Charge

1. The role of the Cornell Faculty Advisory Committee on Athletics and Physical Education is to provide advice on how the programs of the Department of Athletics and Physical Education can best complement and support the overall educational objectives of the University.
2. The committee will consult with the Athletic Director regarding how to assure an intercollegiate, physical education, intramural, and recreational program of the highest quality. In doing so, the Committee will become familiar with and provide counsel regarding the following matters:
   1. Areas of continuing interest to Cornell and the Department, including admissions, academic performance of student athletes, and the overall programs, goals, and objectives of the Department.
   2. Issues facing the NCAA, ECAC and Ivy League.
   3. Schedules for fall, winter, and spring seasons for each team and the guidelines for leaves and absences for intercollegiate teams.
   4. The physical education requirement for students (including administering the procedure of hearing appeals from students regarding their physical education requirement for graduation). Hearing appeals from students regarding their physical education requirement for graduation).
3. In addition, the committee will review and help develop in conjunction with individual athletic academic advisors:
   1. A strong academic advisement system for student athletes.
   2. A series of seminars for all freshmen athletes to cover library skills, study and reading skills, expectations of a student athlete at Cornell, etc.
   3. A series of meetings with the captains of the intercollegiate teams to discuss athletics and academics, and the role of the captains as academic role models.
   4. Procedures for working with individual academic problem cases.

Composition

Nine members of the faculty, appointed with the concurrence of the Faculty Senate, by the Nominations and Elections Committee for three-year terms.

Two student members (of which at least one shall be an undergraduate) with voting privileges, selected annually by the Staffing Committee of the Student Assembly.  Reselection of a student for a second year shall be permitted.

Co-presidents of the Red Key Honor Society.

The Director of Athletics and the Faculty Athletic Representative are ex officio.

Except as noted specifically the committee shall be organized and operate under the rules and procedures governing standing committees of the Faculty Senate.

Adopted by the Faculty Council of Representatives, December 9, 1987, Records, pp. 6530-44C, Appendices A and B. Changes in nomenclature from FCR to Faculty Senate, and to reflect amendments to Organization and Procedures of the University Faculty, October 1995.

Where not listed as a member or chair, both the Dean of Faculty and the Associate Dean and Secretary of the Faculty, shall be a ex officio members of each committee of the University Faculty and each committee of the Senate. (Faculty Handbook, Article V Section D Part 7) (Faculty Handbook, Article VI Section A Part 3)

To: Dean De Rosa

From: Ashleigh Newman, Chair

Date: June 1, 2026

Subject: FACAPE Annual Report

Summary of meetings and attendees

FACAPE met on October 20th, 2025 and on April 22nd, 2026 via Zoom for our regularly scheduled meetings (once per semester).

As shown below, FACAPE consists of engaged faculty, students, and non-voting staff members who regularly attend meetings. Meeting agendas and minutes from this year are archived on FACAPE’s Box folder.

Fall meeting attendance:

Spring meeting attendance:

*SAAC Co-Presidents, invited to meeting as guest, no voting privileges

**Ex officio members, no voting privileges

^Attends meetings, no voting privileges

2025 – 2026 FACAPE goals and outcomes

Goals for the 2025-2026 academic year were outlined at the Fall meeting and additional goals and action items came to light by the spring.

1. Increase broader Cornell faculty engagement with athletics

Background:

There was a recognized need and benefits for Varsity Athletic coaches to have connections with Cornell faculty beyond their designated Team Faculty Liaison(s). This can be helpful when recruiting prospective student-athletes and current athletes.

Actions:

A shared Google sheet, started last year, was further populated that lists each Cornell college and associated department with faculty and/or administrators that are willing to act as a resource for Varsity Athletic coaches in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes, as well as support for current student athletes. This sheet was emailed out to all Varsity coaches in the fall. The sheet is also available to all FACAPE members to help recruit additional faculty in unrepresented departments.

Outcome:

Impact still to be determined. Need to collect data from coaches on usage and utility. Will send a brief survey out to coaches at the start of the next academic year.

