against women in the opportunity to receive athletics aid.
• During the course of this three-year cycle, the Affirmative Action Director has been responsible for monitoring compliance with Title IX. The Director serves as an ex-officio member of the Athletics Advisory Committee to provide expertise when decisions are made that ultimately could affect progress toward Title IX compliance.
• All reports to NCAA, OCR and other agencies are generated through the Affirmative Action Office. In fall 1997 an Equity Committee was formed as a subcommittee of the Athletics Advisory Council to provide consistent oversight for the purpose of compliance. The Affirmative Action Director and the Director of Athletics serve on this committee.

1. For the three most recent academic years, provide the gender and racial or ethnic composition for full-time senior administrative athletics department staff members (i.e., assistant athletic directors up through the athletics director level); other full- and part-time professional (i.e., non clerical) athletics department staff members (such as trainers, ticket managers, academic support staff, and facility managers, even if the position is not funded by or does not report to the athletics department); full- and part-time head coaches; full- and part-time assistant coaches (including graduate assistant, volunteer and restricted-earnings coaches); faculty-based athletics board or committee (e.g., faculty senate subcommittee on athletics, faculty athletics committee) members, and other advisory or policy-making group (e.g., governing board for athletics, student-athlete advisory committee) members (if any).

Table 10 portrays the gender and racial/ethnic composition for staff and faculty groups related to athletics. As the table reflects, in the most recent year, males represent 58.6% of all full-time employees and females represent 41.4%. During the same year, African Americans represent 5.2% of all full-time employees. For all full-time instructional faculty, African Americans represent 0.7% of the population.

(Tables,10 through 30, are nontransferable, if you wish to see a hard copy please email Karen Gilbert at khg@cisunix.unh.edu, or call the office 862-2053)

Table 10 -

 

2. For the three most recent academic years, provide the gender and racial or ethnic composition for student-athletes who received athletics aid and for students generally.

Table 13

Table 14

Table 15

Table 16

Table 17

Table 18

Table 19

Table 20

Table 21

Table 22

Table 23

Table 24

Table 25

Table 26

Table 27

Table 28

Table 29

Table 30

The Athletics Department at the University of New Hampshire offers a variety of programs to ensure the academic and social well-being of its student-athletes. Before the student-athletes enter the classroom, they participate in student-athlete academic orientation. This program is held during the University-sponsored Freshman Days (an orientation weekend held in the fall for all incoming students before classes begin). During this two-hour program, representatives from the Counseling Center, the Center for Academic Resources, and Career Services address the freshmen athletes and explain the services available to student-athletes. A skit is also performed by a faculty member and an upper class athlete, which demonstrates the appropriate way to approach a professor and discuss absences due to competition. The focus of the orientation program is on academic issues. During the program, the Student Athlete Support Services (SASS) Coordinator informs student-athletes of the support services available to them.

The Student Athlete Support Services (SASS) Coordinator is responsible for monitoring the academic progress of all student-athletes and reports to the Senior Associate Athletics Director for Compliance. The SASS Coordinator also serves as a staff member for the Center for Academic Resources, which provides individual study skills instruction to all students. The SASS Coordinator refers student-athletes to the Center and works with staff members to monitor student-athlete progress. The SASS Coordinator also presents workshops on study skills to teams upon request. The tutorial program for student-athletes is also managed by the SASS office. Student-athletes experiencing difficulty with subject material meet with the SASS Coordinator to discuss these difficulties. Once it is determined that tutorial support is appropriate, the student-athlete is matched with a tutor. The student-athlete meets with the tutor individually or in a small group setting. The student-athlete is encouraged to meet with his/her tutor at times when it is mutually convenient. This unrestricted scheduling enables the student-athlete to receive assistance around class and practice times.

The academic achievements of the student-athletes are honored and recognized at the Academic-Athletics Achievement Reception hosted each spring by the UNH Athletics Advisory Committee. Those student-athletes who have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher receive certificates, pen and pencil sets, pins or watches depending on the number of semesters they have maintained the 3.2 grade point while a member of an intercollegiate athletic team. The reception is held each May and student-athletes are encouraged to invite a faculty member as a guest in addition to their parents, coaches, and other members of the athletics administration.

