President Sloan Appoints Student-Athlete Task Force
Baylor University President Robert B. Sloan Jr. today announced the appointment of an eight-member task force to identify and recommend standards and policies for the recruitment, admission and certification of student-athletes. The task force is chaired by Grant Teaff, executive director of the American Football Coaches Association and former Baylor head football coach.
Appointment of the task force, which will report to the Office of the President, was recommended by the University's Compliance Investigation Committee following a seven-month investigation into the Baylor men's basketball program. The committee completed its investigation last week and announced on Feb. 26 additional sanctions as a result of major NCAA infractions that were uncovered in the men's basketball program under former head coach Dave Bliss. The final report of the investigation committee has been forwarded to the NCAA.
"I am grateful that Grant Teaff, one of the country's most respected leaders in intercollegiate athletics and an important voice on the issue of ethics, has agreed to chair this task force," Sloan said. "The work this task force will do over the next 90 days is important for ensuring that Baylor recruits and retains student-athletes of character who will succeed in the classroom and on the athletic fields and courts."
Joining Teaff on the task force are Dutch Baughman, executive director of the Division IA Athletic Directors' Association; Mark Dunn, professor of marketing and chair of Baylor's Faculty Athletics Council; Gina Green, assistant professor of information systems; Jaffus Hardrick, assistant vice president for human resource services and assistant vice provost; Bethany McCraw, associate dean for judicial and legal student services; Eric Robinson, assistant professor of educational psychology; and Melanie Smith, academic adviser in Baylor's student-athlete services department.
Ex-officio members of the task force include Noley Bice, Baylor's general counsel; Clyde Hart, associate athletics director and head track coach; Monica Love, assistant director of compliance in the athletic department; Ian McCaw, director of athletics; and Michael Rogers, professor of law and faculty athletics representative.
"I look forward to working with the very capable and outstanding individuals who have agreed to be a part of this most important effort," Teaff said. "Baylor is blessed to have outstanding coaches that have consistently selected quality athletes who are academically capable of graduating and possess the moral character consistent with all the requirements of the university. The task force will draw expertise and information from those coaches as we attempt to identify and recommend standards and policies for the recruitment, admission, and certification of student-athletes.
"The task force will draw heavily on the knowledge of Dutch Baughman, executive director of the division IA Athletic Directors' Association, on what other athletic departments and institutions are offering in terms of policies, procedures, and programs designed to promote moral and ethical behavior relating to student-athletes, coaches, and athletic department personnel," Teaff said.
The task force will also address behavioral issues for current student-athletes to further the university's commitment to provide its student-athletes with a high-quality educational, cultural and spiritual experience. The task force has been asked to submit its initial recommendations to Sloan by June 1.