Can Colleges Have Equality in Admissions and Excellence Too?

 

written by STEVE ULRICH your must-read briefing on what's driving the day in NCAA Division III >> Hello Wednesday. Ready for this one - today is the 40th anniversary of Michael Jackson's Thriller album. >> Thanks for reading D3Playbook. Please refer a friend or two. Help me get to 2,000 subscribers by the end of the month.   A free subscription to D3Playbook. Yes, please. TOP STORY 1. Can Colleges Have Equality in Admissions and Excellence Too?   by John Thelin, Washington Post "The Supreme Court is considering how prestigious universities make admissions decisions. The plaintiff, Students for Fair Admissions, challenged both the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Harvard University in their respective uses of race-conscious criteria in rating undergraduate applicants. The volatile cases seem to confirm that Americans agree that a college education is important — while disagreeing on who should be admitted and why. The case resurrects an American dilemma first posed in 1961 by John Gardner, president of the Carnegie Foundation, when he asked, “Can we be equal and excellent, too?” The question was urgent because the United States had unprecedented resources for higher education that coincided with growth in the number and diversity of students who were considering their educational prospects. In 1910, for example, 5 percent of American 18-year-olds pursued education beyond high school. A half-century later, the United States was poised to expand this to 50 percent. But without thoughtful policies, access alone would not resolve unequal access for students across categories of race and income." >> Background: "As the number of students who applied to college jumped in the early 1960s, it sparked debates on how the college admissions process ought to work and who should be admitted. Civil rights initiatives and court decisions like the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v. Board of Education ruling made exclusion by race illegal in public educational institutions, and the 1965 Higher Education Act expanded access to education for minority groups, especially African American students, by providing federal financial aid to make college more affordable." >> Reality Check: "Statistical research armed college admissions officers with a confidence in rankings of students based on their grades, test scores and other demographic criteria such as geographic residence, type of secondary school, gender and family income. The databases allowed them to compare an applicant with other students nationwide. One consequence was that a cohort of colleges became more selective. The admissions office at these selective colleges now had the analytic tools to create each year what deans hailed as “The Best Class Yet.” >> Read More A MESSAGE FROM MORNING BREW   2.6 million people wake up to this newsletter every morning There's a reason over 2.6 million people start their day with Morning Brew - the daily email that delivers the latest news from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. Business news doesn't have to be dry and dense...make your mornings more enjoyable, for free. Check it out! Powered by Swapstack SWIMMING 2.   Emory, Kenyon Top Polls The Emory men and Kenyon women remain atop the latest CSCAA Division III swimming rankings. Men Emory (14) Kenyon (6) Johns Hopkins Chicago Denison New York U. Washington U. MIT Carnegie Mellon Pomona-Pitzer Women Kenyon (16) Emory (4) Chicago Williams Denison Johns Hopkins Tufts New York U. Pomona-Pitzer MIT >> Complete Rankings WRESTLING 3.   Knights Of The Round Circle Wartburg sits atop the most recent NWCA team rankings with arch-rival Augsburg coming in second. Wartburg Augsburg UW-La Crosse North Central (Ill.) Stevens John Carroll UW-Whitewater Coe TCNJ Wabash >> Complete Team Rankings D3wrestle.com released its latest individual rankings as well. 125: Riley Parker, Washington and Lee 133: Robbie Precin, North Central 141: Zaren Terukina, Wartburg 149: Mike Conklin, TCNJ 157: Tyler Shilson, Augsburg 165: Nate Lackman, Rhode Island College 174: Zane Mulder, Wartburg 184: Shane Liegel, Loras 197: Ben Kawczynski, UW-La Crosse 285: Donovan King, Olivet >> D3wrestle,com individual rankings A MESSAGE FROM TRENDS     Your next business idea, delivered weekly.   Trends tells you the next big thing – months before everyone else. Their dynamic team of business analysts already outlined 1,000+ vetted business ideas you can start in a weekend, and they send new ideas and market signals straight to your inbox weekly.   Try Trends for a week for only $1! Powered by Swapstack NEWS 4.   Lightning Round     News Ithaca College announced a $3 million gift to provide artificial turf and lights at Butterfield Stadium.   Happy Birthday Cake and candles for a lot of people today - Grace Goodbarn, head field hockey coach, Centre; David Pape, SID, Carleton; Lamont Repollet, president, Kean; Maria Buckel, VP Athletics, Fontbonne; Joe Giunta, director of college partnerships, A-G Administrators; Chris Nixon, director of intercollegiate sales, Dissinger Reed; Peter Schoenthal, CEO, Athliance; Roger Ingles, CEO, Executive Management Partners. Do you know someone celebrating a birthday soon? Drop us a line at D3Playbook@gmail.com. TRANSACTIONS 5.  Comings and Goings   ALFRED - Mike Honeycutt named head women's volleyball coach BRYN MAWR - Molly Gilbert named assistant lacrosse coach FONTBONNE - Maria Buckel resigned as vice president of athletics  MARIAN - Dan Moriarty named head men's lacrosse coach MACALESTER - Josh Roy named associate head men's soccer coach PLYMOUTH STATE - Ryan Joy will step down as head women's soccer coach at the end of the academic year   Thanks for starting your day with us.  What did you think of today's newsletter?  Please invite your friends to sign up for D3Playbook

