ronx, N.Y. - Fordham has partnered with Inter-Collegiate Athletic Consulting (ICAC) to conduct a comprehensive review of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and develop strategic recommendations for a shared strategic direction that ensures the athletic program's resources are aligned with the University's mission and goals. These strategic recommendations will be tied with our master facilities strategy and the University's Cura Personalis | For Every Fordham Student capital campaign as we look to present a new and dynamic plan for the future of Fordham Athletics to the new president.
 
The process will incorporate a complete review of the entire athletic program's vision and mission utilizing SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats). The scope will include athletic participation rates; team revenues and expenses; conference visibility assessments with attention paid to alumni and enrollment markets and areas important to athletic enhancement of the overall University mission and goals; athletic facility assessments; effects on general student life and satisfaction; implications for the student-athlete experience; definitions of what comprises "athletic success" within the context of the institution's academic goals and mission; and benchmarking within the Atlantic 10 (A-10) and Patriot League (football), against specific peer/aspirant conferences and individual peer/aspirant institutions.
 
"ICAC came highly recommended by a number of Jesuit athletic directors I know and respect who have used them in the past. They bring a wealth of experience in athletics reviews and strategic planning and we are thrilled to be working with them to propel Fordham Athletics into the future," said Fordham Director of Athletics Ed Kull. "The history and tradition of excellence in our Ram programs speaks for itself and we are excited to strategically position ourselves for even more success and achievement."
 
A formal steering committee representative of diversity and inclusion and comprised of senior staff, faculty, trustees, and students is being invited by University President, Rev. Joseph M. McShane, SJ to work with the consultant. The project will include interviews with athletics personnel, senior University administrators, faculty, students, trustees, and other internal and external stakeholders. It will benchmark the scope, costs, and outcomes of the Fordham athletic program with selected programs in the A-10, Patriot League, and other Division I private institutions with comparable institutional profiles.
 
"I look forward to the committee's findings and recommendations about how Fordham can more effectively employ our resources to improve our overall student success level both in competition and in their academic pursuits," said Darlene Jordan, FCRH '89, a member of the Board of Trustees, and chair of the steering committee. "We need to define the specific costs to ensure a more competitive outcome."
 
About Inter-Collegiate Athletic Consulting
 
ICAC was founded in 2000 and has completed engagements with over 200 colleges and universities.  It focuses its work on the connections among an institution's mission, enrollment management, visibility, image, campus life and student-athlete experience. It presents recommendations that are based on reality of an institution's resources.