THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS AND RECREATION STRATEGIC PLAN 2012-2016

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THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS AND RECREATION STRATEGIC PLAN 2012-2016
The George Washington University
Department of Athletics and Recreation
        Strategic Plan 2012-2016
THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS AND RECREATION STRATEGIC PLAN 2012-2016
THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS AND RECREATION STRATEGIC PLAN 2012-2016
T h e G e o r g e W a s h i n gt o n U n i v e r s i t y

Department of Athletics and Recreation
          MISSION
COMMITMENT OF THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
Our mission is to provide an environment where knowledge is created and
acquired and where creative endeavors seek to enrich the experiences of
the global society. With 10 schools and colleges and nearly 100 research
centers and institutes, our students receive hands-on experience as they
explore nearly any avenue of personal interest.

The depth and breadth of our academic programs,
the exceptional qualifications of our full-time faculty,
the unmatched experiences of our adjunct faculty
and the strengths of our research initiatives allow our
students, our faculty and our staff to look at the world beyond
the classroom. They allow us to prepare the next generation of leaders.

DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS AND RECREATION
MISSION STATEMENT
The George Washington University Department of Athletics and Recreation
actively engages our students, our campus community, our alumni and our
fans through the spirit of healthy living and competition. Located in the
heart of our nation’s capital, this world-class university aspires to have
a world-class athletics and recreation program. We are committed to
building and sustaining a program that mirrors the overall excellence
of the university, by providing students an unparalleled opportunity
for achievement and engaging the larger community as we grow and
cultivate the next generation of leaders.
THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS AND RECREATION STRATEGIC PLAN 2012-2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3    INTRODUCTION

4    INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
       4   Academic Achievement
       6   Athletic Achievement
       8   Financial Benchmarking
       9   Resource Development
       10 Student-Athlete Leadership and Service
       12 Facilities and Equipment
       14 Branding and Marketing
       16 Athletics Compliance
       17 Administrative Structure

18   RECREATION, WELLNESS AND CLUB SPORTS
       18 Facilities and Venues
       20 Club Sports

22 STRATEGIC PLAN METHODOLOGY
THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS AND RECREATION STRATEGIC PLAN 2012-2016
T h e G e o r g e W a s h i n gt o n U n i v e r s i t y

Department of Athletics and Recreation
Strategic Plan
In the winter of 2011, the George Washington University
initiated a comprehensive review of the Department of Athletics
and Recreation to establish a long-term strategic plan for
the department.

A trustees special committee supported by senior administrators was
appointed to oversee the process and ultimately make final decisions
in regard to our strategic direction. The committee chair is trustee and
alumnus Randy Levine, president of the New York Yankees.

An athletics steering committee, composed of a wide range of GW community
members, including, faculty, staff and alumni, oversaw the development of the
strategic plan. The steering committee chair was Robert Chernak, senior vice provost
and senior vice president for student and academic support services.

During the spring of 2011, the university conducted a nationwide search for a
new director of athletics and recreation. Patrick Nero, former commissioner of the
America East Conference, was hired in April 2011.

The steering committee formed seven subcommittees, each with membership
representing broad-based interests among the GW community, to look into every
aspect of the department. The subcommittees met a minimum of three times each
and accumulated input from more than 400 individuals. Open community meetings
were held with nearly 300 attendees.

The subcommittees each submitted a report to the steering committee. The steering
committee then worked with university administration to write a report to the
trustees special committee on athletics strategic planning.

The trustees special committee met several times during the summer and fall of
2011. This report summarizes the work, recommendations and plan for the future of
GW Athletics and Recreation.

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THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS AND RECREATION STRATEGIC PLAN 2012-2016
INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS

                                        Intercollegiate athletics

   ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
Our primary goals are to provide our student-athletes with             In the NCAA’s fall 2011 GSR report, GW continued to rank among the
the opportunity to achieve at the highest possible academic            nation’s best. GW’s GSR was more than 90 percent, with nine GW
                                                                       teams recording a perfect 100 percent. GW’s APR, released in that
level, and to prepare them for their futures. Athletics is
                                                                       same time period, yielded six GW programs honored by the NCAA,
conducted in harmony with the university’s academic mission,           including four with perfect 1,000 scores: men’s cross country, women’s
while stimulating a pride of affiliation among our constituents        swimming, men’s tennis and women’s tennis. The Colonials’ men’s and
and supporters.                                                        women’s soccer programs also scored in the top 10 percent in their
                                                                       respective sports in APR.

CURRENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
                                                                       ADMISSIONS AND FINANCIAL AID
Academic excellence among student-athletes is an area of strength
for GW.                                                                GW maintains high academic standards in admissions and views
                                                                       athletic ability, like extracurricular activities and special talents, as a
In the most recent academic reporting period, 256 GW student-          positive factor in admissions.
athletes were recognized on the GW Athletic Academic Dean’s List by
earning a GPA of 3.0 or above, 109 GW student-athletes earned a GPA    With the goal of continuing to recruit student-athletes with stronger
of 3.5 or above, and 13 student-athletes achieved a perfect 4.0 GPA.   academic profiles, the university will provide the athletic program with
                                                                       increased scholarship dollars as well as increased operating funds
The NCAA’s Graduation Success Rate (GSR) statistic identifies the      for team recruiting budgets. The department is also working with the
percentage of freshmen who graduate within six years and, along with   Office of Student Financial Assistance and the Office of Admissions on
the Academic Progress Rate (APR), is one of the primary tools the      a four-year plan that will bring team scholarship allotments to levels
NCAA uses to measure academic success among its student-athletes.      comparable with our top competitors.

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THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS AND RECREATION STRATEGIC PLAN 2012-2016
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
NELSON AND MICHELE CARBONELL                                   Due to the fact that student-athletes occasionally miss

ACADEMIC CENTER                                                scheduled academic classes for team travel, the department
                                                               has implemented a travel policy aimed toward minimizing
The construction of the new Nelson and Michele Carbonell       missed class times. Sports supervisors work closely with
Academic Center housed within the Charles E. Smith             coaches to ensure that all attempts are made to schedule
Center has provided greatly improved space for student-        departure and arrival times around the class schedules
athletes and staff, and with expanded hours of operation,      of student-athletes. Additional travel funds will be
the result has been increased utilization of the center. The   added to team budgets to facilitate more time-
center is highly functional, as evidenced by the academic      efficient travel.
achievement of our student-athletes, as well as data from
the student-athlete survey. GW’s Educational Support
Services unit is staffed by five full-time staff members who
currently serve close to 425 student-athletes. Staff members
also oversee the efforts of approximately 55 tutors who
work with student-athletes.

It is necessary that more space be identified to
increase our capabilities to house student-athletes in
tutoring sessions, and that funds be allocated to
ensure that the department stays on the cutting
edge of technology to aid student-athletes with
their studies.

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THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS AND RECREATION STRATEGIC PLAN 2012-2016
Intercollegiate athletics

       ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENT
Our primary athletic goal is to compete at the highest                    SPORT SPONSORSHIP
level locally, in our athletic conferences and nationally. It is          GW currently has close to 425 student-athletes competing in 22
a necessity to ensure that student-athletes and coaches are               intercollegiate sports, including women’s basketball, women’s cross
given every opportunity and available resource to succeed in              country, women’s gymnastics, women’s lacrosse, women’s rowing,
                                                                          women’s soccer, women’s softball, women’s squash, women’s
competition. To that end, the overall operating budget of GW’s
                                                                          swimming, women’s tennis, women’s volleyball, women’s water polo,
intercollegiate athletics program will be enhanced to place team          men’s baseball, men’s basketball, men’s cross country, men’s golf, men’s
annual operating budgets on par with the top funded programs              rowing, men’s soccer, men’s squash, men’s swimming, men’s tennis,
in the Atlantic 10 and other conferences in which we compete.             and men’s water polo. The university feels strongly about maintaining
                                                                          its current offerings and additionally is prepared to transition sailing
The newly allocated funds will also serve to ensure that student-         from a club sport activity into a varsity program.
athlete welfare issues identified in the strategic planning process are
addressed. GW intercollegiate student-athletes will be provided an
environment in which they can excel athletically, with sport-specific     RECRUITING
training, an emphasis on nutrition, increased per diem amounts to         Recruiting high school students who achieve at the highest levels
allow for healthy eating, and more efficient and safe transportation to   academically and athletically will be a primary factor in determining
competitions, geared toward achieving optimal athletic performance.       the success of the intercollegiate athletic program. Currently, GW’s
                                                                          intercollegiate athletic teams’ recruiting budgets rank among the lowest
                                                                          in their respective conferences. Increased funds will be provided to all
                                                                          team recruiting budgets. This will allow for greater opportunities for
                                                                          coaches to meet and observe prospective student-athletes both on and
6 S t r at e g i c p l a n 2 0 1 2 - 2 0 1 6                              off campus.
THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS AND RECREATION STRATEGIC PLAN 2012-2016
ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENT
The university will also provide athletic programs with
                                                                   NUTRITION
increased scholarship dollars. As previously mentioned,
                                                                   Proper nutrition is critical to optimal athletic performance. To
the department is also working with the Office of Student
                                                                   address this, the department has created a graduate assistant
Financial Assistance and the Office of Admissions on a four-
                                                                   position in nutrition to work with teams and student-athletes.
year plan that will bring team scholarship allotments to levels
comparable with our top competitors.                               Athletics and Recreation is working with campus dining
                                                                   services as well as other local food providers to meet the
                                                                   daily needs of our student-athletes. Also, on team road trips,
STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING                                          GW’s student-athlete travel per diem has been increased
Physical fitness is a key attribute for student-athletes to        from what was once the lowest in the conference, to a figure
achieve athletic success in a competitive environment. The         that is more in line with our primary competition.
department has added a full-time strength and conditioning
staff member, to bring the total to three full-time coaches
in this vital support area. With the qualified assistance of       TRAVEL
graduate assistants and interns, the staff will provide services   Athletics and Recreation will be committed to travel policies
to participants in all 23 (with the addition of sailing) of GW’s   that are consistent throughout all 23 sports. Additional funds
varsity sports. The strength and conditioning unit seeks to        will be assigned to ensure that needs are being met in the
maximize the athletic potential of each student-athlete, and       areas of student-athlete welfare, nutrition, per diem, mode of
is specifically tailored to individual sports. As part of the      transportation and accommodations.
Charles E. Smith Center renovation, the varsity weight room
and fitness areas were renovated. These areas service 16 of
the 23 sports. The Lloyd Gymnasium on the Mount Vernon             COACHING
Campus serves the remaining seven teams. The department            Similar to the university’s commitment to hiring and retaining
will prioritize the renovation of the Lloyd Gymnasium weight       high-quality professors, it is critical to provide our student-
room to be similar to the Charles E. Smith Center strength         athletes with high-quality coaches.
and conditioning areas.
                                                                   Currently, many of our head coaches’ salaries rank at the
                                                                   bottom of the Atlantic 10. Traditionally, many of our coaches
SPORTS MEDICINE                                                    have held employment outside of their head coaching
                                                                   positions. This can result in inadequate attention being given
The sports medicine unit now consists of four certified
                                                                   to our student-athletes.
athletic trainers with a combined 40 years of collegiate
athletic training experience and six graduate assistant            Also, in many sports, the university does not currently
athletic trainers. This unit receives high marks from athletes     employ the NCAA allowable number of assistant
and coaches, and more closely approximates the National            coaches or staffing comparable to Atlantic 10 and
Athletic Trainers’ Association’s guidelines that suggest that      other NCAA universities.
GW should have approximately 7.5 athletic trainers to service
our student-athletes.                                              Funds will be applied to address both of these issues.

