AIM HIGHER ¦ 1
2013-18
Department of Athletics Strategic Plan 2 ÂŚ AIM HIGHER
Aim Higher
Mission Statement The core mission of USF Athletics is to develop student-athletes in the Jesuit Catholic tradition structured around the department’s Four Pillars of Success: Excel in the Classroom; Win at the Highest Level of Competition; Engage in the Community; and Become Leaders in the World. All athletics personnel, including coaches, administrators and staff, work to support student-athlete achievement in each of these four pillars, and are guided by the principles and values of USF, the West Coast Conference, and the NCAA.
Vision
“You are not just here to be an athlete, but to better yourself and better the people around you and ultimately make the world a better place.” Adam Smith ’14
USF Athletics will Aim Higher and bolster the institutional vision through the development of a competitive, broad-based program that can amplify the exposure of the institution on the local, national and international stages. The success of the department’s highest profile sports, men’s and women’s basketball, will be central to realizing this vision. Additionally, through a successful, approachable and upstanding program, USF Athletics will unite and enrich the experience of all USF constituents: students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends.
This strategic planning document has been developed based on a growing chorus of support for returning USF Athletics to a place of consistent national prominence. Development of a workable and achievable plan to achieve this status was the catalyst for this five-year document and its associated goals. This document will continue the strategic course for USF Athletics and will serve to spark creativity, provide benchmarks and establish metrics that will drive the execution of this plan.
AIM HIGHER ¦ 3
Rise Up San Francisco and . . . USF Athletics strives to develop programs of national distinction while providing our student-athletes with a world-class educational experience at one of the nation’s leading Jesuit institutions. Educational opportunities, programs that compete at the highest levels of competition and student-athletes who become leaders in their chosen professions and communities are the cornerstones of USF Athletics. By investing in the growth of our student-athletes, you help guarantee a lifetime of victories beyond the playing fields. You can help us change the world from here. Your support is vital in helping us develop competitive programs that sustain success, produce champions, build state-of-the-art facilities and support student-athletes to earn meaningful degrees and become leaders in the world.
Aim
Higher
4 ÂŚ AIM HIGHER
The University of San Francisco has a deep tradition of excellence in intercollegiate athletics. The Dons have won 12 NCAA National Championships, and for more than 100 years, student-athletes have competed on the Hilltop and represented their University with pride. As we Aim Higher and strive to rekindle these winning traditions, athletics possesses the unique ability to unify the USF community – alumni, current students, parents, faculty & staff and friends – in an exciting, spirited and family-oriented environment. Athletics staff, coaches and student-athletes are guided and driven by the department’s
FOUR PILLARS OF SUCCESS:
AIM HIGHER ¦ 5
Four Pillars of Success
Excel in the Classroom
Academic achievement and graduation are at the forefront of the student-athlete experience at the University of San Francisco.
6 ÂŚ AIM HIGHER
Four Pillars of Success
Win at the Highest Level of Competition
Building on a rich tradition of competitive success that includes 12 national championships, USF Athletics is committed to winning at the conference and national levels.
AIM HIGHER ÂŚ 7
Four Pillars of Success
Engage in the Community
In concert with our Jesuit Catholic tradition, student-athletes will employ their talents and abilities to engage members of the San Francisco and Bay Area communities.
8 ÂŚ AIM HIGHER
Four Pillars of Success
Become Leaders in the World
Equipped with tools uniquely developed through the USF student-athlete experience, our graduates will be difference makers in their communities and poised for success regardless of their chosen endeavor.
AIM HIGHER ÂŚ 9
Strategic Goals & Initiatives Overview The strategic goals and strategic initiatives were developed collaboratively over the past two years. During this time, the department and stakeholders evaluated the status of USF Athletics. From this evaluation, four areas of emphasis were identified: competitiveness, exposure, leadership and culture of compliance. The strategic goals provide broad anticipated goals for each area. The strategic initiatives provide a road map for decision-making to achieve these goals in a five-year period.
Strategic Goals ■ Competitiveness • Create a first-class academic experience for student-athletes. • Be nationally recognized for athletic success in all sponsored sports. • Develop perennial NCAA tournament teams for men’s and women’s basketball. • Recruit top-tier student-athletes, coaches and staff. • Create an extensive revenue-generation plan including fundraising, ticket sales and sponsorship.
