CHILLICOTHE—At Ohio University’s Board of Trustees’ Thursday academics committee meeting, trustees addressed athletics, accreditation, and resolutions.
OU's Director of Athletics Jim Schaus presented to trustees on retention data, academic progress and support and graduation rates, all of which in regard to athletics.
“I am very proud of the work that our staff (athletics) has done,” Schaus said. “Student athletes are excelling in the classroom; they are out performing the general student body. Our graduation rate is 2 percent higher than the general student population.”
After informing the board that Ohio is one of only 17 out of 120 Division I?A schools to have never committed an NCAA major violation, Schaus knocked on the wooden desk in front of him and then changed the direction of his presentation, to talk about something he said he felt strongly about – the continued institutional support of athletic funding.
“Athletics is a window of the university’s view,” he said. “I think there is a great value of athletics at an institution especially when it comes to branding, helping with graduation rates, retention, enrollment and attracting students. To me it would be foolish to not invest in athletics, we provide benefits to the institution.”
University College Dean David Descutner interrupted Schaus’ presentation to the board to praise the athletic department’s work.
“Athletics is fantastic and I appreciate their work and their desire to achieve success,” Descutner said.
Chair of the Ohio University Board of Trustees Gene Harris also said she was impressed by the athletic department.
“We are transforming lives (at OU) and I think athletics certainly adds to that,” Harris said. “Athletics offers many students an opportunity to work together, to be leaders and be exposed to so many things.”
After Schaus’ presentation, Executive Vice President and Provost Pam Benoit spoke to trustees about accreditation.
“Accreditation is very important and we take it extremely seriously, it allows us to transfer credit, retain students and place students in graduate programs.”
Harris said that being accredited results to increased federal funding, which is “really important.”
Despite Benoit stressing the importance of accreditation, Trustee J Patrick Campbell asked Benoit, “Does accreditation really make a university better?” to which she responded, “We need to be an accredited university to function.”
bc822010@ohiou.edu