2. Revise committee bylaws

Background:

The original charges of FACAPE have guided the committee’s work, however, include several that are deemed inappropriate and/or do not accurately represent the current work and operations of the committee. For example, the charges call for FACAPE to provide “a series of seminars for all freshman athletes to cover library skills, study and reading skills, expectations of a student athlete at Cornell, etc.” Given the resources now readily available to all students at Cornell including physical infrastructures (e.g., The Learning Strategies Center), online resources (e.g., Cornell University Library), and Student-Athlete Support Services specifically for varsity student-athletes, incoming student-athlete needs would be best met by the professionals trained and already working in these areas, as opposed to a rotating group of faculty members.

The committee composition also does not include key student-athlete leaders including the Co-Presidents of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Cornell’s SAAC was established in 1995, after FACAPE was established in 1987 and long after “The Red Key” now the Red Key Athlete Honor Society was established in 1923. Given that SAAC is the nationally recognized student organization for shared governance and consists of student representation from all of Cornell’s varsity athletic teams, we felt that the Co-Presidents of Cornell SAAC should be full voting members of FACAPE, in addition to the Co-Presidents of the Red Key Honor Society. Cornell’s SAAC and Red Key leaders would each bring unique, valuable student-athlete perspectives and representation to FACAPE. With the proposed addition of two new voting student members, we proposed reclassifying the two student members selected by the Student Assembly to the President of the Student Assembly and President of the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly, or their designees, to non-voting ex officio members.

Actions:

For the past two years, SAAC Co-Presidents have been invited as guests to FACAPE meetings. A Faculty Senate resolution was written and presented by chair Ashleigh Newman at the May 6, 2026 Faculty Senate meeting. The resolution can be found here.

Outcome:

Resolution 216 passed with a vote of 71 Yes, 7 No, 16 Abstain, and 36 did not vote. Moving forward, the SAAC Co-Presidents will be full voting members of FACAPE.

3. Missed Class Time policy minor revisions

Background:

Few minor typos were identified in the most recent version of the Missed Class Time Policy requiring changes. Also, there was a recognized need to update times in the policy’s table to address confusion / inconsistences with calculating missed class time.

Chair Ashleigh Newman attended the SAAC meeting on October 6th, 2025 to introduce herself and the committee’s work. At the meeting, SAAC members shared that there are occasions when their coaches are asking them to report to the bus sooner than what is listed on their missed class time sheet.

Action:

The proposed changes were presented at the Fall FACAPE meeting. They included:

• On Missed Class Time Sheet table, change “Departure Time” to “Report”
• Change “Before 10:00am” to “10:00am and earlier”
• Typo 10:01am – 11:59pm to 10:01am – 11:59am
• Change “2:00 – 4:30pm” and “After 4:30pm” to “2:00 – 4:29pm” and “4:30pm and later”

Outcome:

Changes were approved by a unanimous vote of voting members in attendance at the Fall 2025 meeting. The policy will be continually reviewed to ensure its accuracy and relevance.

4. FACAPE letter to Committee on the Future of the American University

Background:

The Committee on the Future of the American University (FAU) was launched in September 2025 and was charged with exploring how the university can evolve to best serve future generations while pursuing its core missions. A meeting between FACAPE and FAU committee members was unable to be scheduled during the academic year. The FAU released their Preliminary Frameworks and draft reports on April 20th, 2026, which included a call for feedback from the Cornell community. The one mention of Athletics in the Preliminary Frameworks was in reference to the Varsity-Blues admission scandal, which paints Athletics in a negative light and did not occur at Cornell. There was a real need and opportunity to highlight all the benefits that Athletics and Physical Education bring to higher education and point out conflicts in the committee’s proposals.

Action:

In our Spring meeting two days later, chair Ashleigh Newman asked for volunteers to help draft a letter to the FAU. FACAPE members Kevin Kniffin, John Sipple, Jennifer Newsom, and Nicki Moore volunteered. This subcommittee with Ashleigh met over Zoom on April 29th, 2026 to discuss ideas in response to the FAU’s draft reports and then asynchronously drafted a letter that was later shared with all of FACAPE.