■ Exposure • National and regional exposure of the USF Athletics brand. • Utilize new technology to increase exposure and increase the USF Athletics fan base. • Create spirited campus culture surrounding Athletics in alignment with University strategic goals for student life and alumni engagement.
10 ¦ AIM HIGHER
■ Leadership • In concert with our Jesuit Catholic tradition, student-athletes and staff will employ their talents and abilities to engage the international, national, Bay Area and local communities. • Create leadership and career development programs so that student-athletes are successful after their career as a student-athlete. • Create professional development programs so that department staff members are recognized as national leaders in intercollegiate athletics.
■ Compliance • Maintain a compliance program that supports USF’s commitment to the highest standards of integrity, ethical behavior, and the principle of institutional control that satisfies the letter and spirit of the NCAA, WCC and University standards. • Commitment to gender equality and adherence to Title IX initiatives.
AIM HIGHER ¦ 11
Strategic Initiatives ■ Competitiveness Provide First-Class Academic Experience: Collaborate and maintain active relationships with University academic offices to provide competitive academic programming for student-athletes. Expand academic resource facilities, enhance technology and expand athletic academic advising staff to devise, implement and actively manage individualized academic support plans.
companies to assist with budget efficiencies in areas of travel, licensing and other vendors to leverage current department expenses.
technology, develop marketing and messaging
annual fund-raising model that seeks to maximize
campaigns that are data-driven, more customized
donor-giving capacity and participation among
and more targeted. Through this platform, we
existing donors, appeals to lapsed donors, and
expect to both increase engagement of existing
discovers new donors. Create partnership with
constituents and increase the number of
outside organization to create sustainable model
constituents that will have potential to support USF
to maximize corporate sponsorship sales. Hire
Athletics.
dedicated staff to manage and improve ticket
how existing facilities can be better equipped
sales operations.
institution’s facilities master plan, and benefit the community at large. Develop an athletic facilities master plan that outlines renovations to War Memorial Gym, Benedetti Diamond and Negoesco Stadium. Establish, drive, and in collaboration with institutional development, execute a fund-raising strategy that will support the master plan recommendations and priorities. Strategic Resources Management: Create and maintain a budgeting process that manages resources in a fiscally sound manner while generating resources to establish competitive annual operating budgets. Contract outside 12 ¦ AIM HIGHER
Social Media & Technology: Utilizing new
Revenue Generation: Create and manage an
Competitive Facility Plan: Complete a study of to serve student-athletes, complement the
■ Exposure (Nationally Recognized Branding Through Athletics Platform)
Dons Network: Create an online home where
Career Services: Create a comprehensive career-
all mediums and communications outlets are
advising platform including annual job and career fair
packaged, branded and reside: live streaming,
tailored specifically for student-athletes. Create a
Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, mobile App, SMS text
structure to effectively manage and involve student-
and eNewsletters.
athlete alumni who can serve as mentors and role models.
Individual Engagement: Organize and execute events with targeted appeal to deepen existing
Staff Recruitment and Retention:
relationships and initiate new relationships.
Create competitive employment packages to recruit and retain talented and diverse staff and coaches.
Community Engagement: Primarily around men’s
Actively promote and advocate for staff to belong to
basketball, establish a comprehensive marketing
intercollegiate athletic professional associations and
strategy to engage community groups and
serve on national committees.
members. Leverage USF’s tradition of success to create noteworthy in-game recognition ceremonies and engage high-profile alumni. Traditional Media Engagement: Utilize existing and develop new key strategic partnerships to maximize traditional media exposure (TV, radio and print).
■ Leadership Community Engagement: Create a comprehensive community relations plan including the hiring of dedicated staff person to manage operations. Form strategic partnerships with non-profit organizations whose missions align with USF’s Jesuit Catholic tradition. Coaches and staff lead by example and promote a culture of service through community engagement.
