George Washington University Athletics
GW Athletics Advisory Council Concludes Fall Meeting
10/26/2017 12:00:00 AM | General
On the occasion of Colonials Weekend in Foggy Bottom, the George Washington Athletics Advisory Council gathered for a series of events and meetings in its advisory role to the Department of Athletics and Recreation.
Chaired by Michelle Rubin ('91), who opened the meeting and called it to order, the Council had the opportunity to meet with GW President Thomas LeBlanc. Dr. LeBlanc shared his thoughts on collegiate athletics, including his sentiment that when operated successfully, Athletics serves as a public display of discipline and excellence to which the entire university community can point.
Following his comments and question and answer session, the Council discussed with Director of Athletics Patrick Nero the department's plans to shape GW Athletics' next strategic plan to match the areas of emphasis for the university at large articulated by Dr. LeBlanc, notably in the areas of student experience, development and institutional culture.
"Having our Council meet with President LeBlanc provided a special opportunity," said Nero. "The Council works hard to provide critical resources to our student-athletes and hearing his vision will serve to augment our initiatives and direction."
"It was our honor to welcome President LeBlanc to the meeting," noted Rubin. "To hear directly from him and learn of his experiences and thoughts on the role of an Athletics Department was invaluable. Our membership was deeply appreciative of his time and encouraged by his words. We also had robust dialogue and enjoyed the various presentations as GW Athletics rallies to plot the future."
Senior Associate Athletics Director and SWA Tanya Vogel presented to the Council on several areas, including efforts being made in mental health awareness and support and methods being explored to gather student-athlete feedback on their experiences at GW.
Assistant Athletics Director of Educational Support Services Danya Ellman provided an update on student-athlete's academic success and the department's academic assistance offerings. Noteworthy remarks were made about Athletics' First Year Experience, in which freshmen are taught study skills, learning strategies, test preparation and writing development.
Finally, Associate Athletics Director of Compliance Chandra Bierwirth identified what constitutes a booster and detailed the `do's and don'ts' of what is permissible for boosters following changes in NCAA regulations.
The leadership provided by Advisory Council members comes in a variety of forms, including, but not limited to: making a personal philanthropic investment toward the priorities of the department, serving as ambassadors and advocates for GW Athletics, asking others to join in the effort, hosting special engagement events and attending important athletic and university functions in order to better advise the department.