The intercollegiate athletic training rooms were renovated as
part of the Charles E. Smith Center renovation project, and        TECHNOLOGY
the varsity student-athletes who use those facilities are well     GW coaches and student-athletes will benefit from
served. However, the Mount Vernon facility will need to be         increased operational budgets that will ensure access to
upgraded to provide similar service to the student-athletes        the most up-to-date technology for scouting, recruitment
who use that facility.                                             and film study, to include, but not be limited to, computer
                                                                   upgrades, mobile devices, video/editing equipment and
                                                                   recruiting software and services.
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THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS AND RECREATION STRATEGIC PLAN 2012-2016
Intercollegiate athletics

FINANCIAL BENCHMARKING

The goals and objectives of the department, as outlined             During the university’s strategic planning review in 2011, it
in this strategic plan, will require significant financial and      became clear that many sports were not being funded to function
                                                                    competitively at the Division I level. Areas such as coaching, recruiting,
human resources. A comprehensive review of the department’s
                                                                    transportation, per diem and accommodations were not being
current financial situation and comparison to other Atlantic 10     appropriately funded.
athletic programs found that GW’s current operating budget
                                                                    Increased funding will be designated to make teams more competitive
ranked 13th out of 14 Atlantic 10 schools, while GW sponsors        as well as fund the basics of sponsoring a Division I team. Additionally,
the second greatest number of sports in the conference.             funding will be increased each year to address inflation and rising costs
A similar review of each of GW’s team’s annual operating            of operation.

budgets showed that, in most cases, team operating budgets          Moving forward, the department will more clearly separate the annual
were at or near the bottom of the conference when compared          operating budgets of the intercollegiate athletics program from the
                                                                    recreation, wellness and club sports initiatives.
with our peers.
                                                                    An additional staff member has also been added to the department’s
                                                                    financial team, and upgraded technology has been purchased for the
                                                                    use of finance personnel.
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FINANCIAL BENCHMARKING & RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
                         Intercollegiate athletics

RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
ATHLETIC DEVELOPMENT                                               Charles E. Smith Center). While the revenue upside for men’s
                                                                   basketball ticket sales is somewhat limited by available
Fund-raising plays an integral role in all aspects of the
                                                                   inventory (seating capacity), currently only about 50 percent
university. Similarly, athletic development is a critical
                                                                   of total possible men’s basketball ticket revenue is being
funding and revenue source within the majority of successful
                                                                   realized. Presently the department does not have a dedicated
Division I intercollegiate athletic programs.
                                                                   ticket sales unit, as ticket sales have been a combined effort
Annual financial giving to GW Athletics and Recreation has         of Colonials Sports Marketing and the athletic ticket office.
been relatively flat over the last 10 years, and benchmark         The department will reconfigure these areas to provide for a
data shows that GW athletic annual giving efforts are              dedicated ticket sales staff and integrated marketing, sales
underperforming compared with those of other A-10                  and fund-raising efforts. Strategies for maximizing facility
institutions by a factor greater than 2-to-1.                      rental revenues will also continue to be explored.

In partnership with the Division of Development and Alumni
Relations an integrated office of Athletic Development has         ADVISORY COUNCIL
been established. A new senior executive director of athletic      In 2012, the department will create the GW Athletics and
development/associate athletic director has been hired and         Recreation Advisory Council. The council’s purpose will be
will lead the five-person unit. The office will also include a     to keep key Athletics and Recreation constituents invested
major gifts fund-raiser, a director of annual giving, a director   in the campus community as they serve in an advisory
of athletic alumni relations and an executive assistant.           capacity to the director of athletics and recreation and as
It is projected that by the fifth year of operations, this         ambassadors for the department. The council will be charged
unit will increase current athletic fund-raising totals by         with providing insight and guidance to the senior leadership
500 percent through more strategic annual giving campaigns,        within GW Athletics and Recreation as well as assisting the
major gifts and capital campaigns, as well as transactional        Office of Athletic Development in fund-raising initiatives and
giving opportunities inclusive of club memberships.                constituent outreach. Advisory council members will take a
                                                                   leadership role by devoting time and effort to the department
                                                                   in the following ways: 1) making a personal philanthropic
CORPORATE SPONSORSHIP                                              investment in the priorities of the department; 2) asking
The department’s corporate sponsorship revenue has                 others to join in the effort; and 3) attending important
been largely stagnant in recent years. Currently, less than        department and university functions.
$100,000 in annual funds is being generated. The department
                                                                   The council will be composed of a cross section of GW
is negotiating to form a partnership with a multimedia
                                                                   Athletics and Recreation stakeholders with an emphasis
sponsorship rights company, and conservative five-year growth
                                                                   on diversity across age, gender, ethnicity, geographic
estimates show $250,000 in future net revenue in this area.
                                                                   region, profession/industry and sport (with regard to
                                                                   former student-athletes). The council will meet three times
TICKET SALES AND FACILITY RENTALS                                  annually, in both the D.C. metro area and in other
Two other areas that have been identified for potential            geographic regions.
growth and resource development are ticket sales (primarily

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in men’s basketball) and facility rentals (primarily the
Intercollegiate athletics

    STUDENT-ATHLETE
 LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE
Our goal and commitment is to sustain a program that                        and one head or assistant coach, with the vision of continuing to
mirrors the overall excellence of the university, and to engage             attract and retain highly talented student-athletes and coaches.

the larger community that supports us. It is paramount to grow              At the beginning of the 2011-12 academic year, the department
and cultivate the next generation of leaders.                               also sponsored a student-athlete team-building day at George
                                                                            Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate. Beginning and end-of-the-year
                                                                            events will be planned annually for all student-athletes to network
LEADERSHIP                                                                  off of the playing fields, as student-athletes strive to become
                                                                            leaders in their daily lives and support other members of the
The department has formed a partnership with Janssen Peak
                                                                            athletics community.
Performance to establish the George Washington Student-Athlete
Leadership Academy. Janssen operates similar academies at North             Additionally, through the increased annual operating budget for the
Carolina, Georgetown, Michigan and Yale, among other Division I             department, a life skills/leadership coach position will be created, to
schools. The academy will develop, challenge and support student-           focus on career building, life skills and leadership development for GW
athletes and their coaches in their quest to become world-class leaders     student-athletes.
in athletics, academics and life, and will provide comprehensive and
innovative leadership development through education, interactive
workshops, one-on-one coaching, peer mentoring and online training.         SERVICE
Of the approximately 425 student-athletes at GW, about 100 to 120           Student-athlete leadership at GW means more than captaining a
will go through the program initially. Eventually, the vast majority of     sports team. It is a commitment that must be made not only to GW
student-athletes on all of GW’s 23 teams will likely have participated in   Athletics, but also to the university and community as a whole, as
some level of the leadership academy before they graduate. Each team        well as to enhance and improve the quality of life in the metropolitan
will be represented annually in the academy by at least two members         Washington, D.C. area. A primary goal of GW Athletics and Recreation
                                                                            is community service and outreach. As such, the department is