■ Compliance Institutional Control: Increased collaboration and partnership with University leadership and the Athletic Oversight Board around institutional controls and processes. Incorporate new technologies to help manage the reporting and monitoring of compliance policies. Internal Processes: Develop a more robust procedures document outlining the reporting structure and monitoring of compliance policies. Title IX: Continue to use the 2010 Title IX review to evaluate the department’s compliance with Title IX. Create annual goals and action steps to address the recommendations outlined in the 2010 review.
AIM HIGHER ¦ 13
Metrics The associated metrics assigned to each goal will provide an assessment tool in tracking progress. To maximize direction and meaning, the metrics are time bound. They are intended to stretch performance, yet be achievable. The metrics for the 2013 – 2018 period are as follows:
Strategic Goal: Competitiveness Associated Metrics: ■ Student-athletes will carry a graduation success rate and overall grade point average that is equal to or greater than the general USF student population. ■ Student-athletes will maintain an academic progress rate that ranks in the top third of all NCAA DI institutions and the West Coast Conference
Team and departmental success: ■ Win the Commissioner’s Cup ■ All teams compete annually for WCC Championships ■ Annual NCAA Tournament appearances by men’s and women’s basketball ■ Eight annual team and individual NCAA post-season appearances ■ Win a team National Championship
Increase and sustain annual revenue generation in four key areas: ■ San Francisco Dons Fund revenue of $1.5M, and 5% annual growth thereafter ■ Ticket revenue of $1M, and 3% annual growth thereafter ■ Sponsorship revenue of $1M, and 3% annual growth thereafter ■ Merchandise and licensing revenue of $100K, and 3% annual growth thereafter
Initiate and execute an athletics facilities master plan: ■ Benedetti Diamond ■ War Memorial Gymnasium ■ Negoesco Soccer Complex
Increase efficiencies in priority areas: ■ Travel ■ Scheduling ■ Equipment
14 ¦ AIM HIGHER
Strategic Goal: Exposure Associated Metrics: ■ Mainly through the success of men’s and women’s basketball, increase national and regional television exposure ■ Active partnership with technology company leveraging and employing data to drive increases in fan and donor support ■ Completion and launching of Dons Network ■ Increase in Twitter followers and Facebook fans ■ Leverage partnership with WCC to distribute video content more broadly
Strategic Goal: Leadership Associated Metrics: ■ Students and staff will volunteer a collective 5,000+ hours annually in the community ■ At least two staff members serve on national committees annually ■ Participate in at least two diversity seminars annually as a department
“The city is like an extended
Strategic Goal: Culture of Compliance
classroom. When you cross the borders
Associated Metrics:
of campus you are still learning because
■ Conduct annual compliance review ■ Conduct two trainings annually for student-athletes and staff ■ Title IX roster management and annual review ■ Monthly meetings with coaches, staff and compliance executive staff ■ Staff attendance at NCAA educational seminar
you are in a city that teaches you to be a respectful citizen, be open-minded and have a positive approach to life.”
Eva Krchova ’14 AIM HIGHER ¦ 15
Our Future The nature of USF’s athletics program creates learning environments that emphasize personal and physical growth that nurture the academic, mental and social development of each of its student-athletes. USF’s coaches and staff continually educate student-athletes on topics such as teamwork, discipline, self-sacrifice, leadership, communication and the value of earning a meaningful degree from one of the nation’s leading Jesuit institutions. The ability to provide first-class facilities is perhaps the single-most important item in the University’s quest to attract and retain studentathletes who aspire to win championships on the highest level. Training and sports medicine facilities, locker rooms, meeting and film rooms, academic support areas, office space along with practice and competition venues are vital components in building a solid infrastructure needed for our programs to be competitive on a national level.
16 ¦ AIM HIGHER
In a historical context, the last two major facility projects for athletics were the opening of Memorial Gymnasium in 1958 and Negoesco Stadium in the fall of 1982. Four distinctive projects – renovation of Memorial Gymnasium; a significant upgrade to the baseball and soccer facilities; along with a new practice facility for our men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball programs – are key areas of concentration in providing the best possible experience for our student-athletes and coaches. Securing financial support for an extensive and long overdue upgrade of our athletic facilities is paramount to the athletic and academic experience for future generations of USF student-athletes.
AIM HIGHER ¦ 17
18 ¦ AIM HIGHER
Aim Higher
20 ¦ AIM HIGHER