The mission of the University of Delaware's intercollegiate athletics program is to provide a challenging level of competitive learning experiences through its sports programs while graduating our athletes to be responsible citizens. Our guiding principles are: academic integrity, equity and diversity, sportsmanship, quality coaching, facilities, finances, and scholarship.
We envision our competitive programs, accompanied by a University of Delaware education, producing graduates that will make a significant contribution to our society. The University of Delaware Athletics program will be a leader in the Colonial Athletic Association as well as highly competitive in the league.
A competitive intercollegiate athletics program is an integral part of the University's educational mission. The Athletics program seeks to fulfill this responsibility by providing (1) a broad-based sports program and (2) a challenging level of competitive learning experiences. The program is structured to accommodate those student-athletes who are best qualified on the basis of both interest and skill. In order to secure the desired level of competitive experience, the program should provide coaching, facilities, support budgets and financial aid to the extent required for each sport to be a contender among all other conference members.
Every effort should be made to establish the same standard of excellence for Athletics as exists in the University's academic offerings. The overall program emphasis is the education of the individual. Quality instruction is provided in each sport in an effort to enable the individual to reach maximum potential. Winning contests is a by-product of consistent, high level performance and should not be considered an end in and of itself. Although it is not possible to win every contest, student-athletes must participate in an environment which strives to do so. Only in the latter sense does each participant have the opportunity to reach full potential.
A successful athletics program serves as a vehicle to bring added honor and prestige to the institution while also contributing to both state and local community pride. The organization and administration of such a responsibility requires a climate of total University support.
The ultimate objective is graduation in a timely manner with a meaningful degree that provides the opportunity for a fulfilling career. Graduation rates of student-athletes should equal or exceed those of the general student population. Admission criteria require the demonstration of academic credentials that project a reasonable chance for success at the University and reflect the same standards as those utilized to admit all other students to the University. The demonstration and encouragement of sportsmanship in word and action is expected of all coaches, participants, Athletics and individual team personnel, as well as those in attendance at events.
The University of Delaware is dedicated to producing graduates far better educated than when they entered the institution, who will make a significant contribution to the world after graduation. Intercollegiate athletics competition is one phase of Delaware's broadly-based program of human movement, an important segment of the University's liberal education.
The University is further dedicated to providing an educationally oriented intercollegiate athletics program that:
1. Adheres strictly to not only the letter, but also the spirit of all national conference and institutional regulations.2. Is a spiritual, emotional, recreational and competitive learning experience.
3. Provides a high level of physical fitness, healthful living and self-expression through physical activity.
4. Provides equal opportunity for women and men and complies in every respect in spirit and intent with federal regulations regarding non- discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, veteran status, age or disability.
The purposes of the intercollegiate program are:
1. To encourage scholarship and the attainment of a degree for all athletes. This is the primary responsibility of all University personnel associated with the intercollegiate athletics program.2. To demand sportsmanship, fair play and an adherence to the spirit as well as the letter of all applicable rules by coaches, athletes and spectators.
3. To retain a clear line of demarcation between college athletics and professional sports.
4. To provide resources and a schedule of contests that permit athletes and coaches an opportunity to reach a level of excellence within their conference.
5. To provide the best possible athletics training and medical support.
6. To encourage paid attendance and the publicizing of athletics events by the communications media, but never allow either to become ends in themselves.
7. To encourage the same appropriate expression of emotion and enthusiasm by students, faculty, alumni and the public toward intercollegiate athletics as for all other University undertakings.