With the help of the Health Education program, Athletes for Awareness (AFA) provide student-athletes with substance abuse and nutritional information. AFA is a group of student-athletes who volunteer their time to become educated in different social/health issues and are trained to present programs to the athletic teams. Members of AFA include athletes from the various teams. Both men and women athletes are involved, with the majority of the members being female. The AFA group is a part of the Peer Education program sponsored by Health Services. A policy in the Athletics Department has been that each team is asked to choose two topical issues to be presented by AFA members and, if needed, other members of the Peer Education program. These programs can be scheduled at any time during the year. Coaches inform the SASS Coordinator of the programs chosen by the teams. The SASS Coordinator then contacts the Health Education office to schedule dates and times for the programs. The Senior Associate Athletics Director for Compliance also schedules a speaker every year to address athletes on issues of alcohol and drug abuse.

In addition to services organized directly through the Athletics Department, the SASS Coordinator connects student-athletes with services already in existence on campus. For example, the SASS Coordinator refers student-athletes to Career Services for assistance in writing resumes, locating internships, and developing interviewing skills. Representatives from Career Services have presented resume-writing workshops in the Field House to accommodate the schedules of student-athletes. The SASS Coordinator and coaching staff also have an ongoing relationship with the Counseling Center. Student-athletes are referred to the Counseling Center for assistance with personal issues. Staff members from the Counseling Center are called in as needed by coaches to meet with teams to discuss issues and provide support. Students with documented learning disabilities register with the ACCESS (Accessing Career Challenges in Education through Specialized Services) Office to obtain educational accommodations from faculty. The SASS Coordinator works with the ACCESS Coordinator to monitor the progress of the student-athletes and makes sure they are receiving the accommodations necessary.

Brochures describing all programs will be provided at the time of the site visit.

The exit interview process was developed six years ago to obtain information and feedback from graduating (or withdrawing) athletes on their experiences over the four years as a student-athlete at UNH. The exit interview process includes administering a five-page survey that was developed by the Senior Associate Athletics Director (SAAD). According to the NCAA manual, the exit interview should include "questions regarding the value of the students' athletic experiences, the extent of the athletics time demands encountered by student-athletes, proposed changes in intercollegiate athletics, and concerns related to the administration of the student-athletes' specific sports" (NCAA rule 6.3.2). The NCAA stipulates that a sample of athletes from each sport be surveyed.

To begin the process, a letter is sent to all senior athletes explaining the exit interview process (Appendix V). A date and time is set for the athletes to come to the Field House to complete the survey. The meeting is not mandatory. (Student-athletes who are unable to attend this meeting may arrange a separate meeting with the Faculty Athletics Representative and/or the SAAD.) The Faculty Athletics Representative and SAAD attend the meeting, explain the process, and administer the survey. The survey is completed anonymously, but student-athletes have the option of including their name. The student-athletes also discuss issues among themselves while the SAAD is out of the room. If there are concerns or questions the student-athletes would like answered immediately, they can request him to return.

When the surveys are completed, the SAAD reviews them to make sure the questions have been answered properly. The surveys are then given to the Athletics Director and the Faculty Athletics Representative to view. These surveys are kept confidential.

In addition to the exit interview meeting time, student-athletes are given other opportunities to discuss their experiences as athletes at UNH. At the beginning of each semester, the SAAD meets with all the teams to update them on eligibility rules and informs them that they can meet with him to discuss concerns or problems at any time during the semester.

During AY 1996-97 the unified Athletics Department began monthly meetings of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), as noted above. This represents another avenue for student-athletes to provide input regarding their experiences. The SAAC includes two members from each team, and is intended to create communication links between the issues and concerns of the athletes and the issues and plans of the department administration. The expectation is that, as this group gets more established, it will increasingly be a way for individual athletes to have their concerns heard and addressed, long before the end of their athletics career. During AY 1996-97 the SAAC was 54.8% female and had a 12.9% minority representation.

Finally, the Athletics Director conducts periodic team evaluations of coaches, which are confidential. The coach receives feedback from these evaluations in summary form.

Specifics on the overall organizational structure of the Athletics Department are presented in the Governance and Compliance section of this self-study and add context to the information provided below.