Outcome:

The 4-page letter was submitted to the FAU, including Associate Dean of Faculty Adam Smith, on May 21st. It focused on two of the areas highlighted by the FAU: 1) Undergraduate Education and 2) Public Impact and Community Engagement, which the committee felt were most applicable to FACAPE’s work. We hope our committee’s feedback and insights will be taken into consideration and incorporated into the FAU’s final reports.

5. Best Practices for Accommodating Varsity Student Athletes

Background:

Throughout the academic year, there are occasions when student-athletes seek assistance from Student-Athlete Support Services (SASS) to help them navigate conflicts between their academic and athletic obligations. Cases that cannot be resolved between SASS and course faculty are directed to the FACAPE chair. There are similar recurring scenarios that would benefit from FACAPE guidance on how faculty can best accommodate Varsity Student Athletes in their courses while abiding by the FACAPE Missed Class Time Policy, including a FAQ or frequent scenario section.

Action:

In the spring FACAPE meeting, Chair Ashleigh Newman asked for volunteers to meet and create such a Best Practices document. The following FACAPE members volunteered: Natalie Capiro, Courtney Murdock, and Doug Anctzack. Amy Foster and Lindsay Hansen were requested to work with this group to help provide a list of the common scenarios their office sees. Ashleigh will also work with this group to provide insight on communications she has had with faculty on various cases.

Outcome:

Over the summer Amy and Lindsay will compile a list of challenging scenarios. This sub-committee will then meet in August 2026 to discuss these and start work on this document. The goal is to have this shared with the full committee and have it ready by the start of the first round of prelims in the fall 2026. This is optimistic and may be more realistic to have it by the start of the spring 2027 term. When these plans were shared with Dean of Faculty Eve DeRosa, it was recommended to pursue a Sense of the Senate Resolution, similar to that of not assigning students work over holiday breaks.

Other committee news

Nikki Moore and Jen Gudaz regularly provide updates on facilities and programming.

Nikki Moore and John Sipple have kept the committee updated on the ever-evolving landscape of collegiate athletics including Name Image and Likeness (NIL) and the transfer portal, and their impact on Ivy League athletics.

FACAPE members have served on several University task forces and committees including the Presidential Task Force on Campus Sexual Assault (Nicki Moore, Ashleigh Newman), Title IX Committee (Amy Foster, John Sipple), and the Code and Procedures Review Committee (Ashleigh Newman, Quinn Rinkus).

Athletics and Physical Education data

See pages 5 – 7. Team grade summary reports compiled by Lindsay Hansen. Physical education,

recreation, and intramural data compiled by Jen Gudaz.

Conclusion

FACAPE had a productive year accomplishing many of the goals we set out to achieve, including

setting new ones for the next academic year. We look forward to continuing our work to further support Cornell’s athletics and physical education programs.

Fall 2025 Team Grade Summary Report

Men’s Sports                                                            Women’s Sports

Spring 2026 Team Grade Summary Report

Men’s Sports                                                       Women’s Sports

“By Class” information only counts each athlete once vs the numbers for each team could account for students being on multiple teams.

Physical Education, Recreation, and Intramural Facts at a Glance

 *Data as of June 1, 2026

To: Dean De Rosa

From: Ashleigh Newman, Chair

Date: June 30, 2025

Subject: FACAPE Annual Report

Summary of meetings and attendees

FACAPE met on September 19, 2024 via Zoom and on April 9, 2025 in person

(with Zoom option) for our regularly scheduled meetings (once per semester). There was a special meeting via Zoom on January 31, 2025 with special guest Patty Grace who provided a high-level overview of Cornell Admissions policies as it pertains to athletics.

As shown below, FACAPE consists of engaged faculty and non-voting staff members who regularly attend meetings. Student engagement could be improved. Meeting agendas and minutes from this year are archived on FACAPE’s Box folder.

