In conjunction with the NCAA’s 103rd annual Convention this week in Washington, D.C., The NCAA News caught up with a few NCAA presidents, athletics administrators, student-athletes and faculty to get their observations on the importance of the Association’s annual gathering, among other topics of interest.

In Part 4 of a four-part series, today’s collection features NCAA presidents. (Click here for Part 1, Convention veterans, here for Part 2, women leaders, and here for Part 3, SAAC members.)

1.      Walter Harrison, Hartford

Why is the NCAA Convention important for chancellors and presidents to attend? It is very important for the future of intercollegiate athletics that presidents and chancellors have direct oversight over the NCAA. This is most directly seen in the Executive Committee and in the three divisional presidential bodies, but it is also important for presidents and chancellors to attend the Convention. 

First, presidents and chancellors (not all of them, but enough to be a critical mass) should be aware of the issues facing the enterprise as a whole – I presume they know what is happening on their campuses. Second, it is important that athletics administrators who attend Conventions see presidents and chancellors there. Their presence means a lot.

How does the Convention support the fact that chancellors and presidents have authority and oversight of intercollegiate athletics? The legislation that is considered (with the exception of the override process) ultimately will be decided by the presidential governing bodies, which underscores the centrality of presidential leadership.

How is the Convention unique compared with other assemblies in higher education (besides the fact that it deals with athletics)? Most meetings presidents attend (or at least I as a president attend) are with other presidents. It is quite refreshing for me to hear the comments of the athletics administrators and faculty who attend the NCAA Convention. I believe it keeps the subject grounded in the reality of college sports.

What advice would you give to a colleague who is about to attend his or her first Convention? If you have a chance, attend a session in which the SAAC members make presentations. Hearing these student-athletes articulate the values and goals of intercollegiate athletics makes the entire venture worth supporting with enthusiasm and confidence.

2.      James Harris, Widener

Why is the NCAA Convention important for chancellors and presidents to attend? The NCAA Convention is a great opportunity for presidents and chancellors to work on issues that directly impact a myriad of constituent groups, most importantly our student-athletes. As presidents we have the responsibility to be the stewards of the NCAA mission, which includes the statement “to integrate intercollegiate athletics into higher education so that the educational experience of the student-athlete is paramount.” If we expect the NCAA to fulfill its mission, it is essential that the presidents play an active leadership role. This is particularly important at this time in the history of Division III when so many critical issues regarding our future are being discussed.

How does the Convention support the fact that chancellors and presidents have authority and oversight of intercollegiate athletics? In past years it was more difficult to identify which elements of the Convention were most important for presidents to focus their time and attention. I appreciate the new format that has been developed this year with the streamlined programming for presidents where the presidential luncheon is followed by the individual conference meetings and most the work of the presidents can be covered in one day. This format should make it conducive for more presidents to participate in future years.

How is the Convention unique compared with other assemblies in higher education (besides the fact that it deals with athletics)? The NCAA Convention is one of the few higher education meetings where a broad range of constituents involved in the life of our institutions; student-athletes, coaches, faculty representatives and administers gather to discuss issues of mutual interest. While the confluence of those various groups makes for interesting discussions and sometimes generates debate, in the end, everyone gathered is ultimately concerned about the health and well-being of our student-athletes and seeks to do what is in their best interests. That focus of purpose is too often lacking in other meetings I attend.

What advice would you give to a colleague who is about to attend his or her first Convention? At my first Convention I remember feeling a bit overwhelmed by the sheer size of the meeting and not being sure how best to utilize my time. Fortunately, I met up with a person from another school in our conference who had attended a previous NCAA Convention that helped me find my way around. So my advice would be to seek out another experienced colleague that you know and ask for their guidance. I would also strongly suggest that you take time to introduce yourself to the leadership and staff of the NCAA. I have never worked with a finer group of professionals in my career and they have become wonderful colleagues over the years.