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Determined To Set A Path

 

written by STEVE ULRICH your must-read briefing on what's driving the day in NCAA Division III   >> Good Tuesday Morning DIII! It's Giving Tuesday. Do what you can as everything helps. >> Thanks for reading D3Playbook. Is your staff reading D3Playbook? Share the love and the info.   I know someone who would like D3Playbook TOP STORY 1.  Determined To Set A Path by Susan Snyder, Philadelphia Inquirer "Sebastian DeSimone was born with “a little bit of autism,” as he tells it. The 20-year-old, who wants to become a teacher’s assistant, enrolled at Gwynedd Mercy University, a small, private Catholic school in Montgomery County (Pa.). As part of his collegiate experience, he was determined to run for the Division III school — and this fall he completed his first season on the cross-country team, where he placed third of six on the team at the Atlantic East Conference Championship — not bad for a freshman. But DeSimone, who is from West Orange, N.J., might not have had the chance to compete if it hadn’t been for his determination and that of his mother, Joanne. NCAA rules generally require athletes to be full-time students in degree-bearing programs. DeSimone is enrolled in Gwynedd Mercy’s Integrated Studies program for students with intellectual disabilities; they earn certificates, not degrees." >> Situational Awareness: "Under what’s known as a “previously approved waiver,” students with intellectual disabilities will be eligible as long as their programs are approved by the U.S. Department of Education. The programs need to require students to make academic progress toward a goal or outcome and have them enrolled full time. They also need to allow students to participate in clubs and events on campus, according to the new rule." >> Worth Noting: "The new NCAA rule for integrated studies’ students only applies to Division III schools. Among those in Pennsylvania with programs, other than Gwynedd Mercy, are Arcadia and Widener." >> Why it Matters: "DeSimone said he began running for sport when he was in seventh grade and wanted to make friends outside of his self-contained special education classroom. “He said, ‘I want to be with everybody,’” his mother recalled. He improved his time in the 5K by six minutes from freshman to senior year, when he ran it in 18 minutes, 9 seconds. “It was beautiful as a parent to watch,” she said. “You see your child struggling academically, and even when they are making gains, it’s not like big kind of gains that they can appreciate themselves. In running, it’s very easy to see. It’s all numbers.” >> Continue Reading A MESSAGE FROM HUDL/BLUEFRAME TECHNOLOGY     Ready to stream like a pro this season? With Hudl (formerly BlueFrame), powerful broadcasting tools meet the advanced capture capabilities of Hudl Focus, bringing your program unmatched opportunities to generate revenue and connect with your fans. Plus, you get the flexibility to select the streaming option that makes the most sense for your school. [Learn More] BASKETBALL (M) 2.  