On the evening of November 16th, 2015 at The Sport Management program and The Sport Business Club hosted the forum, “The Rise in Commercialism and Human Rights Within Collegiate Athletics and The Academy.” The panel included four distinguished scholars and former sport administrators who probed the issues of the NCAA and collegiate academics: E. Newton Jackson, Ph.D., from University of North Florida, Richard M. Southall, Ed.D., from University of South Carolina, Ellen Staurowsky, Ed.D., from Drexel University and educational activist John R. Gerdy, Ph.D. Program Director & Assistant Professor for Sport Management Fritz G. Polite, Ph.D., from Shenandoah University, moderated. The panel members have over 100 years of combined practical and academic experience and produced more than 150 scholarly journal articles. They represented some of the nation’s elite scholars studying the intersection of academics and sport.
The forum gave students an opportunity to engage and interact with highly esteemed panelists outside of the classroom about the intersection of the NCAA and academics, which is a topic generating increasing interest. Each panelist provided valuable insight, awareness and their personal perspectives on the issue.
Dr. Gerdy stated “the deal” between athletes and collegiate institutions needs to be revised, and a new deal should be established that keeps students healthy, safe, and gives them a legitimate chance to earn their degree with a well-balanced college experience. Dr. Southall included that it needs to be determined if it’s acceptable or not to “economically exploit” these student athletes. Expanding on the topic, Dr. Staurowsky said she believes that students are “employees of their collegiate institutions but do not receive any of the benefits that a regular employee receives.” Dr. Jackson stated, “Athletics and academics do not work hand in hand, in my opinion, because they both have different missions.” Much of these discussions related more to Division I athletics than Shenandoah University.
During the Q&A portion of the forum, many students asked how this debate related directly to them at Shenandoah, if at all. Jackson, who believes freshman should sit out their first year to make a better transition from high school to college, was also asked if he believed this should also be implied to include transfer students who come from junior colleges.
One of Dr. Polite’s students, Nader Hussein, noted how the forum connected with what he’s learning. “It’s great to see some of the information that he’s been telling us in class, actually applied in a practical way.”
The presence of One and Done Films, a professional film company that has produced and provided content to major media outlets, further enhanced the professional feel of the event. All involved feel great gratitude to the Byrd School of Business leadership and Business School Dean and Professor of Management Miles K. Davis, Ph.D. and Associate Dean & Professor of Management RT Good, Ed.D. Value-added events like these truly enhance the transformational learning of our students at Shenandoah University.