Community college presidents' perceptions of intercollegiate athletics

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

To add to the existing knowledge about athletics at community colleges, the present study investigates the perceptions of two-year college presidents regarding intercollegiate athletics. Besides answering questions about the effect athletics has on student, faculty, and community pride in the institution and their impact on student recruitment and enrollment, leaders provided their perceptions concerning the process for establishing new athletic teams and the budget for intercollegiate athletics at the community college.

Background and literature review

The relationship between intercollegiate athletics and higher education has been questioned by many, but "the centrality of athletics in the life of American colleges and universities is undeniable" (Bogue & Aper, 2000, p. 180). Addressing the relationship between higher education and athletics, the current literature suggests four general topic areas: (a) how intercollegiate athletics affect pride in the institution among various constituencies including students, faculty and staff members, and the general community regarding the institution, (b) whether intercollegiate athletics affect student recruitment and enrollment, (c) administrative and financial procedures related to intercollegiate athletic programs, and (d) whether intercollegiate athletic programs help an institution fulfill its mission.

Today, more than 540 two-year institutions are members of the National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA), which is based in Colorado Springs. NJCAA is the governing body of intercollegiate athletics for two-year colleges. Its programs are designed to meet the needs of student-athletes who come from both traditional and non-traditional backgrounds and whose reasons for selecting a two-year college may be as varied as their life experiences (National Junior College Athletic Association). The Association has taken a leading role in issues such as athletes' eligibility requirements, academic work and institutional responsibility for athletes' academic progress, and season length (Campion, 1990).

According to the literature, there is a general feeling that the success of intercollegiate athletic teams enhances the perception of an institution of higher learning in the eyes of students and potential students, faculty and staff members, and the members of the general community within the institution's service region (Sperber, 2000). Likewise, there is a belief that intercollegiate athletics (and successful teams) lead to an increase in the number of students interested in an institution, in the diversity of applicants, and the number of students who actually enroll in a college or university (Sperber, 2000; Toma &. Cross, 1998). Additionally, there is a logical expectation that decisions regarding budget issues and administrative functions related to intercollegiate athletics (e.g., how teams are funded, whether future funding is secure, how new teams are created) are made on the basis of dependable and reliable information (Shaul, 2001; Shulman &. Bowen, 2001). Finally, there is a general assessment that intercollegiate athletics support the mission of an institution of higher learning (Holbrook, 2004).