Six constituents represented the ten-member search committee: Committee Chair and Professor of English and Russian Dale Peterson; Associate Dean of Admissions Catharine Zolkos; Dean of New Students Allen Hart; Professor of Psychology Amy Demorest; Senator Patrick Benson '08; and Kate Roin '06, who is writing a sociology thesis on crossover between affirmative action and athletic admissions at elite educational institutions for women.
The group discussed the search with approximately 10 students, explaining the hiring process and attempting to identify the issues most crucial to the appointment. "The hope of meetings like this," Peterson said at the beginning of the session, "is that interested people will help identify the strengths, credentials and qualifications that are the most important considerations in the search."
As of last weekend the committee had received over 40 applications, and expects many more. Over the next week the group will be considering submissions and hopes to narrow down the candidates to an elite three or four. These finalists will each be invited to campus for several days, where they will give presentations, answer questions and examine the College's athletic department.
Although the committee conducts the search, its recommendation is subordinate to the decision of President Tony Marx.
Selecting the finest applicant is a weighty task. "[AD] is such an enormous job," Peterson said. "It is responsible for recruiting, retaining and hiring the coach staff and coordinating the entire Athletic Department. He's also in charge of the Physical Education Department, and the physical training and teaching that goes with that. And the AD represents the link between the Phys. Ed. Department and the faculty, which is a huge responsibility."
Considering the obligations the position confers, the role of AD will remain purely administrational. Nearly all of the applicants have experience in coaching, but leading a team is not in the job description. Although longtime AD and head of men's soccer coach Peter Gooding managed the feat, the College's next AD will not be similarly imposed upon.
The committee stressed the need to choose the applicant best suited for Amherst's juxtaposition of athletics and high academic standards. The College's priorities, as well as the strict regulations enforced by the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), equate to a challenging situation for any AD. The NESCAC prohibits athletic scholarships and places tight restrictions on recruitment policies, practice hours and coach contact. "An AD at Amherst must understand the close marriage between the NESCAC and athletics here," Zolkos said.
The necessary juggling of academics and athletics means that, although a number of the applicants have experience with Div. I sports, a major athletic program may not translate into preparedness for Amherst's environment. "To bring in somebody who wasn't equipped with sensitivity to all the issues could be a disaster," Hart said. "If the Stanford AD applied for the job, it isn't clear if that would be the best choice."
Despite the gathering's size, the students' questions were acute. Of particular concern was more fully integrating athletes into campus activities and fostering school spirit at sporting events. The recent successes of the basketball team engendered support, but the attendees feared that less prominent sports remain ignored. Peterson found the conversation instructive. "I was particularly struck by the students' wish to have a director who was aware of the need to build a cross-campus constituency for athletic events-how to build a larger all-sport fan base, for instance-but also a director who was concerned with developing ways to involve non-varsity undergraduates in the curricular offerings and fitness facilities," he said.
As the search progresses, student involvement will become more imperative. Finalists arrive on campus as early as the week before Spring Break, and Marx expects a corresponding increase in student interest. "This is the first time Amherst has searched for a new athletic director in 27 years, so we're a little out of practice," he remarked. "That means we need everyone's advice about what qualities to be looking for, and I encourage students to be discussing that with the search committee."