At the recent NCAA convention in Nashville,
Division III members approved a number of proposals as part of a reform package,
including a reduction in the length of playing and practice seasons, an end to
“red-shirting” of athletes, and a new annual financial aid reporting process.
Also on the agenda was a proposal
that would have barred all Division III institutions from offering
athletic-based scholarships. As reported by the Troy Record: “Many of
those who wanted the waiver removed and thus opposed Prop 65-I were eloquent
and principled when speaking … Union College President Roger Hull was foremost
among that group. He painfully explained how he wanted to support his fellow
conference members and vote for Prop 65-I but that his principles, and strong
belief in the Division III philosophy that forbids athletic scholarships, would
not permit him to do so.”
Hull's
position has been supported by students and faculty on-campus and lauded by
other college presidents and foundation executives.
“Though the vote was the
culmination of a number of studies, articles, and books over the past several
years, this has been my position since Union
College introduced Division I
hockey 13 years ago,” said Hull. “The
principles have not changed since then … though the issue has attracted more attention.
“Anyone who has ever competed
athletically knows the tremendous lessons that can be learned on the courts,
fields, pools, or rinks, as young men and women learn the joy of trying hard,
of working as a team, of winning and losing gracefully, and of keeping the
proper perspective of sports in relation to academics. To me, this concept of 'student-athlete'
is what college athletics ought to be all about. Competition does not require
wins; it requires effort and commitment and a fair chance of winning – and one
can do that without athletic scholarships. This philosophy is one that, to me,
embodies the broader mission of the undergraduate liberal arts curriculum – and
it is one that continues to guide Union
College.”
To read President Hull's earlier statement
from after the NCAA meeting, visit: http://www.union.edu/N/DS/s.php?s=4122.