Captain, My Captains At No. 1 For the first time in program history, Christopher Newport is the top-ranked team in men's basketball, according to the latest D3hoops.com rankings released late Monday. Christopher Newport (15), 7-0 Mount Union (5), 5-0 St. Joseph's, Conn. (1), 4-0 UW-La Crosse (3), 6-0 Williams, 5-0 WPI, 5-0 Johns Hopkins, 5-1 Randolph-Macon (1), 4-1 Mary Hardin-Baylor, 2-1 Rochester, 5-1 >> Unbeatens: There are still 38 unbeaten teams according to NCAA stats. >> Games We're Watching: No. 19 RPI at No. 5 Williams (Tues.); No. 17 Calvin at No. 21 Wheaton, Ill. (Sat.); No. 13 Middlebury at No. 10 Rochester (Sun.) >> Complete Poll A MESSAGE FROM MORNING BREW     2.6 million people wake up to this newsletter every morning There's a reason over 2.6 million people start their day with Morning Brew - the daily email that delivers the latest news from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. Business news doesn't have to be dry and dense...make your mornings more enjoyable, for free.   Check it out! Powered by Swapstack BASKETBALL (W) 3.  Flying Dutch On Top photo by Lynne Powe Some things just don't change, as in the top-ranked team in women's basketball, according to the latest D3hoops.com rankings released late Monday. Hope (21), 5-0 New York U. (3), 5-0 Transylvania (1), 4-0 Trinity, Texas, 7-0 Christopher Newport, 6-0 Smith, 5-0 Amherst, 3-0 Scranton, 5-0 UW-Whitewater, 5-1 Baldwin Wallace, 5-0 >> Unbeatens: There are still 43 unbeaten teams according to NCAA stats. >> Games We're Watching: No. 14 Ithaca at No. 8 Scranton (Tues.); No. 1 Hope at No. 15 Calvin (Wed.); No. 15 Calvin at No. 20 Trine (Sat.) >> Complete Poll ICE HOCKEY 4. Gusties to No. 1 The Hobart men remained atop the latest USCHO.com DIII ice hockey rankings this week, but Gustavus Adolphus rose to the top spot in the women's rankings following Middlebury's loss, ending the Panthers' 31-game win streak. Men Hobart (20), 8-0 Augsburg, 5-1-1 Utica, 7-2-1 Adrian, 5-2-1 St. Norbert, 5-2-1 Babson, 7-2-1 Oswego State, 7-2 Geneseo, 6-3-2 Plattsburgh, 7-1-2 Norwich, 6-2 >> Complete Poll Women Gustavus Adolphus (9), 8-0 UW-River Falls (6), 8-1 Middlebury (5), 4-1 Plattsburgh State, 8-1 Adrian, 9-0 Norwich, 4-1 Elmira, 7-2 Colby, 3-0 UW-Eau Claire, 6-2 Nazareth, 7-1 >> Complete Poll NEWS 5.  Lightning Round    News  Our condolences to the family of Salve Regina softball player Drew Ceppetelli, her friends and the entire Salve Regina community. May her memory be a blessing.   Babson athletics unveiled a comprehensive strategic plan for that includes a new mission statement, six guiding principles and five strategic priorities.   Happy Birthday Cake and candles for Jeremy Shepherd, assistant AD, McDaniel; Chuck Emrich, alum, Denison; Patrick O'Driscoll, soccer coach, Penn State Behrend; and Laura Gingrich, SWA, Alvernia. Do you know of someone celebrating an upcoming birthday? Drop us a line at D3Playbook@gmail.com TRANSACTIONS 6.  Comings and Goings   HARDIN-SIMMONS - Dan Heger announced his retirement as head men's soccer coach JUNIATA - Jace Cornell named assistant men's lacrosse coach McMURRY - Lee McCormick named head strength and conditioning coach MIDDLEBURY - Michael Pallozzi named assistant track and field coach SPRINGFIELD - Greg Webster resigned as assistant football coach   Thanks for starting your day with us. What did you think of today's newsletter?  Please invite your friends to sign up for D3Playbook