The staff consists of four full-time staff members and interns (three men and one woman) for the 1997-98 year. There are six or seven student volunteers. The policy on press releases is equal coverage for every team. A release is sent out for each team after each event. Each week a round-up release is sent out covering each sport that is in season but also including any news about an out of season team when appropriate. The Athletics Department's Internet web page is up-dated weekly for sports in season, while sports not in season have their schedules posted. There is also an athletics department phone line which lists the daily athletic events and scores of the previous days contests.

A full-time media relations staff member or intern travels to selected games for football, men's and women's ice hockey, men's and women's basketball, and volleyball. Members of the media attend the competitions of these select teams, thus the rationale for having a full-time staff person or intern present when possible. An attempt is made to provide coverage of all home competitions and to have a staff member or intern travel to every championship game when UNH teams participate, though limited staff and too many successful teams can make this difficult.

Programs are sold for each home football and men's hockey games. These are the two sports where there is a high demand for programs. Most other sports have game day flyers. Golf, crew, and skiing, for example, all held their competitions off-campus with limited and/or dispersed spectators, and therefore, there is no demand for even a flyer. Typically the programs are printed in-house. In the past, booster clubs, for example men's ice hockey, have provided support for some team programs. This is no longer the case.

When the Men's and Women's Athletics Departments were separate their procedures for budgeting for the media/recruiting guides were different. In the men's department the three revenue producing sports guides (football, ice hockey and basketball), were funded by the Media Relations Office. All of the other men's teams funded the guides from their individual budgets. The women's departmental policy was that each team paid for their media guides out of their individual budgets.

Starting in summer 1997 all funding for media/recruiting guides was removed from each team's budget and transferred to the Media Relations budget. The plan is to have the media/recruiting guides equal in size and quality for comparable men's and women's sports such as men's and women's basketball. Efforts are made to produce the media/recruiting guides according to the order in which each team's season starts. Therefore, teams whose season start later in the fall, often do not have their guides completed on time.

Marketing and promotion of athletics teams has undergone considerable change in the past two years. Prior to 1996-97 there was minimal attention to women's sports because the Marketing and Promotions position then reported to the Director of Men's Athletics. During 1996-97 marketing plans were developed to include women's ticket revenue-producing sports other than volleyball. The primary energy was spent promoting and marketing the men's hockey, football, and basketball programs.

In August 1997 the Athletics Department hired an External Relations Coordinator, whose responsibilities include promoting athletic events, marketing corporate sponsorships, advertising, and maximizing ticket sales, with an emphasis on men's and women's hockey, men's and women's basketball, football, gymnastics and volleyball. These are the ticket revenue-producing sports. Plans are underway to gradually increase support for men's and women's basketball which have the potential for increased revenue through ticket sales. Every program in athletics benefits from an overall increase in resources. Selling sponsorships for men's and women's ice hockey and men's and women's basketball represents an equitable form of packaging. An equitable approach to the promotion of athletics events for ticketed sports is being reviewed this year, for the development of equitable marketing plans to be implemented over the next five years (see Gender Equity Plan).

The Athletic Training staff presently includes three full-time athletic trainers (two men, one woman), two part-time athletic trainers (one male, one female), a female athletic training intern, and approximately 40 student athletic trainers. The Athletic Training room philosophy and policies are summarized in the University of New Hampshire Athletic Training Room Policy and Procedure Manual, which will be available at the time of the site visit.

Each athletic trainer has been assigned a primary sport and is expected to attend every game played by that team. There is a certified athletic trainer present for every home game for every team. All practices are covered by a certified athletic trainer or a student athletic trainer except crew and skiing, which are off-site. The ski team competes at sites which have medical coverage and the crew coaches are responsible for their team when they are on the water. A certified athletic trainer is present for every practice for football, men's hockey, and gymnastics due to the high risk of injury in these sports. If practices are held during normal athletic training room hours (usually 8am to 7pm), all sports can rely on a certified athletic trainer being present in the building. Away games are covered by student athletic trainers should the certified athletic trainer be unable to attend.

