______

Journal of College & Character VOLUME VII, NO. 3, April 2006

“Athletic Reform is Key to Character Development”: An Interview with Chancellor Gordon Gee of Vanderbilt University

David Eberhardt, Florida State University1 ______

ollegiate athletics is a broken system,” according to Chancellor Gordon Gee of Vanderbilt “C University, “with the chief problem being that student-athletes are segregated from the university so that they become dedicated to athletics.” Gee shared these observations during a recent phone interview where he briefly discussed the relationship and role of college athletics in character development. He went on to assert that “Now, winning is more important than anything, but we have to make athletes more a part of the institution, so that they can be students who learn more from their experience.” A former president of Brown University, The Ohio State University, and the Universities of Colorado and West Virginia, Gee has been around major college sports programs throughout much of his tenure in higher education. He has experienced the numerous substantial problems and observed the many scandals that have plagued collegiate athletics in recent years, which have led him to propose various innovative reforms. Most notable among Gee’s initiatives has been the restructuring of the athletics program at Vanderbilt, incorporating it into the larger student affairs division of the University. One of the primary motivations for this reform, as Gee noted, “was to involve Vanderbilt athletes more fully in the student life of the University,” leading to greater character development and other benefits for these individuals. Moral and character development occurs through athletic programs when the staff are willing to talk about character issues and actually confront behavior problems when they arise, according to Gee. “It starts with the University exhibiting character, and then having expectations for students, no matter who they are.” One way that institutions accomplish this objective is through student discipline. Gee noted that when discipline is called for, it should be done appropriately with education as the goal: “We have to treat student-athletes like students, not rock stars. We have to teach and educate them like we do any student, and exhibit to them that no matter who they are, we expect them to live up to standards.” Gee acknowledged that coaches play an essential role in character development, as well. They have to live by the standards that they set first, he maintained, and thus will role model what character means for their student-athletes. He noted several coaches that best exemplify character to their student-athletes, claiming that “Joe Paterno stands at the top of that list.” Among others Gee named are Tom Osborne (former football coach at Nebraska) and Vanderbilt’s Bobby Johnson, who set positive examples and actively encourage their students’ moral and character development. When asked about broader efforts and initiatives by the NCAA, Gee talked about the role of the President’s Commission which is dealing with the “arms race of athletics and athletic

David Eberhardt currently serves as a Research Assistant in the Hardee Center for Leadership and Ethics at Florida State University, while he is completing his doctorate in Higher Education Administration. He also writes the Ethics Essay for the Journal of College and Character. His interests include college student development, particularly in spiritual and moral dimensions.

______2 Journal of College and Character VOLUME VII, NO. 3, April 2006

culture.” His view is that the NCAA must focus on cultural problems in athletic programs, like the belief that winning is everything. Instead, he believes that athletic departments need to create programs which emphasize character development and make ethical conduct and responsibility important aspects of their culture. Gee has also called on institutions to eliminate weak academic majors that tend to shield students with poor character and academic ability. Additionally, he has proposed that the distributions of football bowl money and other revenues be linked to athletic programs’ graduation rates, which will compel coaches of all sports to focus on student-athletes’ academic and character issues so that they remain in good standing with their institutions. Gee claimed he often finds agreement from his presidential peers and coaches when he talks about these reform initiatives, “What are they going to say? They can’t argue against it.” The problem, he finds, is that athletic leaders do not take the necessary steps to implement these types of changes when they get back to their campuses. He understands that the changes at Vanderbilt will not work for every campus, but he believes they are working for his university, and that other meaningful reforms can benefit other institutions’ student-athletes. “Reintegrating athletes into the student culture so that they can benefit more fully from all our programs, is the key. And in terms of character development, we believe it’s making a difference.”

______