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STUDENT-ATHLETE LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE
committed to serving the D.C. community, not only in the         travel to gain the life experience of immersion in
neighborhoods surrounding campus, but throughout the             other cultures.
district and in D.C. public schools. GW student-athletes will
                                                                 In August 2012, the men’s basketball team will travel to Italy
be expected to support the community that supports GW.
                                                                 for 11 days in what will be the next of many foreign tours
The department is a proud participant in the university-wide     that various GW intercollegiate athletic programs will take in
Freshman Day of Service at the beginning of each academic        the coming years.
year, as well as the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service in
                                                                 The men’s tennis program is in the planning stages of a trip
January, in addition to athletics-specific community events
                                                                 to Germany, and members of the men’s rowing program,
and service initiatives.
                                                                 along with Georgetown University’s men’s rowing
                                                                 program, are working with the Japanese Embassy on
                                                                 a trip to Japan.
INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL
A mission of the George Washington University is to provide
an environment where knowledge is acquired for the
enrichment of our students and the global society. As GW is
a global university, we have students and alumni worldwide.
Sending our teams to different international destinations will
provide support to this aspect of the university mission.

In addition, while many GW students have the opportunity
to study abroad for a semester, GW student-athletes are
generally not afforded this opportunity due to the time
demands of their athletic participation. As such, student-
athletes can utilize the experience of international team

                                                                                                                                          11
Intercollegiate athletics

FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT

Prior to the renovation of the Charles E. Smith Center,            FACILITIES
it had been many years since intercollegiate athletic facilities
                                                                   CHARLES E. SMITH CENTER
had received necessary renovations. As part of the strategic       The renovation of the Charles E. Smith Center has been completed.
plan, most intercollegiate facilities will receive appropriate     As the hub of the intercollegiate athletics program, the renovation of
renovations in the immediate or short term.                        this facility will have a positive impact on the program for many years
                                                                   to come. Debt service to fund the renovation will be housed in the
                                                                   Athletics and Recreation budget. Appropriate funds will be provided by
                                                                   the university to cover this debt service. Fund-raising for this project
                                                                   will also continue on a limited basis by the Athletic Development staff.

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FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT
BARCROFT PARK                                                      FUTURE FACILITY CONSIDERATIONS
Barcroft Park, located in Arlington County, Va., has served        As the department moves forward it will continue to
as the home of the GW baseball program since 1993. In              monitor the facility needs for intercollegiate athletics. The
December 2011, the university began a major renovation             department will work with the Athletic Development office
project on Barcroft Park. A public–private partnership with        to develop a fund-raising plan for facility needs.
Arlington County, this project will refurbish the field and
include installation of synthetic turf, expanded seating,
better parking, new bullpens and dugouts. Projected GW             EQUIPMENT
costs for the project are anticipated to be more than              An agreement has been reached with Nike, effective
$4 million, which will be secured through various sources          July 1, 2012, on a department-wide apparel, footwear and
including philanthropy. In exchange for its investment, GW         equipment partnership. The agreement will provide each
has secured rights to use the field for the next 20 years and      of the department’s 23 varsity sports with an equipment
will share costs of maintenance with the county.                   allowance along with preferred pricing on all purchases.
Debt service for this project will also be included in the         An equipment manager will also be hired to serve as
Athletics and Recreation budget.                                   the point of contact for Nike and all 23 of GW’s
                                                                   intercollegiate sports.
MOUNT VERNON
The soccer and lacrosse synthetic turf field at the university’s
Mount Vernon Campus was replaced in the summer of
2011. A deferred maintenance plan has been built into the
department’s budget to replace this field every 10 years as
suggested by the manufacturer.

                                                                                                                                     13
Intercollegiate athletics

                                BRANDING AND
                                 MARKETING
The branding and marketing of the intercollegiate                  TELEVISION EXPOSURE
athletics program needs to be consistent with and reflective       Television exposure for the men’s and women’s basketball programs
of all other university branding and marketing efforts. A key      significantly decreased over the last several years. However, beginning
objective of the university’s commitment to intercollegiate        with the 2011-12 season, the department has been committed to
                                                                   reversing this trend. From 2010-11 to this current season, televised
athletics is to support the university’s efforts in areas such
                                                                   basketball games have increased from 10 last season to a minimum
as admissions, alumni relations, fund-raising and community        of 17 combined live television broadcasts of men’s and women’s
relations. It is crucial that the department work with the other   basketball games in 2011-12. Regional television partnerships were
areas of campus that are responsible for such initiatives,         reached with both MASN and Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic.

including but not limited to university External Relations,        In the future, funding local, regional and national television coverage
Admissions, and Development and Alumni Relations.                  for men’s and women’s basketball will be a priority. These broadcasts
                                                                   will reach prospective GW students, as well as GW alumni and
The resource development expectations that are part of             supporters across the country.
this strategic plan will rely on successful athletic branding
and marketing.
                                                                   SCHEDULING
                                                                   Scheduling opposing athletic teams and contests in markets from
                                                                   which university admissions recruits and admits large numbers of GW
                                                                   students and where GW has large alumni bases will also be a priority.
                                                                   Appropriate funds will be provided to teams to accomplish this.