There are two weight rooms available to student-athletes. One is located in the Field House and is supervised by the Head Strength Coach. The second is located at Towse Rink in the Whittemore Center. This weight room is for the men's and women's ice hockey teams. Athletics trainers as well as some of the coaches provide supervision for this weight room. The Head Strength Coach designs workouts for most of the men's teams, and approximately half of the women's teams. Teams not using workouts designed by the Head Strength Coach, have workouts designed by their coaches. Each team schedules time in the weight room based on when the most important time of the year is for them to be lifting, whether it is in season or out of season.

The athletics equipment room is located in the Field House. All athletes have equal access to the equipment room. Equipment that needs to be "bid out" is done so by the Equipment Room Manager. Many teams have in the past received support from their booster clubs for purchase of new or additional equipment.

In the past the separate men's and women's departments had very different philosophies on how to budget for travel, and neither had any written policies. The practice had been for coaches to submit travel budgets to the appropriate director, which he/she approved or adjusted. Individual coaches often then made trade-offs in using the budget allotment, sometimes trading more athletes per room for more expensive transportation. Some teams, especially the men's, used revenue supplied by the booster clubs to cover travel costs. Food allowance needs obviously vary considerably across sport. The Athletics Director and the Assistant AD for Finance recognize the need to develop consistent travel and per diem policies for each intercollegiate team, to provide equitable scaling of support while recognizing the differing sport by sport requirements for student athlete welfare and safety. (See "Plan for Improvement" section.)

The Associate Athletics Director for Team Administration/ Events Management is responsible for coordinating the scheduling for all athletic teams.

By policy, men and women's ice hockey have equal ice time for practice and home competitions. Men's and women's basketball, and volleyball hold their practices in Lundholm Gymnasium in the Field House. The men's basketball team has 12 home games scheduled to play in the Whittemore Center for the 1997-98 season while the women's basketball team has seven games scheduled for play in the Whittemore Center. The women's gymnastics team has four of five meets in the Whittemore Center.

The reason for the apparent inequity in the number of games the men and women's basketball teams are holding in the Whittemore Center is due to the necessity of scheduling around the men's and women's ice hockey teams whose game schedules are dictated by Hockey East and ECAC respectively. Men's and women's basketball home games are fit in accordingly. America East does the scheduling for both men's and women's basketball. While Hockey East and America East work to coordinate schedules for the men's hockey and basketball teams, the Women's Ice Hockey League does not yet coordinate its schedule of games with America East's women's basketball schedule.

A subcommittee of the Athletic Advisory Committee was charged by then Interim President Walter Peterson to evaluate the current conditions and needs of athletics facilities, including fields as well as weight rooms, equipment rooms, locker rooms, etc. The committee conducted its work from October 1995 through January 1996. A copy of their report is included in Appendix W.

The initial list of recommendations of the committee was re-worked and expanded for the December 15, 1996 report, Recommendations of the Athletic Advisory Committee on the Reduction of Teams at UNH (Appendix W). In summary, the Athletic Advisory Committee recognizes that facilities and fields used by student-athletes must be safe (see February 29, 1996 and June 4, 1996 reports). To this end, the Committee recommends that an ad-hoc safety committee be established within the Athletics Department whose charge is to annually assess the safety of UNH's fields and facilities. The findings of this committee will be represented to a review team, who will set priorities, develop an action plan with deadlines, and present their report at the Athletic Advisory Committee's December meeting each year.

• Priority #1: Reconstruction of the outdoor track. The track is currently unsafe for UNH athletes, and dollars have been identified for its reconstruction. This reconstruction will impinge on the present football and soccer fields, necessitating relocation of each field. Soccer could relocate to the current baseball field.
• Priority #2a: Construction of safe practice fields for football, soccer, women's lacrosse and field hockey. It is recommended that all practice fields be upgraded and an all-weather play surface be constructed. The all-weather play surface would serve three functions: (1) it would eliminate the need to practice on, and wear down, competitive fields; (2) it provides a competition field for field hockey and lacrosse; and (3) it provides a surface for practice during inclement weather.
• Priority #2b: UNH athletics fields be dedicated for use by intercollegiate sports. This will necessitate that Campus Recreation build fields for its own use. The Department of Athletics should work closely with Campus Recreation to phase in the changeover in fields so as to minimize impact on student recreation.
• Priority #3: Expansion of Sports Medicine, Weight Room and Locker Room Facilities. It is imperative that the safety of our student-athletes be assured, and that the demand of UNH's 22 teams be met. This is currently not the case. Existing space is overcrowded, equipment is unsafe, and there is no private exam room in Sports Medicine. These and other findings were detailed in the June 4, 1996 report of this subcommittee, and agree with the recent findings of the SLBA, Inc., consultants for Health Services. Expansion of Sports Medicine and Weight Room facilities will, by necessity, underscore the need for increased staffing in both areas.
• Priority #4: Renovate the indoor track into a true field house. This will provide a practice site for lacrosse, soccer, football, and field hockey, during inclement weather.
• Priority #5: Add a gymnasium next to the gymnastics room as proposed in the 1987 Field House renovations. This provides practice sites for volleyball, men's and women's basketball, and men's and women's soccer.