Fall meeting attendance:

Spring meeting attendance:

*attends meetings, no voting privileges

**on sabbatical leave

2024-25 FACAPE goals and outcomes

As the new chair of this committee, I worked to create a list of goals for FACAPE in consultation with Amy Foster, Senior Deputy Athletics Director for the Student-Athlete Experience. These goals were discussed at the Fall 2024 meeting and are available to all committee members in our Box folder. This report offers an excellent opportunity to evaluate our progress on these goals.

1. Increase student engagement in the committee

Background: student attendance and participation in FACAPE meetings has been historically low.

Actions: I emailed all student members (Red Key Co-Presidents and Undergraduate and Graduate representatives) after the fall meeting to encourage them to attend and actively contribute with the committee’s work. I invited the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Co-Presidents to our spring meeting to present their proposal for early course enrollment for student-athletes. I provided written input on their proposal ahead of the meeting, which they thoughtfully incorporated into their revised version shared with FACAPE.

Outcome: Unfortunately, student committee member attendance did not improve for the spring. However, the SAAC Co-Presidents attended the spring meeting and received positive feedback and concrete suggestions from committee members, which was helpful in their preparation for their Student Assembly presentation. Resolution SA R50: Ensuring Fair Course Access for Student Athletes was adopted by the Student Assembly and conveyed to the President.

2. Increase committee membership awareness of pertinent policies

Background: While the Chair works closely with Athletics staff on the Missed Class Time Policy and to approve teams’ missed class time, each committee member can serve as an ambassador for this committee and Cornell student-athletes in their academic homes.

Actions: I updated and organized FACAPE’s Box folder, which had previously gone un-used. Sub-folders include: Admissions, agendas and minutes, charge and policies, FACAPE annual reports, PE and recreation, Real Response feedback, relevant Faculty Senate resolutions, team faculty liaisons, and team GPA summaries. As pre-read materials for the Fall 2024 meeting, I provided committee members with the FACAPE Bylaws, missed class time policy, an example missed class time sheet, varsity athlete accommodations (from the Faculty Handbook), and the free-time zone ([FTZ] from the Faculty Handbook).

Outcome: Committee members are now well-informed on the policies that impact Cornell student-athletes and can now readily access the above materials pertinent to athletics and physical education at any time.

3. Highlight Cornell student-athlete achievements

Background: Cornell student-athletes are excelling academically (as well as athletically), and the administration should be aware of and celebrate this. When I attended the spring 2024 400 club breakfast (event to recognize varsity student-athletes receiving ≥4.0 GPA), I was disappointed that besides the Athletics Director, there were no high-level administration members in attendance.

Action: In my fall meeting with Dean DeRosa, I relayed this concern and asked if the President and/or Provost would consider attending the 400 Club Breakfast to demonstrate the administration’s recognition and support of the academic success of our student-athletes.

Outcome: Dean DeRosa shared this invitation with President Kotlikoff who was reportedly very happy to be invited and confirmed his attendance. Perhaps in the future, an annual list of Cornell 400 Club Members and their respective sports could be included in a University publication, such as The Cornell Chronicle.

Unrelated to this committee’s efforts, but equally important to recognize – Nikki Moore shared in our spring meeting that President Kotlikoff hosted a series of dinners with all varsity head coaches to meet and discuss their concerns and/or challenges they face in their work. Coaches greatly appreciated this opportunity and sign of support for athletics from the President. Similarly, President Kotlikoff, Provost Kavita Bala, VP Student & Campus Life Ryan Lombardi, Dean of Students Marla Love, and Deans of all Cornell’s undergraduate colleges were in attendance for the special graduation ceremony held for the 2025 National Champions Cornell Men’s Lacrosse team on May 27, 2025. John Sipple (NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative) and I were also invited and in attendance to show our support. It was wonderful to see Cornell leadership and the academic deans celebrate the success of these phenomenal student-athletes. As Ryan Lombardi said, this team brought Cornell together and gave us all something to cheer for. That is the power of collegiate athletics, and I sincerely hope something that Cornell leadership continues to champion.