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"Not What Was Promised"

 

written by STEVE ULRICH your must-read briefing on what's driving the day in NCAA Division III >> Good Monday morning. Welcome back. It's time for the stretch run to the first semester. >> Thanks for reading D3Playbook. Does your conference need some scheduling assistance? Email us.   Sign me up for D3Playbook TOP STORY 1.  "Not What Was Promised" by Nathan Solis, Los Angeles Times "Student athlete Caroline Valle, 20, started playing golf competitively at age 6 and was the first in her family to attend college. Like many others, she chose Whittier College because it was close to home and had a reputation for academic and athletic success. As early as last summer, the private liberal arts college boasted 21 NCAA sports teams. But then in the fall parents and students began hearing rumors about impending cuts to several sports programs. They were told that the programs were safe. Then a week before Thanksgiving break, the school announced it would end its NCAA Division III football, lacrosse and golf programs. The decision affected 120 student athletes and about a dozen coaches who were part of the Whittier College Poets sports family." >> Background: "The college’s board of trustees said it made its decision after a three-year review process. The cuts were mainly due to financial considerations, according to a written statement from the administration. The operating costs of each program were not disclosed." >> Between The Lines: "Students who joined the school during that review period feel like they were lied to as the school bragged about its sports programs, without revealing that they could be on the chopping block." >> Reality Check: "Several football players bought their own helmets, wide receiver Michael Lopez said, because they were worried about the performance of the school-provided gear. They also felt like the football facilities were subpar compared to other sports programs." >> The Key Stat: "Board of trustees chair Miguel Santana noted that the school has a growing esports program, which involves athletes who play competitive video games, and the administration sees that as a place where the school can invest its resources." >> Quotable: “Overall, the whole experience for a lot of us was not what it was promised,” freshman offensive lineman Zach Fernandes said." >> Continue Reading A MESSAGE FROM MORNING BREW   2.6 million people wake up to this newsletter every morning There's a reason over 2.6 million people start their day with Morning Brew - the daily email that delivers the latest news from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. Business news doesn't have to be dry and dense...make your mornings more enjoyable, for free.   Check it out! Powered by Swapstack FOOTBALL 2.  The Great Eight photo by KatieJo Kuhens The second round of the NCAA Division III Football Championship is complete and the fourth, fifth and sixth-ranked teams in the country, according to D3football.com, are out. No. 12 Wartburg d. No. 4 Saint John's, 23-20 The Knights raced out to a 23-6 lead early in the third quarter and hung on for the victory. QB Nile McLaughlin threw for 205 yards and a score. Aurora d. No. 23 Alma, 48-26 QB Josh Swanson threw for 284 yards and four TDs, while Jhequay Chretin rushed for 225 yards and two scores for the Spartans. No. 2 Mount Union d. Utica, 45-7 QB Braxton Plunk threw for 275 yards and three scores for the Purple Raider defense held the Pioneers to just 16 rushing yards. No. 14 Delaware Valley d. No. 16 Randolph-Macon, 39-32 The Aggies scored 21 unanswered fourth-quarter points, capped by a 10-yard pass from Louie Barrios IV to Jahaire Johnson with 0:24 remaining. No. 1 North Central d. No. 19 Carnegie Mellon, 28-7 RB Ethan Greenfield ran for 135 yards and two scored while the Cardinal defense held the Tartans to just 146 total yards. No. 10 Ithaca d. Springfield, 31-20 Jalen Leonard-Osbourne ran for one score and caught two more TD tosses for the Bombers. QB A.J. Wingfield accounted for 256 total yards and a score. No. 3 Mary Hardin-Baylor d. No. 6 Trinity (Texas), 24-17 QB Kyle King threw for 289 yards and three TDs as The Cru held off the Tigers.  