The Management of Intercollegiate Athletics at UC Berkeley: Turning Points and Consequences. Research &amp; Occasional Paper Series: CSHE.12.13
Author: Cummins, John
Date: 2013-11-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Intercollegiate Cooperation,College Athletics,Team Sports,Interviews,Administration,Graduation Rate,Athletes,Oral History,Educational History,Economic Factors,Governance,Intervention,College Administration,Minority Group Students,Racial Bias,Gender Bias,Womens Athletics,Television,Marketing,Advisory Committees,Databases,Student Records,Gender Differences,Comparative Analysis,Racial Differences,Leadership Responsibility,Athletic Coaches,Administrator Role,College Admission,Eligibility

This white paper was prepared at the request of the Advisory Committee to the Athletic Study Center as a result of their concern over poor graduation rates in football as released by the NCAA in 2012. The paper received extensive review by the members of that committee as well as several other knowledgeable faculty and senior administrators before it was forwarded to the University Athletics Board in late May, 2013. It is based on a larger project being conducted with the Regional Oral History Office at the Bancroft Library. The purpose of the research is to explore the history of the management of Intercollegiate Athletics at UC Berkeley from the 1960s to the present. The project began in 2009 and will include, when completed, approximately 70 oral history interviews of individuals who played key roles in the management of intercollegiate athletics over that period of time--Chancellors, Athletic Directors, senior administrators, Faculty Athletic Representatives, other key faculty members, directors of the Recreational Sports Program, alumni/donors, administrators in the Athletic Study Center and others. The interviews were conducted by John Cummins, Associate Chancellor-Chief of Staff, Emeritus who worked under Chancellors Heyman, Tien, Berdahl and Birgeneau from 1984-2008. Intercollegiate Athletics reported to him from 2004-2006. A publication of the results is underway and will be co-authored by Cummins and Kirsten Hextrum, a PhD student in the Graduate School of Education, a member and two-time national champion of Cal Women's Crew from 2003-2007, and a tutor/adviser in the Athletic Study Center since 2009. This paper addresses administrative and management issues that typically concern those responsible for the conduct of a Division I-A intercollegiate athletics program. It assumes that such a program will continue for many years to come and that it provides important benefits for the Cal community. Its focus is principally with the market driven, multi-billion dollar phenomenon of the big-time sports of Men's football and basketball, their development over time and their intersection with the academic world. The Olympic or non-revenue sports at UC Berkeley more closely resemble the amateur intercollegiate ideal with high graduation rates and successful programs. Even these sports programs, however, are gradually being pulled into the more highly commercialized model. Appended are: (1) Federal Graduation Rates for the Entering Cohorts 1999-2005; (2) Timeline of the History of Intercollegiate Athletics; and (3) Executive Summary.