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BRANDING AND MARKETING
MARKETING AND ADVERTISING                                    MULTIMEDIA STRATEGIES
In order to increase ticket sales and attendance for men’s   The use of video and new media has become essential to
and women’s basketball as projected, additional funds will   branding and marketing efforts. Telling the stories of our
be designated toward marketing and advertising for           student-athletes through video and new media will become
these programs.                                              a priority. The department will create a position of director
                                                             of multimedia production who will lead this initiative, and
                                                             distribute these videos through new and traditional media,
TICKET/CLUB SALES                                            social media and on in-house video boards.
Currently the department does not have a dedicated ticket    Additionally, after the recent redesign of GWsports.com, and
sales unit. For the last three years, athletic ticket and    with our partnership with CBS Interactive, the continued use
club sales and renewals have been a combined effort of       of video streaming of athletics events will be a priority.
Colonials Sports Marketing and the athletic ticket office.
The department will reconfigure these areas to provide
for a dedicated ticket sales staff and to better integrate
marketing, sales and development efforts.

                                                                                                                               15
Intercollegiate athletics

      ATHLETICS COMPLIANCE

                                                               Recent evaluations by both the NCAA and the Atlantic 10
                                                               rate GW’s athletics compliance very high.

                                                               Moving forward, it is important that the university remains committed
                                                               to this level of compliance. The department has assigned additional
                                                               staff to assist with compliance responsibilities.

                                                               Similar to other areas of the department, new technology to ensure
                                                               accurate and efficient compliance will be purchased.

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ATHLETICS COMPLIANCE & ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE
                        Intercollegiate athletics

ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE

In the spring of 2011, the university conducted               Beginning in 2011, the director of athletics and recreation
a comprehensive national search for a new director            assigned the oversight and supervision of the department’s
                                                              intercollegiate sports across seven members of his senior
of athletics and recreation. In April of 2011, the
                                                              management team (including himself) to better ensure
university hired Patrick Nero to fill the position. As the    more consistent and direct interaction between student-
department moves forward, it will be essential to build       athletes, coaches and administrators. This new administrative
a structure that allows Mr. Nero to provide leadership,       structure will also allow for better evaluation of the
                                                              department’s programs and services. Previously, all sports
direction and oversight to the entire unit.
                                                              had been overseen by two staff members.
Currently, the Athletics and Recreation support units of
sports marketing, athletics communications and athletic
development as well as the athletic ticket office are all
housed outside of the department. In implementing the
strategic plan, efforts must be made to make the department
more cohesive under Mr. Nero’s leadership.

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RECREATION, WELLNESS AND CLUB SPORTS

                    RECREATION, WELLNESS AND CLUB SPORTS

         FACILITIES AND VENUES
                                                 LERNER HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTER
                                                 The Lerner Health and Wellness Center (LHWC) serves as the
                                                 centerpiece of the university’s health, wellness and recreational
                                                 activities. On a peak day, LHWC hosts upwards of 3,000 people,
                                                 with an average of 2,000 visitors per day.

                                                 Among the users are undergraduate and graduate students (with no
                                                 membership fee required), more than 1,000 GW club sport students
                                                 participating on 33 club teams, GW faculty and staff (discounted
                                                 membership fee), GW alumni (discounted membership fee), Foggy
                                                 Bottom community members (discounted membership fee, limited to
                                                 specific area codes), GW School of Public Health and Health Services
                                                 classes (free of charge), and local high school School Without Walls
                                                 students (free of charge).

                                                 The facility includes fitness equipment such as treadmills, elliptical
                                                 machines and stationary bikes, free weights and basketball, squash and
                                                 racquetball courts. The facility also plays host to the majority of the
                                                 university’s intramural sports activities (with more than 3,000 students
                                                 participating in 25 to 30 intramural sports each year) as well as fitness
                                                 and wellness classes like yoga, spinning and boot camp, among others.

                                                 Due to the high and growing demand of the facility, the annual
                                                 operating, maintenance and utility costs are running at a significant
                                                 deficit. The university and Athletics and Recreation will work together
                                                 to eliminate the deficit. The university will increase funding and the
                                                 department will identify savings by offering fewer services and reduced
                                                 hours when GW classes are not in session.