No. 13 Bethel d. No. 5 Linfield, 30-13 QB Jaran Roste threw for 214 yards and three TDs to WR Joey Kidder and the Royal defense held the Wildcats to just 261 total yards. >> Quarterfinal Matchups: Aurora at Wartburg; Mount Union at Delaware Valley; Ithaca at North Central; Bethel at Mary Hardin-Baylor. Bracket >> Recap courtesy of D3football.com RANKINGS 3. Higher Ed's Prestige Paralysis by Brian Rosenberg, Chronicle of Higher Education "The recent announcement by the law schools at Yale and Harvard that they would “no longer participate” in the rankings offered up annually by U.S. News and World Report is, I suppose, worthy of at least polite applause. Berkeley Law followed soon after, then Columbia, Georgetown, and Stanford. As of today, 10 of the publication’s top 15 law schools have said they will stop taking part. Apparently crises of conscience are contagious. U.S. News rankings could charitably be called ridiculous and less charitably, pernicious, so any step to loosen their hold on the marketplace should be considered a good thing. The ire directed at U.S. News and other purveyors of rankings is understandable but can mask a deeper and more troubling reality: In the world of colleges and universities, reputation, brand strength, prestige — call it what you will — is now and has long been more important than anything else, including the nature and quality of the actual education provided." >> Why It Matters: "U.S. News is not the cause but a particularly unpleasant symptom of the way that higher education operates and is understood." >> Of Note: "Is there any way to determine if the legal education at Yale, ranked No. 1, is superior to the legal education provided at the school ranked 20th or 50th? Is there any way to tell if the undergraduate education provided at Princeton is superior to that provided at Puget Sound? The answer is clearly “no,” so we should not be shocked at the heavy reliance by consumers on rankings and brand strength." >> Quotable: "Wealth and prestige ruled higher education before the introduction of those rankings and would not cease to rule if the rankings vanished tomorrow." >> Read More A MESSAGE FROM 1440     News Without Motives   1440 is the daily newsletter helping 2M+ Americans stay informed—it’s news without motives, edited to be unbiased as humanly possible. The team at 1440 scours over 100+ sources so you don't have to. Culture, science, sports, politics, business, and everything in between - in a five-minute read each morning, 100% free.   Sign up now! Powered by Swapstack CALENDAR 4. Upcoming Events December 2-3 - M/W Soccer Championship, Salem VA 5 - Advisory Council 7 - Administrative Committee 13 - Championships Committee 15 - Convention Planning Subcommittee 15 - Membership Committee 16 - Football Championship, Annapolis MD 21 - Interpretations and Legislative Committee NEWS  5.  Lightning Round    Ice Hockey (W) Middlebury's 31-game win streak was snapped on Sunday as UW-River Falls' MaKenna Aure scored an overtime goal to down the Panthers, 3-2.   News The Middle Stats Commission on Higher Education warned Rosemont College that its accreditation "may be in jeopardy" because it does not appear to be meeting requirements around planning, budget and academic assessment.    Happy Birthday Cake and candles for Rob Schultz, assistant equipment manager, William Paterson; and Darryl Konicki, associate commissioner, Little East Conference Do you know of someone celebrating a birthday soon? Drop us a line at D3Playbook@gmail.com. TRANSACTIONS 6.  Comings and Goings   DePAUW - Brian Wright named interim head swimming and diving coach JUNIATA - Nick Margiasso named head tennis coach NEBRASKA WESLEYAN - Eric Ignatowski named head baseball coach NEW JERSEY CITY - Jason Kroll will resign as acting president on March 15 SUNY POLY - Tod Laursen is stepping down as acting president effective Dec. 14.   Thanks for starting your day with us. What did you think of today's newsletter?  Please invite your friends to sign up for D3Playbook   Sign Up for Free: D3Playbook

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