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Athletic Committee

Membership: 6 Faculty, 3 Administrative/Professional staff outside athletics, 2 ex officio (director of athletics and senior woman administrator in athletics), Chief of Institutional Culture, 4 students recommended by the Vice President and Director of Athletics, Faculty Athletics Representative.

Description: The committee will regularly review issues associated with the welfare of student athletes participating in intercollegiate athletics in ASUN and NCAA sports to ensure that the University and the Athletics Department maintain the proper balance between participation in athletics and academic achievement. The committee will prepare an annual report and other reports as needed, advising the president and the faculty senate of the athletic department’s performance with respect to its academic and athletic goals and with respect to the welfare of the student-athletes participating in ASUN and NCAA sports. The committee will communicate the concerns of student-athletes participating in intercollegiate athletics to the faculty senate and the university community, including the athletics department, the university administration, academic departments, the faculty as a whole, and other groups as warranted.  

NCAA Division I Manual 6.1.2.1 Composition. Administration and/or faculty staff members shall constitute at least a majority of the board in control of athletics or an athletics advisory board, irrespective of the president or chancellor’s responsibility and authority or whether the athletics department is financed in whole or in part by student fees. If the board has a parliamentary requirement necessitating more than a simple majority in order to transact some or all of its business, then the administrative and faculty members shall be of sufficient number to constitute at least that majority. (Revised: 3/8/06).

(Approver: Vice President and Athletic Director)

2026-2027 Membership

Name Title Department/Area Service Term
William Russell Longhurst Faculty, CoSTEM Physics, Engineering, and Astronomy 2024-2027
Amanda Estep Faculty, CoBHS Health and Human performance 2026-2028
Barry Gresham Faculty, CoAL Communication 2025-2028
Terri  Clark Faculty, CoE Educational Specialties 2025-2028
Susan Cockrell Faculty, CoB Accounting, Finance, and Economics 2025-2028
Michael Cory Schmitt Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands Music 2026-2027
Walt Lord Vice President for Military and Veterans Affairs (Administrative/Professional Staff) Military and Veterans Affairs 2026-2027
Lindsey Gilmore Associate Vice President for Campus Engagement (Administrative/Professional Staff) Student Life and Engagement 2026-2027
Lenora Jackson Executive Office Assistant (Administrative/Professional Staff) President's Office 2026-2027
Jordan Harmon Director of Athletics Athletics Permanent
ex officio
Riley Bullen Chief Financial Officer and Senior Women's Administrator
(Senior Woman Administrator)
Athletics Permanent
ex officio
LaNeeca Williams Chief of Institutional Culture and Title IX Coordinator Office of Institutional Culture Permanent
Kendyle Ball Student Athlete - Football Student Affairs 2026-2027
Mary Kate French Student Athlete - Cross Country Student Affairs 2026-2027
Kiley Hinton Student Athlete - Softball Student Affairs 2026-2027
DJ Merriwether Student Athlete - Baseball Student Affairs 2026-2027
Jennifer Thayer, Chair Faculty, CoB
(Faculty Athletic Representative)
Accounting, Finance, and Economics Permanent