BGSU Athletics Strategic Plan

Honor the Past, Create the Future: Falcon Athletics Makes History Now! University Vision, Mission and Core Values

University Vision

In the spirit of innovation Bowling Green State University (BGSU) will be a national model for a premier learning community that develops, transforms, and impacts individuals and communities by shaping their futures through learning, discovery, and collaboration. BGSU will meet the educational, economic, and social challeng- es of our region, the State of , the nation and the world. University Mission

Bowling Green State University provides educational experiences inside and out- side of the classroom that enhance the lives of all of our students, other stakehold- ers, and the many publics we serve. BGSU students are prepared for lifelong career growth, lives of engaged citizenship and leadership in a global society. With our learning communities we build a welcoming, safe and diverse environment where creative ideas and entrepreneurial achievements can benefit others throughout our region, the State of Ohio, the nation and the world. Core Values

- We respect one another and foster diversity and a culture of inclusion. - We collaborate with each other and our community partners in the region, the State of Ohio, the nation and the world. - We promote intellectual and personal growth through curricular and co-curricular efforts. - We foster an environment of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurism. - We expect excellence in all we do.

V-1.0 Published 01.20.16 UNIVERSITY CURRENT

Goal 1: Engage undergraduate students in a unique BG learning experience that fosters engaged citizenship, global leadership and career preparedness which will lead to life-long success.

Goal 2: Link graduate programs strategically to scholarship and research pursuits.

Goal 3: Expand academic, research, and public service partnerships with regional communities, the State of Ohio, and other universities; and with national and global private, nonprofit, and governmental entities.

Goal 4: Advance global engagement through learning, discovery and service.

Goal 5: Build a campus and community that fosters diversity and inclusion.

Goal 6: Enhance the well-being and quality of life of BGSU students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends.

Goal 7: Develop a physical, organizational, and financial infrastructure that ensures the short- and long-term success of the BG experience and enhances the development of the BG family. (2015 - 2016) GOALS

V-1.0 Published 01.20.16 FALCON ATHLETICS MISSION STATEMENT BOWLING GREEN ATHLETICS is committed to cultivating champions in academics, sport, and life. We target excellence in 18 SPORTS; we achieve it as ONE TEAM. ATHLETIC GOALS AND STRATEGIES TO MAKE HISTORY NOW FACILITIES ACADEMICS LEADERSHIP CHAMPIONSHIP CULTURE OUTREACH & INCLUSION NATIONAL VISIBILITY STEWARDSHIP

V-1.0 Published 01.20.16 FACILITIES (University Goals 6 & 7)

Goals: F1: Provide well-maintained facilities and continually seek opportunities for improvement. F2: Collaborate with Capital Planning and Campus Operations in all areas of turf and facility management to enhance athletics physical plant. F3: Improve signage and close existing access points to facilities (specifically Doyt Perry Stadium and ) and provide regular security education/reminders to staff and student-athletes. F4: Strategic use of facilities by external groups, and evaluate rate sheet to maximize revenue opportunities with real time comparison of like facilities. F5: Identify and maintain adequate storage areas that appropriately complements overall physical plant.

Strategies: - Complete stadium renovation plan and continue to evaluate potential for video platforms, storage building, and uniform fencing for all outdoor athletic venues. - Develop funding model for turf installation at baseball/softball/soccer, renovation of grandstand, and Doyt Perry turf replacement. - Establish process to become involved with Campus Operations in areas of personnel, the development of annual turf program, and the communication of clearly defined expectation for all projects/maintenance. - Engage coaching staff in all facility projects that directly impact their program (Sport Admin/Coaching staff rep) . - Continue to grow relationship with Campus Conference Programs. Enhance brand consistency across all athletic facilities (Football practice facility, Doyt Perry Field, Cochrane Soccer, Meserve Field).

V-1.0 PublishedF 01.20.16 ACADEMICS (University Goals 1 & 6)

Goal A1: Educate our student-athletes, coaches, and support staff about the value of academics and graduation while constantly seeking opportunities that assist student athletes in their learning development.

Strategies: - Inform student-athletes, coaches, and program support staff about the importance of academic honesty. - Cover the University’s academic honesty policy at annual academic orientation meetings. - Maintain a continuing education program regarding academic honesty (BGSU 1000). - Utilize newsletters for both staff and student athletes, head coaches meetings, and all staff meetings to communicate and reinforce University policy. - Maintain an environment in which student-athletes perform at or above a 3.000 GPA and an 80% Graduation Success Rate, and strive to improve cumulative GPA each year (3.186 – 2015). - Uphold academic success nationally demonstrated through APR and conference comparisons. - Ensure all teams meet or exceed the 930 multi-year APR benchmark, and strive for at least 6 programs with perfect 1000 single-year APR. - Top 3 finish in the Institutional MAC Academic Achievement Award. - Top 3 finish in the MAC Faculty Athletics Representative Awards. - Coach and administration collaboration to promote positive academic culture. - Reinforce the upcoming initial eligibility standards and current transfer requirements to coaches and staff. - Reevaluate class attendance policy in order to minimize missed class time. - Collaborate with the Learning Commons for tutors and non full-time professionals training and services. - Continually promote the academic achievements of student-athletes through web-based applications, public speaking engagements, and to the campus outreach.