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FACILITIES AND VENUES
MOUNT VERNON CAMPUS                                              community members. The department incurs the cost of
                                                                 operating this pool. Some revenue is generated through the
The Mount Vernon Campus also serves as a venue for
                                                                 sale of community memberships; however, construction on
wellness, recreation and club sports activities.
                                                                 the campus has diminished the capacity of the pool area,
West Hall is home to a 24-hour fitness facility for students     thereby cutting back on revenue potential.
who reside on the Mount Vernon Campus. The department
will need to work with the university to identify funding for
maintenance of this facility, as it does not currently exist.    CHARLES E. SMITH CENTER
                                                                 The department will begin to identify ways to open up
A centerpiece of the Mount Vernon Campus is the soccer
                                                                 greater usage of the Charles E. Smith Center for club sports
and lacrosse field, which is heavily used by the club sports
                                                                 and intramurals. The auxiliary gymnasiums will be put
programs, intramural teams, as well as students residing
                                                                 toward greater usage for club sports teams. The main court
on the Mount Vernon Campus. The field was replaced in
                                                                 area will be opened up on certain nights for general student
the summer of 2011, and as previously mentioned, funding
                                                                 use as well as intramurals.
is budgeted for continued maintenance and replacement
of the turf every 10 years. Additionally, as daylight hours
are limited, the department is committed to continuing to
explore the possibility of adding lights to the Mount Vernon
                                                                 ADDITIONAL RECREATION AND CLUB
field that will allow for additional usage — of which the club
                                                                 FACILITIES
sports teams will be the primary beneficiaries.                  Many of the activities sponsored by the department for
                                                                 recreational and club sports do not have consistent
Lloyd Gymnasium is used by many club teams for both
                                                                 venues. The department will proactively look for solutions
workouts and practice. The gym has not been refurbished
                                                                 in the future. An example is the recent Barcroft Park
in many years. This will need to be addressed in the short-
                                                                 agreement with Arlington County that gives the university
term future.
                                                                 priority access to other Arlington County recreational
Athletics and Recreation also maintains and operates the         facilities. A key to identifying appropriate facilities will be
Mount Vernon pool. The pool serves as a resource for             Metro accessibility.
students on the Mount Vernon Campus as well as many

                                                                                                                                    19
RECREATION, WELLNESS AND CLUB SPORTS

                                     CLUB SPORTS
With more than 1,000 students participating in                              FACILITIES
more than 30 sports, the club sports program has become a                   The identification of appropriate practice and competition venues
significant part of the GW student experience. Many of these                is the number one challenge for the club sports programs. The
students bring a high level of passion and commitment to their              department is aggressively working toward creative solutions using
                                                                            existing facilities as well as potential off-campus facilities.
sport. According to recent statistics provided by the Office of
Undergraduate Admissions, close to 60 percent of our incoming               Club sports practice and competition facility requests will now be given
                                                                            a much higher priority in on-campus facility scheduling. Additionally,
students participated in varsity sports in high school. The GW
                                                                            Arlington County facility access, granted by the Barcroft Park
club sports program is important to many of these students
                                                                            agreement, should be made available to club sports on a priority basis.
when choosing to attend GW.

It is important that the university makes a clear differentiation
between club sports and intercollegiate varsity sports. Club sport
                                                                            HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES
activities are considered voluntary for students who choose to join a       Currently, there is no access to sports medicine facilities or athletic
club sports team. The requirements for a varsity student-athlete are        trainers for club sports students. The department will provide open
much more stringent.                                                        hours in the Charles E. Smith Center athletic training room on two
                                                                            nights per week. Certified athletic trainers who currently work with
Currently, the department invests significant financial and human           varsity athletes will be available during these time periods to treat the
resources into the operation of one of the largest club sports programs     club sports students.
for a university of this size. A review of the club sports program in the
spring of 2011 identified areas in which the GW club sports experience      Additionally, the club sports programs will work with the School of
could be enhanced.                                                          Public Health and Health Services on providing first-aid training and
                                                                            first-aid kits to each club sports team.
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CLUB SPORTS
FINANCES                                                           PROMOTIONS
Club sports receive funds from Athletics and Recreation and        Club sports are a vital aspect of GW’s recreation and
the Student Association. Currently, club sports’ budgets are       wellness initiatives, and accordingly should be promoted
housed in both Athletics and Recreation and the Center for         and publicized as such. The department is working with
Student Engagement (CSE). This arrangement makes the               the university’s external relations team on the creation of a
budgeting and reimbursement process very difficult for the         dedicated website strictly for GW club sports teams.
club teams.
                                                                   Additionally, the university’s external relations team, in
The department is working with CSE to house all funds in           conjunction with the department, will make additional
one account and streamline the reimbursement process. The          efforts to more frequently spotlight club teams in the twice-
decision-making regarding the distribution of club sports          weekly email editions of George Washington Today that
funding is spread over several areas. It is recommended            are circulated to the entire GW community, as well as in the
that this become a more unified process with more specific         Colonial Corner sports blog. A blog dedicated to club sports
guidelines to determine how much each club receives in             is also planned, while the club sports program and the
funding and for what expenses.                                     individual 33 club sports all now have a presence on Twitter.