Implementation of these recommendations has begun. During summer 1997 the men's and women's locker rooms were reviewed. Noted by all, including the coaches, is a great discrepancy in the quality and the size of the locker room space for men's and women's teams. With the exception of the women's ice hockey team, the women's locker rooms are inferior in almost every respect. Further analysis is underway to identify the inequities more completely, and to develop an action plan. See "Plan for Improvement" section for further information.

The preface to this self-study highlights the focus on change that permeates the campus, including the intercollegiate athletics program. UNH has a commitment to equitable treatment of all its student-athletes. As noted, we are operating under a Compliance Agreement with OCR to fulfill our obligations under Title IX (Appendix S). We have and will continue to undertake organizational and structural change in the department to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our intercollegiate athletics programs.

Specific initiatives completed, and designed to address equity issues, minority issues, and student welfare are the following:

• Continued progress reports to OCR;
• A new Equity subcommittee of the Athletic Advisory Committee has been established, with a charge to provide annual monitoring for an equitable climate in athletics. The subcommittee will provide oversight of the next phase of our Gender Equity plan to follow our OCR agreement. The subcommittee will also provide oversight of our Minority Plan, and any issues involving student-athlete welfare.
• Institutional oversight of the welfare of racial and ethnic minorities through a new President's Commission on the Status of People of Color, with representation from Athletics (Appendix U);
• Adoption of the new NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills Program; and
• Establishment of a Safety Committee to conduct annual assessments of athletic fields and facilities.

1. Given the responses above, evaluate whether the activities of the athletics department are in substantial conformity with each of the operating principles set forth in this section. The institution's evaluation should address each of the three specific operating activities separately.

The University of New Hampshire is in substantial conformity with respect to our level of commitment to the "fair and equitable treatment of men and women". We are currently operating under a compliance agreement with the Office for Civil Rights which includes providing annual progress reports and completing a reassessment of our efforts by September 1998. Senior management of the Athletics Department and the Athletic Advisory Committee monitor our progress. Particular areas of continuing concern are equitability of facilities, notably locker rooms, and support for women's sports from marketing, promotions and sports information staff.

This report highlights the organizational changes in Athletics since April 1996, the major change being the consolidation of a men's and women's department into a single Athletics Department. We want to be clear that while the commitment to equity of the department and the institution for men's and women's athletics is solid, inconsistencies and inequities that resulted from a very different organizational structure and philosophy continue to exist. For example, we note that the men's and women's departments had different approaches to budgeting and fund raising, and the Director of Men's Athletics had responsibility for facilities for both departments. The current administration is working hard to make the needed changes.

In our review of the Athletics Department's commitment to equity, we did conduct a survey of the coaches. The survey was carried out in late May 1997 at the end of a difficult year for the department. Substantial organizational changes were under way. Members of the department, staff, management, coaches, and athletes have all had to adjust to a number of changes, and not all changes have been easy to accept. UNH as an institution has recognized and embraced the substantial changes required to bring us into compliance with Title IX obligations. The impact of the necessary changes and adjustments, however, fall on the department. Individuals within the department can find the process difficult: some see the changes as too abrupt, some see them as too glacial. The department was wrestling with increasing deficits, and the president had announced the elimination of four teams and a reduced institutional commitment to the ski team. The coaches' surveys, along with anecdotal information from athletes and other persons in the field house, indicate levels of dissatisfaction on issues of equitable facilities, and equitable support by sports information and promotion staff. These issues have been evaluated and assessed for implementation into the Gender Equity Plan.

