Dec. 17, 1997 |
Contact: Adam Levin Sports Information Director Phone #: (207) 786-6411 |
STATEMENT OF PRESIDENTS OF THE NEW ENGLAND SMALL COLLEGE ATHLETIC
CONFERENCE
The New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) is a conference
of eleven highly selective New England colleges that have cooperated in
athletics since 1971. The conference has been notable for its commitment
to the primacy of academic values, as well as to maintaining strong
athletic programs. We support an average of 28 varsity men's and women's
sports on our campuses.
At our annual winter meeting on December 16, we, the eleven college
presidents, reaffirmed our strong commitment to the Conference and to its
principles of academic and athletic balance. We considered the
appropriateness of post-season play and affirmed it. Continued team and
individual competition in NCAA championships is still under active
consideration.
We established four task forces that will report to the NESCAC presidents'
meeting in late April. Each group will include presidents, athletic
directors, faculty and students. The responsibilities of the four task
forces are as follows:
1) To reexamine and reaffirm the mission and purposes of NESCAC,
to make recommendations to continue the effectiveness and collaborative
spirit of the Conference;
2) To consider and recommend a modest administrative structure,
in a conference now 25 years old, to collect and analyze data, provide
reports and surveys, and preserve minutes and conference memory;
3) To model and consider the organizational implications of
proposed options for post-season competition, on the assumption that the
Conference will select a single option for each sport;
4) To consider boundaries and balances between academic programs
and athletics, so as to minimize conflicts between classes and
examinations and athletic travel, practices, competitions and post-season
play.
President Tom Gerety, Amherst College
President Donald W. Harward, Bates College
President Robert H. Edwards, Bowdoin College
President William R. Cotter, Colby College
President Claire L. Gaudiani, Connecticut College
President Eugene M. Tobin, Hamilton College
President John M. McCardell Jr., Middlebury College
President Evan S. Dobelle, Trinity College
President John A. DiBiaggio, Tufts University
President Douglas J. Bennett, Jr., Wesleyan University
President Harry C. Payne, Williams College