Goal A2: Maintain a consistent process to ensure the academic success and graduation of student-athletes and enhance the evaluation of prospective student-athletes’ academic profiles.

Strategies: - Identify at-risk student-athletes through statistical analysis. - Provide appropriate academic improvement plans. - Offer academic preparedness workshops and additional in-person services from academic support staff. - Develop a strategy for a strategy for degree completion.

Goal A3: Steadfastly prepare student-athletes for life after sports.

Strategies: - Promote Student-Athlete Services programs to enhance student-athlete wellbeing. - Develop and cultivate networking relationships. - Highlight career exploration activities in BGSU 1000. - Collaborate with the Career Center. - Explore mentorship opportunities. - Capitalize on co-curricular activities and further involvement within majors. - Provide graduate school preparation. - Engage student-athletes through the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. - Educate student-athletes on the value of social media.

A V-1.0 Published 01.20.16 LEADERSHIP (University Goals 1, 3, 5 & 6)

Goal L1: Create opportunities for the leadership growth of student-athletes and staff.

Strategies: - Staff: - Use staff and head coaches meetings to incorporate leadership and professional development. - Establish a head coach leadership council. - Create an environment wherein a meaningful, ongoing evaluation process is valued/encouraged and culminates in an annual assessment. - Student-Athletes: - Provide leadership and guidance to the Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC). - Continue to identify emergent student-athlete leaders and provide opportunities for them to develop through student-athlete development and campus/external leadership programming. - Provide quality guest speakers for student-athlete enrichment. - Creation of Falcon Alumni Leadership Series, and develop a curriculum that utilizes the expertise of head coaches, senior administrators, and key professional alumni. - Evaluate potential for annual captains training workshop. - Partner with campus to better utilize coaching minor and five-year MBA program.

Goal L2: Attract, recruit and retain highly-qualified coaches and staff.

Strategies: - Dedicate resources to professional development opportunities and encourage representation on University, conference and national committees. - Offer a competitive compensation package to recruit and retain talented coaches and staff. - Consistent bench-marking of administrative and coaching staff compensation packages (specifically in regard to peer institutions and the MAC). - Identify the “below-market” staff members in an effort to retain talented junior administrators.

Goal L3: Establish the “Falcon Way” underpinned with integrity, compliance and character.

Strategies: - Ensure a strong, comprehensive rules education and compliance monitoring program. - Create a culture of thoughtful info sharing by seeking subject matter expertise to ensure the best decision-making. “Bad news doesn’t get better with time.” - Regular communication via head coach meetings and monthly compliance newsletters to student-athletes and staff.

V-1.0 Published 01.20.16L CHAMPIONSHIP CULTURE (University Goals 1, 6 & 7)

Goal C1: Establish a culture of winning.

Strategies: - Develop scheduling strategies to position teams for post-season play. - Reward and reinforce success (i.e. Championship Rings, Team Recognition at events, Host teams at University House, etc).

Goal C2: Set aggressive goals and expectations annually.

Strategies: - At least half of our teams will finish in the top half of the conference. - One-third of our teams will finish in the top third of the conference. - One-third of our teams will be represented in NCAA competition. - Produce a national championship individual and/or team within the next five years. - Finish in the top half of the Reese & Jacoby standings and top third by 2017-18. - Top 100 finish in the Director’s Cup standing by 2017-18.

Goal C3: Achieve consistent, competitive success.

Strategies: - Recruit Student-Athletes that have an opportunity to help our teams compete for conference championships and compete in post-season competition. - Evaluate the effectiveness of the sports performance team’s current format and modify accordingly to fulfill its intended purpose.

C V-1.0 Published 01.20.16 OUTREACH AND INCLUSION (University Goals 3 & 5)

Goal O1: Actively seek out, engage and partner in University strategies.

Strategies: - Expectation for all non-coaching staff to participate via strategic representation on University committees. - Expectation for all athletic staff to volunteer at a minimum of one non-athletics University event. - Support admissions, enrollment and retention efforts by successful hosting of prospective students to campus via summer camps, clinics, tournaments, home events and themed events. - Proactively coordinate admissions, athletics, alumni events and other University calendars to identify unique opportunities. - Propose a calendar coordination group among admissions, athletics, University advancement, student affairs and the BGCVB (Wendy Chambers) to meet every other month and identify scheduling efficiencies.