The University of New Hampshire is in substantial conformity with respect to our level of institutional commitment to provide, "equitable opportunities for minority students and institutional personnel." The 1994 document, Building a New University Community, outlines institutional goals for increasing racial and ethnic diversity. The recent establishment of the President's Commission on the Status of People of Color adds substantially to the institution's commitment. The Equity subcommittee of the Athletic Advisory Committee not only provides oversight of Gender Equity Plan, but will also monitor the implementation of our minority student-athlete recruitment and retention plan. This committee reports directly to the President of the university. While there is an institutional commitment to address minority issues, the Athletics Department still needs to address include the following:

1. Building a New University Community was written by a broad representation of the University community, but did not include members of the Athletics Department. A subcommittee of the President's Commission on the Status of People of Color was formed to review Building a New University Community, with specific reference to recruitment issues.
2. The Affirmative Action plan prepared by USNH does not provide specific goals for the Athletics Department. We recognize that recruitment and retention of minority students works best in conjunction with recruitment and retention of minority faculty and staff. Currently the Director of Athletics works with Personnel Services to fill coaching and staff vacancies in accordance with Affirmative Action guidelines, but the Department would benefit from the existence of a workforce analysis and of availability data. Currently there are three minority coaches representing 4.8% percent of the coaching staff.
3. Coaches currently recruit for positions and do look for minority candidates admissible to UNH. Both the Academic Integrity and the Commitment to Equity sections of our Self-Study Report discuss the relationship between the coaches and the Admissions Office. As noted in the equity section, the University has a Coordinator of Minority Recruitment and Retention working from the Provost's office. He has had an informal working relationship with the men's basketball and the football coaches, but his services are unknown to many Athletics Department staff.
4. The Admissions Office makes extensive use of students as tour guides and peer interviewers and has recently actively recruited minority students for these positions. Each spring the office seeks recommendations of students for these positions from faculty and staff. Coaches need to be encouraged to recommend team members. As one coach has stated, successful recruitment of minority athletes becomes more likely when on their campus visits the recruits see students of color across the campus, in the library, classrooms, and student union as well as at the field house.
5. The University of New Hampshire has a commitment to enhancing the representation of racial and ethnic minority students, faculty, and staff. Our 1994 document, Building a New University Community, established a series of initiatives for a 10-year period, through 2005. The Athletics Department needs to be connected to ongoing monitoring of success in meeting these initiatives. Our intent is to assure an ongoing commitment of the Athletics Department to principles of racial inclusion and equity within the broader framework of the University's commitment. While there are issues germane to this department, their efforts must remain consistent with those of the University.

The University of New Hampshire is in substantial conformity with its commitment to the "fair treatment of student-athletes." Structures are in place to assure academic support for the student-athletes. Academic progress is monitored on a continuing basis. The Student Athlete Support Services (SASS) Coordinator's position as a staff member of the Center for Academic Resources, and the strength of the tutorials program enables student-athletes to receive assistance in study skills and specific subject areas. In addition the SASS Coordinator's continuous interaction with deans, academic advisers, and faculty in combination with their support and expertise, provide student-athletes with the tools needed to succeed academically. The Athletics Department has established strong relationships with the student support offices on campus giving the athletes ample opportunity to receive both academic and personal support. Student-athletes are educated outside the classroom on issues that are vital to their development.

1. Given the responses above, evaluate whether the activities of the athletics program are consistent with the mission and purpose of the institution.

There is substantial consistency between the mission and purpose of the University and the activities of the intercollegiate athletics program. We note that the University's commitment to providing quality programs and services is what has driven much of the restructuring of our intercollegiate athletics program over the period of time covered by this self-study.

2. Where the institution concludes in its evaluation that it does not conform to one or more operating principles or that problems or deficiencies exist, describe the institution's specific plan for improvement, including: (a) the intended end result, (b) the individuals or offices that will be responsible for taking specific actions and (c) the specific timetable for completing the work. Where the institution concludes that these improvements may affect existing programs or activities in other areas, describe how the institution intends to maintain the current level of quality of those programs.

