William & Mary Athletics

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William & Mary Policy for Assessing Interests and Abilities in Athletics
 

• Scope

 
            This policy applies to William & Mary, as a whole university, including the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and to the leadership of the university, including the Athletics Department and Student Affairs. 
 

• Purpose

 
This policy provides procedures for routine monitoring of the athletic interests and abilities of students to inform the university’s decision-making around sports offerings and Title IX compliance.
 

• Definitions

 
Intramural sports means teams compete in leagues organized by Campus Recreation against other William & Mary students. Some teams may elect to hold practices, though the general time commitment is limited to the competitions themselves, which are held on campus.

Club sports means recognized student organizations that allow students to compete against sport clubs from other institutions. Time commitments vary by sport club and generally involve practice a few hours per week and competitions, which may require travel, on weekends during the competition season.
 
Intercollegiate sports means competition at the NCAA Division I level primarily against other NCAA institutions. Beyond their academic endeavors, Division I student-athletes' primary commitment is to their sport program. NCAA rules allow up to four hours daily and 20 hours per week of athletically related activities during the competitive season (not including travel to/from competitions). Outside the playing season, NCAA rules allow up to eight hours per week of athletically related activities including conditioning and weight training, film review and practice. Given the commitment involved, the university provides additional resources, including sports medicine and academic support, to intercollegiate student-athletes.
 
 

• Policy:

 
W&M follows the procedures outlined in the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) Dear Colleague Letter Guidance dated April 20, 2010.
 
A W&M Interests and Abilities Assessment Team (the Team) systematically assesses and evaluates student athletics interests and abilities and makes recommendations for consideration by the Athletics Director and the Director of Campus Recreation.  The Team typically includes the Senior Associate Athletics Director/Senior Woman Administrator, the Director of Campus Recreation, the Title IX Coordinator/Chief Compliance Officer and supporting staff.
 
The Team tracks the athletic interests and abilities of current students and accepted applicants through:

• Levels of participation in W&M intramurals, club sports, and other relevant student organizations
• Annual de-identified surveys of students and accepted undergraduate applicants consistent with OCR guidance
• Reviews of requests from individuals and club teams to establish new sports or elevate existing club sport programs
• Interviews with students, coaches and administrators

• Anecdotal feedback from the Admissions staff and assessment of data provided on applications
• Reviews of national and regional trends in sports with competition at the intercollegiate level
• Analysis of trends in sports at the high school and club level in the region where William & Mary intercollegiate teams compete (states along the Atlantic Coast from Massachusetts to South Carolina) through information gathered from the National Federation of State High School Associations.

 
The Team provides a report to the Athletics Director and the Vice President for Student Affairs by June 30 each year.  If the Team concludes that the trend data, or the survey results, or requests for additional sports, or requests for the elevation of sports, or some combination of those considerations indicate unmet interest sufficient to support a team for the underrepresented sex in a sport not currently offered by the university, then the Team will consider the following additional factors:
 

• The ability to field a team including consideration of student survey responses concerning their athletics experience and consultation with coaches and administrators with expertise in the sport under consideration.

• The existence of reasonable expectation of competition for the team in the university’s competition geographic region, which may include efforts to foster competition where appropriate.

 
If the Team concludes that there is interest, ability and a reasonable expectation of competition for an intercollegiate sport that is not currently offered, the Team will notify the Athletics Director.  The Athletics Director then recommends appropriate actions to the President to meet the university’s Title IX obligations. 
 
If the data described above suggests potential unmet demand for an additional club or intramural sport, the Team will notify the Vice President of Student Affairs who will assess the requirements to offer the proposed sport and recommend appropriate actions to meet the university’s Title IX obligations. 
 
Appendix I provides additional details useful in implementing this policy.
 
 

• Approval, Authority and Amendments

 
Approved by President on February 25, 2022.  The Athletics Director and Vice President for Student Affairs have authority to implement.
Review:  This policy will be reviewed and updated as needed, but at least every two years.
 

• Related Documents:

Dear Colleague Letter 4-20-2010
Sample Survey

Appendix I:  Policy Implementation
 

1. The Athletics Director in coordination with the VP for Student Affairs and the President’s office convenes a W&M Team (the Team) each September to systematically track and evaluate student athletic interests and abilities.
   • The Team typically includes the Senior Associate Athletics Director/Senior Woman Administrator, the Director of Campus Recreation, the Title IX Coordinator/Chief Compliance Officer and supporting staff.
   • The Team provides a report to the Athletics Director, the Vice President of Student Affairs and the President by June 30 each year.
2. Participation Trends
   • The Team conducts an annual review each fall of emerging trends in sports for the underrepresented sex.
   • The review includes assessments of the following trends:
     • Participation by W&M students in club sports and intramurals. Data is tracked based on registrations with Campus Recreation.
     • Anticipated changes in Division I offerings in Colonial Athletic Association and other schools in the CAA region (states along the Atlantic Coast from Massachusetts to South Carolina).
     • Trends in high school and club sport participation in the CAA region, drawing on anecdotal information from the Admissions staff and application data, participation reported in the survey discussed below, and literature reviews.(The CAA region is also the region with the largest share of accepted students.)
3. Surveys of Interests and Abilities
   • The Team conducts annual census surveys of interests and abilities in athletics including enrolled undergraduate and graduate students and accepted undergraduate students beginning in the spring of 2022.The survey is designed to:
     • Collect information on interest in athletics at all levels – recreation, intramural, club and intercollegiate Division I (including currently offered W&M sports, other NCAA sports not currently offered at W&M and emerging NCAA sports);
     • Collect data on athletic ability, including current participation and prior experience in any additional Division I sports and related athletics activities; and
     • Protect individual responses, but provide the opportunity for those expressing interest in a new intercollegiate Division I sport to enter their email information if they would like to be contacted about their interest.
   • The Team will repeat the survey in the spring of 2023 and annually or biannually thereafter to maintain the currency of the data.
   • The Team, with support from the W&M Office of Institutional Research, reviews survey data to assess the number of women, by expected degree year group, who expressed interest in a sport not currently offered.
4. Requests to expand sport offerings
   • These may emerge at any time from individuals or from existing club sports, either through the periodic surveys or directly through requests to the Athletics Director or student affairs staff as described below.
   • Requests to create a new intercollegiate sport may be submitted to the Athletics Director using a link provided on the Department of Athletics website.
   • Requests to create new club sports may be made following the process for starting a recognized student organization coordinated by the Office of Student Leadership Development.
   • Requests to create a new intramural program may be submitted to the Director of Campus Recreation.
   • Such requests are referred to the Team for review, analysis and a recommendation to the Athletics Director.
5. Assessment
   • The Team assesses information from the trends, surveys and requests and provides a summary report to the Athletics Director, VP of Student Affairs and President by June 30 each year.This assessment will also include information on the following factors:
     • Analysis of sufficient interest and ability to field additional sports with a roster comparable to current average team sizes.The analysis includes:
       1. Reviews of the current and prior participation data from recent surveys;
       2. Contacts with those providing email addresses on the survey or through other channels to confirm interest and explore indicators of ability in more detail; and
       3. Interviews with members of club sport teams or other student organizations and the coach(es), if W&M has a club sport or other organization in the area of interest.
     • Assessment of current and emerging ability to schedule competition in that sport at the relevant level in the region.
   • The Athletics Director, VP of Student Affairs and President review the Team’s assessment and make a determination if the institution will create an additional sport within a reasonable period of time to continue to meet Title IX compliance under Prong 3.