Community college presidents' perceptions of intercollegiate athletics

Community College Enterprise, The, Fall 2006 by Williams, Mitchell R, Pennington, Kevin

The study examines community college presidents' perceptions about two-year college intercollegiate athletics. Presidents in six states were surveyed about their perceptions of whether community college athletics: (a) enhances pride in the institution among various constituencies, (b) increases enrollment and augments student recruitment, (c) has appropriate financial and administrative procedures, and (d) supports the mission of the community college. Findings indicate the presidents believe athletics promote pride in the institution among students and the general community and promote community interaction with the campus. There was general agreement among leaders of institutions with and without athletic teams that the athletics budget process and procedures for establishing new teams are not well understood by institutional leaders. Finally, there was significant disagreement among leaders about whether intercollegiate athletics supports the mission of the community college.

More than any other force, athletics has tended to distort the values of college life and to increase its emphasis upon the material and the monetary. Indeed, at no point in the education process has commercialism of college athletics wrought more mischief than in its effect upon the American undergraduate.

Howard J. Savage (1929)

FEW ENDEAVORS in higher education create more excitement, debate, and controversy than intercollegiate athletics. There seems to be a connection between athletic teams and a number of university-related activities including student recruitment and retention, fund-raising, alumni relations, scholarship, student life, and community relations (Toma &. Cross, 1998). In the past few years, several studies have examined the role that intercollegiate athletics plays in a four-year institution's campus community (Shaul, 2001; Shulman &. Bowen, 2001; Suggs, 2004). These studies have questioned whether athletics at the university level (a) affect pride in the institution among various constituencies such as students, faculty and staff, and the general community, (b) influence enrollment and student recruitment, (c) determine financing and administrative procedures related to athletics, and (d) support the mission of higher education.

These studies have also examined myths and perceived problems related to college sports (Shulman &. Bowen, 2001), usually with an eye on Division One athletic programs at nationally-recognized universities. They have presented data showing how intercollegiate athletics affect these institutions of higher education and their missions. High profile athletic programs draw a great deal of scrutiny by the media, the public, and researchers. Even Ivy League universities and selective liberal arts colleges are included in some studies (Shulman &. Bowen, 2001).

Athletic programs at two-year institutions, however, have not been thoroughly examined. While intercollegiate athletics has a long tradition at community colleges in several states, two-year institutions in some states are investigating whether to initiate or expand intercollegiate athletic programs (Hines, 2005). Several of the same questions that are commonly raised concerning athletics at four-year institutions could be raised with regard to community colleges. For example, are athletics diluting or contributing to the mission of the community college? Does the existence of an intercollegiate athletic program enhance a community college's enrollment and the diversity of the students who enroll? Is there adequate funding for intercollegiate athletics at most community colleges, and are appropriate administrative procedures in place to establish, support, and evaluate the benefit of athletic teams?

It has been said that a university's athletic teams are its most visible links to the public-building alumni, donor, and community relations as well as student pride in the institution (Holbrook, 2004). Is the same true for community colleges, institutions which traditionally work with very different student populations? There is some evidence that that may be the case. As early as 1891, William Rainey Harper, then the President of the University of Chicago but later considered to be a key leader in the early community college movement, was a "trend setter in using athletic success as a means of publicizing his institution and attracting students" (Slaughter, 1989, p. 181). Rainey wrote a letter to his new athletic director, Amos Alonzo Stagg, indicating his support for intercollegiate athletics and his strong desire for a team that "we can send around the country and knock out all the colleges" (p. 182).

Data regarding intercollegiate athletic programs at community colleges is limited, and two-year college leaders may not have had the opportunity to learn from the experiences of their colleagues at institutions with long athletic traditions. The lack of information can limit a leader's ability to make informed decisions regarding the creation, continuation, or dissolution of intercollegiate athletic teams. According to Eugene Tobin, coordinator of the College Sports Project at the Mellon Fund, it is particularly important for presidents of small colleges to obtain accurate information about their athletic programs because there is so much anecdotal evidence that may be misleading. It is sometimes a challenge for leaders to get a complete grasp of the intercollegiate athletic experience on their campus and its effect on their institution (Suggs, 2004). Such information can be especially important to community college leaders whose institutions face pressure to add new athletic programs, expand the number of existing athletic teams, terminate teams or programs, or continue a commitment not to offer intercollegiate athletics.