1. The meeting came to order at 9:35 a.m. Members attending were Athletic Director Steve Kirkham; Faculty representatives Jacqueline Berning, Charlie Shub and Travis Peterson; Academic Coordinator Robert King; SAAC representative Jason Shaver; Staff Representatives Mark Janssen and Gudrun McCollum; and UBAC representative Al Schoffstall.
2. The minutes of the April 14 meeting were approved without dissent.
3. Athletics Director Report
Spring sports wrapup: golf competed in the super regional and missed qualifying for the national tournament by one stroke. Track and field won events and set conference records in the conference championships. They also set a new standard for team points scored at the event. UCCS won the steel and silver trophy for the fifth year in a row. Tentative plans call for the presentation of the trophy to be made at Mountain Lion Stadium between the men's and women's soccer games against CSU-Pueblo in the fall. CSU-Pueblo coach contracts apparently now include bonuses for beating UCCS
Recruiting: Apparently went well with over 70 prospective student athletes signing national letters of intent.
The NCAA wants to limit the off season time drain on coaches and student athletes. Kirkham expects to see reductions in the non-traditional seasons, e.g. fall softball, spring soccer, and spring volleyball.
Priorities for next year include moving on the track stadium north of four diamonds, and fundraising for scholarships. With tuition increases, an additional $45,000 is needed to fund the same number of equivalencies.
The RMAC is looking at realignment issues. While the charge is to look at both expansion and contraction, expansion should only be considered if is can be shown that expansion and breaking into divisions will save on travel. Kirkham noted that depending on how that goes, there may be several attractive options for adding new sports.
4. Committee Membership:
Shub will contact faculty and staff council officers about renewal and replacement of faculty and staff members whose terms are ending. He will also follow up with ex-officio members regarding their continuation on the committee. In addition, Shub will again attempt to secure attending student government representatives for next year
Travis Peterson was elected by acclamation as chair of the IAAC for next year.
The committee agreed to continue meeting the second Wednesday at 10:30 next fall.
The committee agreed that season wrap up reports for spring sports could be included during fall meetings. Also, Sports information and compliance could make presentations.
5. Shub's report was focused on the activities at the RMAC FAR meeting held in April.
- Commissioner Smith reported that life in the balance phase I had passed and was expected to save money and reduce student athlete time commitment to athletics. He noted that schools in the west had more issues with some of the proposals owing to distance and travel time issues. Phase II is being discussed, and apparently will focus on reductions in non-traditional seasons. Smith reported student athletes do not seem to feel life is out of balance and believe their abilities to multitask are a positive influence.
- The conference has formed a membership task force to collect data on how changes in membership could enhance the conference and cut travel costs. Cited potential advantages included divisional structure reducing travel, more members reducing the need to schedule non-conference competitions, increasing the importance of conference championships.
- The conference FAR grant will continue. FARs, and Smith, feel meeting in person is better than by teleconference. Would like to hold fall meeting at FARA, but that requires funding commitment from schools.
- FARs will be asked for input on updating the conference strategic plan.
- The FARs had an extended discussion on the role of the FAR in the conference. A motion to request permission from the Presidents and Administrators to have a FAR representative attend their meetings passed with no nays and two abstentions. Unruh (Kearney) and Friot (Metro) agreed to draft a letter to formalize the request. The suggested structure was a group of chair, past chair, and chair elect. The group agreed that the FAR executive represent FAR interest at AD and President meetings
- Degree completion program continues to be successful. Applications are down this year.
- Smith is concerned about game environment. He cited negative coaching philosophy, a few fan issues, and lack of mentoring for coaches as perhaps being contributing factors. He wants wholesome, family friendly games and events. There is a program based in Parker named coaches of excellence and plans to have someone from this program address coaches at RMAC coaches meetings
6. Jason Shaver gave the SAAC (Student Athlete Advisory Committee) report.
- The April 25 Picnic went well. There was no rain for a change, but it was still windy and chilly.
- The SAAC did an excellent job with the CUSPY awards on April 28. Of note was the pre-presentation of the McLaughlin awards (officially presented at the campus awards ceremony) to Jason Shaver and Kelsie Barry, both of the track and field team.
- Several students from Vera Scott elementary school who had been pen pals with SAAC members during the fall visited campus to meet their pen pals and both the elementary students and UCCS student athletes enjoyed the interaction.
7. At 10:35, the meeting was adjourned.