Goal O2: Actively engage and support the local and regional community in positive and strategic ways.

Strategies: - Identify and track community service opportunities on a rolling basis. - Identify a minimum of one staff member to invest in annual Leadership BG program. - Expectation for all sport programs and expanded Senior Staff to be represented in a local group, organization or board. - Host events that have the ability to showcase the University and our programs.

Goal O3: Create an environment and culture that embrace and ensure equity and diversity.

Strategies: - Implement, monitor and update the department’s equity and diversity plans, to include the increased engage- ment with diverse populations of alumni. - Monitor participation opportunities for programs to ensure compliance with prong 1 of Title IX. - Provide representation in the “Not in Our Town” and “We Are One Team” campaigns.

V-1.0 PublishedO 01.20.16 NATIONAL VISIBILITY (University Goals 3, 4, 7)

Goal N1: Implement creative messaging to expand, promote and effectively communicate our brand nationally.

Strategies: - Work with Learfield Licensing Partners (LLP) and Falcon Sports Properties (FSP) to build local, regional and national relationships with an increased number of licensed vendors who provide increased revenue for scholarships, personnel and facilities. - Continue licensing efforts to bring consistency to logo and mark usage within Athletics and across campus through regular communication and sharing of style guide at head coaches meetings, on the website, and through distribution to campus constituents. - Maximize co-branding opportunities with University, departmental and community partners through proactive communication and creation of custom “My Team Shop” opportunities through apparel provider relationship. - Implement consistent behind-the-scenes programming (TV/web-based) to provide additional access to external community (ie, “BG All-Access” on BCSN/Falcon View).

Goal N2: Invest in the development of emerging technology.

Strategies: - Maintain high caliber infrastructure, personnel while identifying efficiencies. - Align with WBGU, University marketing and communications, BCSN, Stretch Internet (WCHA.tv), CBS College Sports, and ESPN. - Identify, evaluate and align with cutting-edge multimedia platforms.

Goal N3: Serve as a platform to communicate University enrollment messaging.

Strategies: - Implement a Departmental scheduling philosophy that promotes both the Vision and Mission of BGSU by seeking out the following:

- National scheduling opportunities - Exempt tournaments - Kickoff Classic - Neutral site games - Outdoor hockey - NCAA one-in-four years international educational experience

- Host ancillary events that provide opportunities to highlight BGSU to targeted populations. - Continue to provide University highlights/talking points for all broadcasts. - Finding new opportunities to use institutional PSA’s/spots. - Target professional/semipro organizations for on-campus programming in conjunction with Campus Conference Services.

NV-1.0 Published 01.20.16 STEWARDSHIP (University Goal 7)

Goal S1: Maintain fiscal responsibility and meet the budget that has been established by the University.

Strategies: - Monitor and communicate departmental budget updates on a regular basis to expanded Senior Staff. - Identify administrative efficiencies and explore cost-saving initiatives. - Invest strategically when unbudgeted growth opportunities present themselves.

Goal S2: Increase external funding areas.

Strategies: - Increase gross ticket revenues by 7 percent annually. - Increase merchandise/licensing revenues by 7 percent annually. - Increase Falcon Sports Properties by 5 percent annually. - Increase auxiliary event revenues by 3 percent annually. - Increase unrestricted scholarship gifts by 20 percent annually.

Goal S3: Enhance a strategic annual plan that allows for significant growth in scholarship and capital gifts.

Strategies: - Create a timeline for changes in Falcon Club membership rules. - Establish criteria for increased value of unrestricted scholarship gifts. - Increase development footprint by strategically targeting highly-populated alumni bases. - Continued education of internal and external constituents to the Falcon Club model. - Dedicate resources towards Major Gifts. - Establish fundraising priorities. - Create supporting collateral material for capital fundraising priorities. - Coordinate with University Advancement to discover, cultivate and solicit potential prospects. - Establish a Falcon Club Leadership Council consisting of Leadership Circle donors ($1,000+) to engage regional alumni.

V-1.0 Published S01.20.16 CREATING THE FUTURE “WE WILL FIND A WAY OR MAKE A WAY” - TO WIN CONFERENCE & NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS - - TO GRADUATE OUR STUDENT-ATHLETES AT A HIGHER RATE - - TO BALANCE OUR BUDGETS - - TO BUILD OUR FACILITIES - - TO REPRESENT THE UNIVERSITY WITH HONOR IN EVERY WAY -