4. Broader faculty engagement

Background: There are several women’s sports who lack a Team Faculty Liaison (TFL), while some sports have multiple TFLs. It would be ideal to ensure all sports have a TFL and for these “athletics-friendly” faculty to support the coaches from all sports, mostly regarding meeting with recruited student-athletes, but also in building additional connections between academics and athletics. John Sipple had started this effort creating a “Non-specific team supporters” list.

Actions: During the Good of the Order at the December 11, 2024 Faculty Senate meeting, I made a call for faculty interested in serving as a TFL and a resource for the coaches of all varsity teams to contact me. I created a shared Google sheet with tabs for each Cornell college and lines for each department within that college, and populated it with names and contact info for all volunteers to date.

Outcome: Following this call, eight additional faculty members reached out to serve as TFLs and a resource for all athletic coaches. Now all teams except one women’s and one men’s team have at least one TFL. Committee member Doug Antczak also recruited three new, enthusiastic faculty from the Vet College to serve as TFLs for the equestrian and polo teams.

The shared Google sheet is a living document that has been shared with all FACAPE members to encourage them to recruit additional faculty members in their colleges to participate, as well as Amy Foster and Nikki Moore to share with all varsity coaches as a resource.

5. Data collecting projects

Background: Amy Foster conveyed that there seems to be more variability in course scheduling (less set MWF or TR times), which makes it difficult for athletes to schedule daytime individual skills sessions in sports that necessitate these. There is also a sense that there has been more encroachment on the FTZ by newly approved courses or special speakers that students can attend for extra credit. While there have always been exceptions (e.g., studio courses), the question is – are there in fact more academic happenings in the FTZ? And while there has to be another opportunity outside the FTZ for a student to do, these may not be the courses or speakers that the student-athletes are academically interested in.

I discussed this with Dean DeRosa in our fall meeting. She confirmed that exceptions included 3-hour studios, physical education, and live where you are courses. The following are allowed in the FTZ: visiting speakers, additional meeting times, review sessions, makeup sessions, office hours, with the latter requiring also an option outside the FTZ.

Action: Dean DeRosa suggested Amy Foster and Devan Carrington (Associate AD for Student-Athlete Support, Development and Inclusion) track incidents as students report them in the fall. Depending on the volume and nature, this could be pursued further. Dean DeRosa would be able to get a list of exempt courses from the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education.

Outcome: I was not informed of any incidents of concern regarding class scheduling or FTZ conflicts from Amy or Devan this year. Unfortunately, with the departure of Devan Carrington from Cornell in December, a more concerted effort to collect data on these topics did not occur this year.

6. Revisiting and Revising FACAPE’s Charges

Background: In the spring of 2024, Athletics Director Nikki Moore and Amy Foster expressed interest in updating the charges of FACAPE. There were concerns regarding some charges and membership being out-of-date, as well as including language surrounding committee leadership.

Actions: I confirmed with the Office of the Dean of the Faculty Senate that updating the charges of a Faculty Senate committee is not a within committee decision and would require a Resolution and vote from the Faculty Senate.

I conveyed this to the committee in our Fall 2024 meeting, and my conclusion that this was unnecessary at this time, but we could discuss further in the future. For the most part, we are meeting the committee’s charges. One area I saw that we have not addressed is to become familiar with and provide counsel regarding admissions (in consultation with the Athletic Director). To address this area, I invited Patty Grace to give a presentation to the committee on January 31, 2025.

The other charges that FACAPE have not historically met is help develop “a series of seminars for all freshmen athletes to cover library skills, study and reading skills, expectations of a student athlete at Cornell, etc. and a series of meetings with the captains of the intercollegiate teams to discuss athletics and academics, and the role of the captains as academic role models.” In the fall meeting, it was decided that Devan would consider, with student input, if these sorts of seminars, in addition to what is already offered, would be beneficial at Cornell.

