Integrity. Academic success. Competitiveness. Fiscal integrity
and fundraising. Student athlete development and integration.
These were some of the goals laid out by Eastern Michigan
University Athletics Director Derrick Gragg for 2006-07
during a meeting of the Board of Regents' Athletic Advisory
Committee Sept. 19.
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Gragg |
Integrity. "This is very important. I would
rather lose and be unsuccessful losing the right way than
winning the wrong way," Gragg said. "I've been at other
programs where that was not done. These things can linger."
Gragg pointed to recent reports that surfaced in which
former USC star running back Reggie Bush, now of the New
Orleans Saints, had dealings with a sports agent who allowed
Bush's parents to live rent-free in a Spring Valley, Calif.,
home the agent owns. In return, the agent allegedly tried
to market Bush.
I do not want to sit before one of the NCAA's Infractions
committees," Gragg said.
Academic success. Gragg said EMU's student-athlete
rate should equal or surpass — which it now does — the
general student body's graduation rate. The graduate rate
for EMU student-athletes is 63 percent compared to 41 percent
for the rest of EMU's students.
"Our athletes should graduate better. We have facilities
and resources available to them that regular students don't
have access," Gragg said. "We have some problems with graduate
rates for our black student-athletes."
Competitiveness. Gragg said he wants all EMU sports
teams to finish in the top half of the Mid-American Conference
standings.
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BALANCED ATTACK: The
women's
gymnastics team
finished 6-5 in dual meets
during
2006. Their mark helped
EMU's women's athletic
teams
place third overall in the Mid-
American Conference's
Jacoby
Cup standings last year. Photo
by Randy Masharka
|
"If a sport is not in the top 50 percent, we'll look for
improvement," Gragg said. "We're competing against schools
with better facilities."
For 2005-06, EMU's men's teams finished eighth in the
standings for the Reese Cup, which goes to the MAC men's
program with the best overall points finish among several
sports. The EMU women's teams fared better, placing third
in the race for the Jacoby Cup.
Fiscal integrity and fundraising. Gragg
said the athletics department will raise more money than
it did last year and build on that for future years.
"The goal is for the athletics department to be self-supporting.
But, that doesn't happen at a lot of schools, even Big
10 schools," Gragg said. "Many people may think all of
the athletic budget is funded out of the general fund.
That's not true."
Of EMU's $14.9 million
athletics department budget, approximately $2.5 million
comes from the general fund, Gragg said.
A major way to reduce reliance on the general fund is
to increase donor fundraising, which has dropped off, mostly
in the number of those who give, in recent years.
Craig Fink, athletics development director, said that,
from 2003-2005,there were 1,100 donors to EMU's Athletics
Department who didn't come back and donate this year.
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Fink |
"That's incredible. We need to go out and get those people's
support," Fink said. "That (donor drop-off) happens sometimes
when leadership positions are voided."
Gragg's goals are to increase cash raised to $600,000
(15.5 percent increase), bump up the number of donors to
900 (10.2 percent increase) and boost unrestricted annual-use
cash raised to $25,000 (257 percent increase). He also
wants EMU's sports programs to increase the principal in
their endowments.
Fundraising strategies need to be organized, data driven,
and repeatable, with the outcome being able to maintain
stable and significant growth that is sustainable, said
EMU Regent Roy Wilbanks, who chairs the Athletic Affairs
Committee.
Student athlete development and integration. The department
will develop/revise and implement educational programs
for student-athletes on health, the use of alcohol and
other drugs, and other topics of special interest, including
gambling, sports agents, etc.
Gragg also expects each athletic team and each area in
intercollegiate athletics to participate in University
and/or comunity events, activities and service projects
annually.
Opportunity and diversity. EMU will devise
a strategy to meet federal standards for gender equity/Title
IX compliance. The department also will institute policies,
programs and practices that foster a diverse cohort of
student-athletes, coaches and staff.
In addition, a Title IX consultant will be hired to review
and asses EMU's athletic program, and a permanent senior
woman administrator will be hired/appointed.
Reorganization. The athletics department
will be restructured/reorganized, and a long-term strategic
plan for the department will be developed.
"You did a nice job identifying your goals. But, you have
not identified an endowment goal," Wilbanks said. "We need
discretionary funds that can go into other programs."
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A LITTLE HELP: EMU Head Football Coach
Jeff Genyk gestures to a referee during
the
Sept. 23 home opener against Central
Michigan
University. The Eagles have
opened the season 0-4,
but EMU Athletic
Director Derrick Gragg publicly
pledged his
support for Genyk during a Board of
Regents Athletics Advisory Committee
meeting last
week. Photo by Randy
Mascharka
|
While not listed on Gragg's formal set of goals, he publicly
expressed confidence in Head Football Coach Jeff Genyk
and Head Women's Basketball Coach Suzy Merchant.
"This is a public stand of support for Suzy and Jeff," Gragg
said. "Obviously, with Suzy, she has built a good, sound
championship program. I support her fully. I support Jeff
Genyk just as much."
Merchant has produced three straight seasons of 20 or
more wins, with postseason appearances in all three seasons.
The Eagles competed in the NCAA Tournament in 2003-04 and
in the Postseason WNIT Tournament in 2004-05 and 2005-06.
Genyk had an 8-14 record entering his third season. Thus
far, the Eagles are 0-4 this season, but have been competitive
in most games.
"You build strong programs by having coaching stability," Gragg
said. "What I'm saying is, it's harder to build a football
program. It's a little more difficult. But, Jeff has won
more in his first two years than the previous coach did
in four. There is a lot of parity in the conference. I'm
just saying I want time and patience."