PLAN FOR ASSURING GENDER EQUITY IN THE ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT

FIVE YEAR PLAN 1998-2003

The recent consolidation of the Athletics Department from two separate departments to one has underscored the importance of a gender equity plan that goes beyond the OCR agreement of 1995.

Recommendations:

1. Complete department policy manual, clarifying department's mission and stating priority on gender equity. The Senior Athletics Director for Compliance is responsible for oversight of completion of the manual by fall 1998.
2. Conduct annual new staff/coach orientation program, including the topic of gender equity issues, and providing the opportunity to address questions and create a greater understanding of the UNH plan. The Athletics Director and the Athletic Advisory Committee are responsible for this program. Design of the program will be completed in summer 1998 with implementation beginning fall 1998, to continue annually.
3. Conduct focused, annual discussions for all department members on Title IX, its meaning and its benefits, to assure staff understanding of the gender equity issues. The Athletics Director, the Director of Affirmative Action, and the Athletic Advisory Committee are responsible for carrying out these discussions, which are ongoing.
4. A review of coaches salaries revealed an inequity between men's and women's head coaches salaries. A strategy for a salary equity plan has been created to provide equitable salary distribution between coaches with similar performance expectations and to equalize the average salary between men and women. The Athletics Director will work with the President and Vice President for Finance and Administration for implementation by April 1998.
5. Improve scheduling for practice and game times, producing equitable practice and game schedules between men's and women's teams. The Associate Athletics Director for Team Administration/Events Management is responsible for these improvements. This assessment is to be completed April 1998.
6. Currently there are not equitable opportunities for men's and women's basketball teams to schedule games at the Whittemore Center. The Associate Athletics Director for Team Administration/Events Management will work with our conferences (America East, Hockey East, ECAC) to resolve conflicts in scheduling where possible, beginning fall 1998.
7. There is a disparity in resources allocated for men's and women's media/recruiting guides. Resources will be increased to support improved media/recruiting guides in women's sports to be equitable with men's teams. The Athletics Director will be responsible for oversight with the Sports Information Director. Resources will be allocated within the five-year financial plan.
8. There is a disparity in resources allocated for equitable promotions and marketing of men's and women's ticket-revenue producing sports. Women's sports will be identified to receive increased resources for promotions over the life of the five-year financial plan. The External Relations Coordinator will be responsible for implementation and monitoring expenditures.
9. The scholarship distribution is not proportionate to the athletic participation ratio. Scholarships will be added to women's teams and/or deleted from men's teams to reach the Title IX standard. Adjustments will be completed by 2003 under the direction of the Athletics Director, with approval from the President.
10. The locker rooms for men and women are inequitable. The available space for the renovation and expansion of locker room space for women was evaluated in November 1997. The first phase of the plan will be implemented in the summer of 1998, to be completed by the summer of 2003. The Athletics Director, Director of Athletic Facilities, and the Vice President for Finance and Administration will be responsible for funding and completion of the plan.
11. To develop an equitable measure of distributing resources to student athletes for per diem on road trips and for University holidays when appropriate. The Assistant Athletics Director for Finance (AADF) will develop a per diem policy with input from coaches, athletics management team members, and the directors of dining and housing, to be implemented in fall 1998.
12. To provide equitable opportunities for student-athletes to receive coaching, five assistant coaches for women's teams will be added. One assistant coach will be added each year beginning in 1998. The Athletics Director, Vice President for Finance and Administration, and the President will be responsible for annual evaluation and implementation of the plan.

PLAN FOR IMPROVING MINORITY RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF STUDENT-ATHLETES, COACHES AND STAFF

Our response to the NCAA requirement for a minority student-athlete recruitment and retention plan seeks to build on the existence of the University plan, Building a New University Community. Our minority recruitment and retention plan needs to be grounded in principles of inclusion and academic success, and be consistent with the University's goals to enhance representation of racial and ethnic minorities in the student body as a whole.

Recommendations:

Two specific items emerged for this plan:

1. Develop a new process for conducting student-athlete exit interviews. The intended outcome is to increase overall student-athlete participation in exit interviews and assure gender balance in this participation. The person responsible for developing this process is the Senior Associate Athletics Director and the Faculty Athletic Representative (Chair of the Athletic Advisory Committee.) The expected completion date is May 1998.