Outcome: Patty Grace provided pre-read materials to all committee members, which included Ivy League Admissions and Financial Aid Information for Prospective Students (now housed on the FACAPE Box folder). Her presentation was informative and well received by the committee. Committee members asked questions for understanding, and Patty, Amy, and Nikki were helpful in answering these.

With Devan’s departure, I did not receive follow-up on student seminars. This item remains in question, particularly with his position remaining unfilled. (Tiana Dockery, who served as the Volunteer Assistant Volleyball Coach, stepped in to assist Amy with Devan’s departure. She attended our Spring meeting).

7. Fees for PE classes

Background: Physical Education is a graduation requirement for all undergraduates, however unlike other Cornell courses, 74% of PE classes come with a fee. The fees are to pay instructors and for all other operational costs. PE previously received some course income, but sometime between 2009 and 2015, this stopped. Jen Gudaz (Director of Physical Education and Recreational Services) also shared that if the field hockey field on Game Farm Rd is not completed by this fall and they need Barton Hall, the number of PE classes free to students will drop from 26% to 5%.

Action: This topic was briefly discussed in the fall and spring committee meetings.

Outcome: Multiple committee members felt it was wrong that PE is required for students, but most classes come with an additional cost, and wondered if bringing this to the Faculty Senate was warranted. Jen Gudaz said the University is aware of this issue and the Course Fee Committee with Vice Provost Lisa Nishii are looking into this. The Office of the University Registrar is supportive of students not having to pay a fee for PE classes.

There is an effort to make PE 0 credits (but still a graduation requirement), which will hurt both PE and outdoor education’s budgets considerably. However, on the positive side, if PE is 0 credits, that would allow faculty to enroll or audit PE classes without having to pay tuition (which was a concern raised in the fall by a committee member).

Other committee news

Amy and I worked together to edit the FACAPE Missed Class Time Policy to more accurately reflect current practices, Faculty Handbook language, and unique scenarios that arise from more individualized sports with variable missed class time by athlete. These changes were shared with the committee in the Spring 2025 meeting and were unanimously approved in a committee vote. The committee plans to discuss this policy further next academic year, particularly the number of class days that student-athletes are allowed to miss each term. Cornell’s policy of 5 days is believed to be more stringent than other peer institutions and may put our athletic programs at a disadvantage.

I spoke at the February 11^th Athletic Coaches’ meeting introducing myself and the role of FACAPE. This was well-received, and I plan on making this an annual visit to ensure good relations between our committee and the athletics coaching staff.

Amy Foster, Nikki Moore, and I are serving on the Presidential Task Force on Campus Sexual Assault.

Amy Foster and John Sipple are serving on the newly formed Title IX Committee. This was formed out of a charge from Ryan Lombardi and Nikki Moore, as Cornell does not have a standing committee to evaluate Title IX issues, as they pertain to athletics.

Nikki Moore and John Sipple have kept the committee updated on the ever-evolving landscape of collegiate athletics amidst landmark changes including Name Image and Likeness (NIL), the House Settlement, and the Dartmouth men’s basketball team unionization, and their impact on Ivy League athletics.

Athletics and Physical Education data

See pages 7 -9. Team grade summary reports compiled by Amy Foster. Physical education, recreation, and intramural data compiled by Jen Gudaz.

Conclusion

FACAPE had a productive year accomplishing many of the goals we set out to achieve. We look forward to the next academic year to continue on the ongoing efforts and new endeavors to further support Cornell’s athletics and physical education programs.

Fall 2024 Team Grade Summary Report

“By Class” information only counts each athlete once vs the numbers for each team could account for students being on multiple teams.

Spring 2025 Team Grade Summary Report

“By Class” information only counts each athlete once vs the numbers for each team could account for students being on multiple teams.

Physical Education, Recreation, and Intramural – Facts at a Glance

*Data as of June 10, 2025

Fun Fact: The fitness centers have had double the amount of swipes (students entering) this fall from last.

The PE number is the fall final and current students enrolls YTD, so that number will get lower as students drop classes.

