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#10: Four small college ADs sat down with D3.ticker and BOSCA to talk about all things facility projects, including lessons learned from past projects, constituent involvement, revenue generation and more. Augusta (DII) AD Ryan Erlacher has three key lessons learned: “Making sure communication with all parties involved is prioritized. Transparency is important for those impacted by the construction. Always be ready for the unexpected, must be able to adapt.” Wayne State College (DII) AD Mike Powicki recommends to “Get your architect and GC on board together as early as possible, especially during the time when developing your project cost model. As a Division II institution, a shared-use facility model shows value, partnership, and fiscal responsibility to your campus and community. This strategy was definitely important in getting our project approved. It also opened doors to different donors who did not want to ONLY support athletics.” As for who to involve in the process, Southwestern AD Ken Ralph cautions against having too many people involved: “Every group is going to try to ensure their one area of purpose is included and most times the budget does not allow for that. […] This is why it is important to determine the direction of the facility before attempting to gather feedback and keep all of that feedback in line with the direction of the project. I know colleges all love to talk about 'collegiality' and 'incorporating all voices,' but that can dilute a project. You certainly want to gain insight from others on campus to be sure you are not missing anything, as it is easy to operate with a blind spot, but it is best to do this very early in the process.” On revenue generation, Heidelberg AD Greg Cooper says the university’s fieldhouse project had a significant focus on bringing in new revenue, with plans to hire a new staff member to oversee it who will have responsibilities to do so. On the other hand, Ralph notes: “Focus on the needs of your teams/institution first. Don’t allow yourself to get distracted with the “possibility” of generating external revenue from your facility. Design to your specific purpose, and if the final design has the opportunity to generate revenue, then you can make plans to maximize it then. To be honest, almost everybody overestimates how much revenue their facilities will make, so don’t let ancillary revenue possibilities dictate design.” Tons more. (link)
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#9: Wisconsin-Platteville is providing Guardian Caps to every member of its Football team, becoming the first team in the WIAC to do so. (link) |
#8: James Moore & Co. Partner Katie Davis pens a guest post for Extra Points breaking down how the U.S. Department of Labor’s new overtime rules will impact athletic departments, with the salary threshold for overtime exemption to increase again from $43,888 to $58,656 on January 1, which represents a 65% increase in a six-month period. To maintain compliance with the new rules, Davis recommends analyzing the department’s current workforce to see which employees should be bumped up to the new minimum, paid overtime or converted to hourly; adopting budget-neutral strategies; addressing salary compression and outsourcing when appropriate. On budget-neutral strategies, Davis suggests converting employees to a lower hourly rate: “Consider evaluating what an hourly rate would be for a position based on anticipated hours worked. Then pay a reduced hourly rate so when overtime is worked, it remains budget neutral. Be warned that employees will likely not be receptive to this option since they will not receive any of the intended benefits of this rule.” As for practical considerations, Davis: "It’s important to start preparing now, but keep in mind that this ruling may face legal challenges. While the first phase has been implemented, courts have previously blocked similar changes last minute and are working to block the Jan. 1 increase. While it is uncertain if history will repeat itself, institutions cannot afford to wait until November or December to start preparing. Athletic departments should work alongside campus HR to begin evaluating their approach and get ready for changes, but we recommend delaying any announcements about salary increases until it’s closer to the new year. More. (link)
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#7: Southern Virginia taps Deputy AD Josh Monsen as Interim AD, after AD Deidra Dryden was elevated to VP for Advancement and Development in April. (link, link)
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#6: Macalester names UMass Dartmouth Track & Field AC Rachel Leonard as its new HC. (link) |
#5: Eastern Connecticut State names Saint Rose (formerly DII) Asst. AD for Internal Operations Tamara Mills as Assoc. AD. (link)
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#4: Knox taps former Dartmouth (DI) Senior Assoc. AD for Varsity Athletics Communications Rick Bender as Asst. AD for Communications and Marketing. (link)
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#3: Keystone has announced its merger with Washington D.C. think tank Washington Institute for Education and Research, which will see the college become a nonprofit subsidiary of WIER. President John Pullo Sr.: “This commitment from WIER is a vital component in support of our continued conversations with Middle States as we work closely with them to retain our accreditation by reassuring them of Keystone’s stability. We believe it also offers a more definitive message to the entire community, especially prospective Keystone students, that Keystone remains open and will continue to build upon our 156-year legacy.” (link)
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#2: CCNY Interim AD Steve Macias is no longer with the Beavers and is now the Facilities and Operations Director at Salesian High School. (link)
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#1: Wittenberg will eliminate 45 staff and 30 faculty positions as it works to eliminate its $17M deficit from FY23. (link)
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