Letter from the AD As the Director of Athletics and Recreation at Northeastern University I must keep abreast of issues facing NCAA institutions. A few of the hot topics facing Intercollegiate Athletics this year have been Academic Achievement of Student-Athletes, Ethical Conduct and Conference Realignment.
Academic Achievement
One of the mottos I’ve stressed to our staff and student-athletes is the importance of the 3 C’s – Classroom Success, Community Involvement and Competitive Excellence. I’m a firm believer that our success as a department depends on our student-athlete’s ability to achieve a level of success in each of the three categories.
NCAA President, Myles Brand recently asked all NCAA institutions to concentrate on increasing the importance of academic achievements in everyday student-athlete life. I’m proud to announce that our student-athletes have maintained their success in the classroom at Northeastern. The America East Conference has announced that 54 of our student-athletes have earned Academic Honor Roll Status for the Fall Semester of 2003. Student-Athletes must compete in a Fall Sport and earn a minimum of a 3.0 GPA or higher to receive this honor. Additionally, 22 of the 54 recipients earned Commissioner’s Honor Roll Status by earning a 3.5 GPA or higher.
Ethical Conduct
Several NCAA institutions have experienced negative media attention and sanctions this past year due to inappropriate conduct of university administrators, coaches and student-athletes. This behavior has led NCAA President, Myles Brand to push for major reform in intercollegiate athletics. Organizations such as the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) have taken the lead by holding mandatory meetings to discuss ethics within the coaching profession.
Although a few incidents have occurred, on the whole I’ve been proud of the way our coaches and student-athletes have represented Northeastern University. Our student-body continues to support our athletic programs and have treated visiting fans and teams with respect.
Conference Realignment
A topic that’s hit close to home has been conference realignment. When Miami (FL), Virginia Tech and Boston College chose to leave the BIG EAST for the ACC, a massive game of musical chairs began throughout intercollegiate athletics. Northeastern University has continued to monitor how conference realignment could impact the success and visibility of our athletic programs and university.
Northeastern Athletics has experienced a tremendous amount of success in 2003. Our success can be attributed to the hard work and dedication of our staff and student-athletes. I’m proud of our accomplishments and look forward to raising the bar in 2004.
Go Huskies!
Dave O’Brien
Previous letters
January 2004
Hello Husky Fans!
Director of Athletics
• December 2003
• November 2003
• Summer 2003
• June 2003
• May 2003
• April 2003
• March 2003
• February 2003
• Q & A with Dave O'Brien