To: Dean De Rosa

From: Frank Rossi, Chair

Date: June 30, 2024

Subject: FACAPE Annual Report

Executive Summary

This annual report highlights the achievements and activities of the Faculty Advisory Committee on Athletics and Physical Education (FACAPE) for the academic year. Our efforts have focused on three primary priorities: staying informed of essential academic and physical education data, maintaining vital academic support systems, and revisiting our committee’s charge and responsibilities. We have held several executive meetings, committee meetings, and presented important findings to the Faculty Senate. This report also marks a transition in leadership as I step down after many years of service.

1. Establishing and Addressing Priorities 

Priority 1. FACAPE has prioritized staying informed of key academic and physical education data, which is crucial for the academic performance of both students and student-athletes. To achieve this, we:

• Regularly reviewed academic performance reports of student-athletes.
• Analyzed physical education program participation rates.

Our data review revealed that the athletic department’s academic performance remains exceptional, with team GPA averages consistently between 3.3 and 3.4. Notably, 10 percent of our 1100 student-athletes have maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA across all semesters, while only 0.01 percent have a GPA of 2.0 or below.

Priority 2: Maintaining Academic Support and Vibrant Physical Education Programs To maintain vital academic support, we focused on:

• Strengthening the role of team faculty liaisons to ensure they provide effective academic guidance.
• Refining accommodations policies to better support student-athletes in balancing their academic and athletic commitments.
• Ensuring the physical education program remains robust and engaging.

These efforts have led to continuous strong participation in our physical education program, surpassing participation rates at other Ivy League institutions. This reflects the program’s success in engaging students and contributing positively to their overall well-being and academic performance.

Priority 3: Revisiting and Revising FACAPE’s Charge and Responsibilities

In response to evolving needs and in pursuit of improved effectiveness, we hoped to conduct a comprehensive review of FACAPE’s charge and responsibilities. This included:

• Evaluating the current scope and impact of our activities.
• Seeking feedback from stakeholders, including faculty, student-athletes, and athletic department leaders.
• Proposing revisions to better align our responsibilities with current institutional goals and challenges.

This priority was discussed but not fully executed.

2. Meetings and Presentations

Throughout the academic year, FACAPE held:

• Three executive meetings involving the FACAPE chair, NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR), and Athletic Department leadership. These meetings facilitated high-level discussions on strategic priorities and emerging issues.
• Three committee-wide meetings, which allowed for broader engagement with all FACAPE members and facilitated comprehensive discussions on our initiatives and progress.
• A presentation to the Faculty Senate on the Water Competency Assessment (swim test). This presentation highlighted the importance of the swim test in ensuring the safety and physical competence of our students.

3. Program Success and Academic Performance

Our analysis indicates that student participation in physical education remains robust, far exceeding participation rates at peer Ivy League institutions. This success is a testament to the quality and appeal of our physical education offerings. Additionally, the academic performance of our student-athletes continues to be exemplary, with the athletic department achieving team GPA averages between 3.3 and 3.4. The data further reveals that 10 percent of our student-athletes maintain a perfect 4.0 GPA, while only 0.01 percent fall below a 2.0 GPA.

4. Leadership Transition

This year marks a significant transition for FACAPE as I step down after 17 years as chair and 22 years as a committee member. It has been an honor to serve in this capacity and contribute to the success of our student athletes and the broader Cornell community. I am pleased to pass the reins to Dr. Ashleigh Newman, who brings a wealth of experience and a strong commitment to our mission. Dr. Newman will be working closely with Dr. Moore, the Cornell Athletic Director, to ensure a smooth transition and continued excellence in our programs.

Conclusion

FACAPE has made substantial progress in addressing our priorities, supporting academic and physical education excellence, and preparing for a seamless leadership transition. Our continued focus on data-driven decision making, strong academic support systems, and program vitality will ensure the ongoing success of our student athletes and physical education programs. We look forward to another productive year under new leadership and remain committed to fostering an environment where academic and athletic excellence can thrive.

2022-23, 2021-22, 2020-2021, 2019-2020, 2010-2011,  2009-2010, 2008-2009