COLUMN: A View from the Porch

A circus without a ringmaster Meet Robert Koonce, formerly the Athletic Department's central conduit for linking the athletic world of 33rd Street to the academic world of College Green. Meet Robert Koonce, the newly hired associate athletic director for student services at Tulane University in New Orleans. Welcome to a circus without a ringmaster. The bureaucracy that exists at this University is astounding, especially for freshmen who are used to the smaller confines of their high schools. There is also considerable bureaucracy within the Athletic Department, as more than two dozen varsity programs with about 1,000 athletes try to coordinate a variety of daily tasks. Mix the two, and the result can be overwhelming for new students. While there are plenty of quality reasons that Penn currently does not have an academic coordinator for the Athletic Department, it nevertheless seems stunning that a school still feeling the hurt of academic compliance issues can start a school year without a definitive point person guiding student-athletes toward appropriate academic resources. Koonce's job was two-fold. One, he was responsible for sending students who needed academic advising help or other services to the appropriate University office. Two, he was responsible for making sure that academically qualified recruited athletes were admitted to the University. Athletic Director Steve Bilsky estimated that only 20 percent of Koonce's responsibilities were directed toward students who were enrolled in the University. Koonce's main function, Bilsky said, was to work with the admissions department. Currently, various members of the athletic administration have taken on Koonce's responsibilities until a new academic coordinator can be hired. At this point, the negative effects of not having an academic coordinator on hand for the opening of the fall semester have already been felt by students, coaches and administrators who have needed to do unfamiliar work in getting athletes accustomed to balancing academic and athletic schedules. Therefore, to rush the search at this point would be misguided as a new person would not adjust to the position in time to help current freshmen. As long as a replacement is here by the end of the month, there should be negligible effects on getting athletic recruits through the early admission process. Only if the search extends beyond that will the damage done to student-athletes extend to potential future student-athletes as well. To the Athletic Department's credit, there have as yet been no horror stories coming from athletes as the academic year gets underway. But to have no one in Koonce's old chair in time for the start of classes appears to be an incredible risk to take during a time period which Koonce described as "extremely busy" and "hectic." Koonce and Bilsky both agreed that Koonce kept Bilsky well informed of his application for the position at Tulane. Koonce said by June 18 he had been contacted by Tulane for an interview. Although Koonce was not confirmed for the job until July 27th, the date from which a search for a replacement could have begun should be considered to start from late June. That makes it three months the Athletic Department has seen go by without finding a replacement. Koonce pointed out that the search was probably slowed due to pre-set vacations and other conflicts, but this is a matter that is deserving of more urgency than is presently being shown. Bilsky said he would be concerned if a new person is not hired before early admissions selection begins in a few weeks. It will take time for a new individual to build relationships within the Athletic Department, the admissions department and the academic advising department. The bureaucracy is immense, and whomever is hired needs time to adjust. Unfortunately, the department is already at a point when there will be little to no time for the new coordinator to get his or her bearings. The University suffered last winter when clear lines of responsibility were not drawn and students were unknowingly allowed to slip through the cracks. Without a point person to steer student-athletes through the confusing maze of requirements needed to balance sport and study, the Athletic Department has again left its students and coaches in an unnecessary position.

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