Many clubs rely on fund-raising to supplement university           Efforts are also being made to build and maintain
funding. This fund-raising typically exists outside university     relationships with the sports staff of The GW Hatchet,
fund-raising efforts. In the future, oversight and guidance in     GW’s independent student newspaper, to facilitate
these efforts will be provided by Athletic Development. A          additional coverage of club sports.
staff member in this office will have responsibility to assist
club sports in fund-raising.
                                                                   SAILING
                                                                   The club sports sailing program requires a level of funding
GOVERNANCE                                                         that significantly outweighs the funding necessary for other
On most campuses, club sports have a student-run council           club sports to function. As such, the sailing program has
that governs the club sports program. This does not exist          operated at a level more closely resembling a varsity unit
at GW. Club sports exist as a student organization;                than a club program. Accordingly, the sailing club sports
therefore we will create a structure that allows for more          program will be funded and transitioned into GW’s 23rd
student governance.                                                intercollegiate sport.

The club sports teams have formed an informal club
sports council, which is a voluntary group that has no
direct oversight of club sports, its finances or its priorities,
including transportation concerns. This group will be
transitioned into an elected formal council with some
oversight authority, particularly in transportation.

                                                                                                                                    21
T h e G e o r g e W a s h i n gt o n U n i v e r s i t y

                               STRATEGIC PLAN
                 METHODOLOGY
The George Washington University Department                                            • Seven subcommittees, representative of a wide range of GW
of Athletics and Recreation strategic plan committee was                                 community members and constituents including, faculty, staff,
                                                                                         students and alumni (some of whom were GW student-athletes):
composed of more than 50 individuals from the GW
alumni, student, faculty and staff communities and                                        1. Student-Athlete Experience - Academics, Training and Medical
                                                                                             and Personal Development: academic support, training and
organized as follows:
                                                                                             medical, travel subsistence and personal development (life skills,
• A trustees special committee supported by senior                                           career preparation, and leadership).
  administrators, led by GW alumnus and trustee Randy Levine,
                                                                                          2. Athletics Compliance, Diversity and Academic Standards:
  president of the New York Yankees. Other trustees on the special
                                                                                             diversity and inclusion, gender equity, hiring practices,
  committee were Allan From (secretary of the board of trustees),
                                                                                             admissions and academic standards.
  Gary Granoff, Jim Humphreys, W. Russell Ramsey (chair of the
  board of trustees), Mark Shenkman, Cynthia Steele Vance, Kerry                          3. Athletics Finance: budgets, salaries, overall expenditures
  Washington and Omar Woodard. University administrators included                            and revenue.
  Robert A. Chernak (senior vice provost and senior vice president
                                                                                          4. Athletics Marketing and Branding: marketing, branding,
  for student and academic support services), Aristide Collins (vice
                                                                                             engaging the GW, Washington, D.C., and alumni communities
  president and secretary of the university), Louis Katz (executive
                                                                                             and spirit.
  vice president & treasurer), Michael Morsberger (vice president
  for development and alumni relations), Patrick Nero (director of                        5. Athletics Development and Fund-raising: development, alumni
  athletics and recreation) and Lorraine Voles (vice president for                           engagement and fund-raising.
  external relations).
                                                                                          6. Athletics Facilities: facilities including, but not limited to,
• A steering committee, led by Robert A. Chernak, including                                  baseball field, boat house, soccer field, softball field, Mount
  Frederic Siegel, Andrew Sonn, Michael Cerretani, Steve Doherty,                            Vernon Campus facilities and the Lerner Health and
  Chuck Merin, Laura Taddeucci Downs, Sarah Baldassaro, William                              Wellness Center.
  Bartolini, Helen Cannaday Saulny, Toi Carter, Michael Castleberry,
  Leroy Charles, Christopher Deering, Jack Friedenthal, S’Monita                          7. Wellness, Recreation and Club Sports: club sports, recreational
  Jackson, Jean Johnson, Rodney Johnson, Sarah Jo Lawrence,                                  sports and health and wellness initiatives.
  Mark Levine, Craig Linebaugh, Robert Shesser, Deborah Snelgrove,
  Michael Tapscott, Brian Hamluk, Jack Kvancz, Mary Jo Warner
  and Jason Wilson.
2 2 S t r at e g i c p l a n 2 0 1 2 - 2 0 1 6
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