Future Course of UL Monroe Athletics to be Topic for UL System Board

Published on June 5, 2008 under 2004 / News

Future Course of UL Monroe Athletics to be Topic for UL System Board – Jun 24, 2004

BATON ROUGE, La. — The future direction of athletics at the University of Louisiana at Monroe will be a subject of discussion today by the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System.

What: Meeting of the Joint Athletic and Audit Committee
When: 3:30 p.m. today (Thursday, June 24, 2004)
Where: Claiborne Building Auditorium, Room 100

National sports consultant Bill Carr of Carr Sports Associates, Inc., will present his team’s preliminary findings on UL Monroe’s athletics program. The UL System Board commissioned the study as part of its effort to identify the challenges facing the athletic operations of its universities, particularly those facing new, more stringent rules under NCAA Division I-A. The preliminary study will be available on the UL System website at www.ulsystem.net at the start of the committee meeting.

At President James Cofer’s request, UL Monroe was the first to receive the assessment. UL Monroe faces a July 1 deadline on its athletic conference decision. A report on Louisiana Tech University’s athletic operations is expected in a few months. The Board could commission further studies at a later date.

The UL System Board of Supervisors appointed Cofer as president of UL Monroe in 2002. Under his leadership, the university has implemented major administrative changes, increased student enrollment and launched significant construction projects, including a $50 million privatized housing project.

In his first year, Cofer implemented 100 percent of the recommendations from a complete review of university operations. A former chief financial officer, Cofer brought stability to the university’s finances, leading to the removal of sanctions and reaffirmation of accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges.

When he began his tenure, the university suffered from a $4 million deficit in its athletic and non-athletic auxiliary budgets, a shortfall that Cofer has now eliminated.

The Carr report will provide a brief, yet complete analysis to assist the president as he leads the university forward.

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Future Course of UL Monroe Athletics to be Topic for UL System Board

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