At The University of Toledo, the president appoints the FAR. The NCAA Constitution (Article 6.1.3) requires that all member institutions employ a FAR. This individual must have faculty rank and not hold either an administrative or coaching position in the athletics department. The FAR plays a central role in the overall checks and balances system designed to ensure academic integrity, sound governance and commitment to rules compliance, attention to equity and student-athlete welfare.
My faculty role at UT is in the accounting department of the College of Business and Innovation. I have been at UT since 2018. Prior to that, I was on the faculty at Louisiana State University for nine years.
What is your favorite thing about being the Faculty Athletic Representative?
I love watching and attending sporting events so serving as a FAR allows me the opportunity to be further engaged with both students and sports. I became the University of Toledo FAR on July 1st of 2020. With COVID-19, this year has been very different compared to previous years. I’ve enjoyed working with the athletics department while getting up to speed in my new role. I have also enjoyed having the opportunity to introduce myself to all of the student athletes, so they know who I am, how to reach me and that I am available if they have any questions or concerns related to academics.
How do you juggle your role on the faculty with your responsibilities in athletics?
I attend regular monthly meetings, but my responsibilities seem to be in spurts at the beginning of each season, as well as [when] any concerns related to academics arise. I also meet regularly with the other FARs and members of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) [to] address any issues or new initiatives for student athletes. The MAC also holds conferences (virtual this fall) and webinars to inform and educate new FARs to assist them in getting acclimated expeditiously. To help during this COVID-19 crisis, they have also developed webinars that focus on mental health and social injustice issues.
