Central Michigan University Athletics
Rao Elected Chair of MAC Council of Presidents
6/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | General
June 14, 2006
MOUNT PLEASANT -- Central Michigan University President Michael Rao has been elected chair of the Mid-American Conference Council of Presidents. He will begin his term on July 1.
"I am honored to have been elected chair by the distinguished presidents of the Mid-American Conference," Rao said. "My predecessor, Northern Illinois President John Peters, has done an admirable job in helping raise the national visibility of this NCAA Division I-A athletic conference. We will stay the course on that initiative and will continue to address the importance of `student' for our student-athletes."
Rao arrived at CMU in 2000 and has led the way in increasing the school's faculty ranks significantly since 2001, even through economically challenging times. Rao has been steadfast in his vision for national prominence with emphasis on graduation rates and student participation in research. He previously served as chancellor at Montana State University Northern (1998-2000) prior to joining CMU. Rao earned a bachelor's degree from the University of South Florida and a Ph.D. from the University of Florida.
The MAC is governed and administered by the Council of Presidents and the Joint Committee. The Joint Committee consists of the athletics director, the senior administrator and the faculty athletics representative from each institution with the athletics director holding the institutional vote. Policy and legislative authority vests with the Council of Presidents. The Council of Presidents shall act on recommendations forwarded by the Joint Committee, developed through regular meetings of the respective administrative groups (athletics directors, faculty athletics representatives and senior administrators) as well as annual meetings of the various sport committees.
The Council of Presidents also announced the adoption of a comprehensive Membership Standards Plan, detailing the programmatic and competitive goals and expectations consistent with membership in the MAC. Highlighting the standards plan is a central focus on the academic success of MAC student-athletes, including a comprehensive commitment on the part of each MAC institution to support financial aid both for student-athlete summer school attendance as well as fifth-year financial aid. Developed in concert with the NCAA Strategic Plan, the MAC Membership Standards Plan identifies the following six core values as integral to MAC athletics programs: (1) Academically, Institutionally and Student-Athlete Centered; (2) Inclusive Culture; (3) Rules Compliant; (4) Nationally Competitive; (5) Externally Recognized and Credible; and (6) Financially Sound.
In addition to the comprehensive commitment of financial aid, competitive practices for all 23 MAC sponsored sports are outlined in the standards plan. They include: