Minutes of the March 8th IAAC meeting 1. The meeting came to order at 10:34 a.m. Members attending were Athletic Director Randy Cubero, Dean of Students Robert Wonnett, Financial Aid representative Jennifer Taylor, Student Success representative Greg Augspurger, Jacqueline Berning, Dan Segal, Charlie Shub, Gudrun McCollum, Susan Szpyrka, and scribe Jessica Wood. Also attending were Coaches Fletcher and Mazzetti and soccer players Arthur Cutter and Jose Velasco. 2. The committee went into executive session to hear eligibility waiver requests from Cutter and Velasco. The committee reported out of executive session that it would grant the waiver for practice, but not scrimmages, requested by Mr. Cutter contingent on him completing three required action items. The committee also reported that it approved allowing Mr. Velasco to practice one day a week. 3. On Motion by Cubero and second by Szpyrka, the minutes of the February 9 meeting were approved unanimously. 4. Athletics Director Report: A. On the topic of scholarship availability for next year, 2004-2005, Cubero reported the athletic department should have about the same amount as the 2003-2004 year. There is also the potential for a small amount more. .LI The requirements for students to be considered for Merit Scholarship have changed. A student athlete must now carry a 3.5 grade point average in order to be considered instead of a 3.0 G.P.A. B. Cubero, Berning, and Wonnett are in the process of developing a more structured format for evaluating coaches at the end of the season. C. Head tennis coach Sarah Cartwright is still recovering from her car accident. 5. Faculty Athletics Representative Report: A. Shub reported the spring postgraduate fellowship applications were due on May 7 and the RMAC degree completion award applications were due April 1. B. Shub noted that Mr. Daly's second term of office ended in May and he was not eligible for another term. He noted that Mrs. Szpyrka's first term was also up in May. Szpyrka noted she was willing to serve for another term. 6. Coach Fletcher gave a post season wrapup for both basketball teams. The school's perception of the men's team is far better than in the past. They are working hard to strengthen relationships within the student body and with administration. The one technical foul for the entire season would most likely be a record if such statistics were kept. The G.P.A. of the team is the highest it has been in some time. Jack Bain, a senior on this season's squad, broke the school's scoring and rebounding records this year. He also leads every collegiate basketball program in rebounds in the United States. The women's basketball team finished the season winning 7 conference games. Their estimated grade point average is a 3.2/3.3. Senior Meghan McGee and sophomore Jennine Sauter received honorable mention All-Conference accolades. Senior B.J. McNeally, who also broke several school records, was named All-Conference. Committee members suggested adding directions to gyms for away games be added to the website, and that notices from the team members about classes that they were going to miss were most helpful. In response to questions from committee members, Fletcher noted the teams fit tightly into one bus. Being in a bus enhances safety. He added that the team always travels home after a game and may get back to campus anywhere between 4 or 5 a.m. on a long trip. 7. Support Services: No Report. 8. Exit interviews: Wonnett noted the committee would be meeting on March 18. They seek to have a more structured survey. The committee would like to ask different questions for exit interviews depending on the reasons for an athlete leaving the department. Their reasons for leaving may range from discontent to expired eligibility. Berning suggested a possible entrance survey to accompany the coach's evaluation forms. Wonnett suggested the possibility for re-interviewing athletes after some time has passed. This may provide a greater opportunity to work with the coaches as a quality check. 9. Old Business: No Report. 10. New Business: Shub, in light of a recent stranding and minor accident involving the softball team, raised concern about travel safety for the athletic teams. He suggested storing up some reserve so that athletic teams do not get stranded while trying to return home in adverse weather conditions. He suggested the athletic teams look harder into hiring professional drivers. Cubero stated that the athletic department is working on the issue, but is limited by the budget. Ideally, teams would stay overnight after competing at away sites either when weather was bad or the travel time was greater than five hours. Cubero's other budgetary concern is that coaches' salaries are too low. The committee directed Shub to send a memo to the chancellor and VCAF about the situation. 11. The committee adjourned at 12:15.