Seawolves United Website | Together We Transform brochure

STONY BROOK, N.Y. - Stony Brook Athletics department's five-year strategic vision Together We Transform consists or eight elements. Each day this week we will introduce two of the elements. Today's are the first two - Transforming the Student-Athlete Experience and Competing for Championships and National Prominence.

Transforming the Student-Athlete Experience
Our student-athletes are our greatest treasures, and we must nurture them so that their lives are enhanced as a result of attending Stony Brook. We are dedicated to providing a first class experience for all student-athletes in every aspect of their lives while entrusted to our care. Our job is to allow student-athletes to pursue their dreams by taking a proactive approach to their academic progress, personal and professional development, and mental as well as physical wellness.

Student-athletes are at the core of everything that we do, and we will remain relentless in our service to them. The day that a student-athlete walks onto the Stony Brook campus for the first time, he or she becomes a Seawolf for life. Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to cultivate that connection each day through our service to our student-athletes. By investing resources that will benefit our student-athletes not only during their time at Stony Brook but also well beyond, we are developing leaders who can shape the world around them in a positive manner. These young men and women are the future, and there could not be a more worthy investment.

ASPIRATION: Create an unparalleled college experience for all Stony Brook student-athletes.

ACTIONS:
- Ensure a welcoming introduction to all new student-athletes beginning with their official commitment to Stony Brook that includes meaningful early connections with staff from academic support, athletic performance, sports medicine, athletic communications and senior athletic administration.
- Instill a sense of pride among student-athletes by demonstrating a unified vision for their success that is shared by all coaches and administrators.
- Continue to grow a substantial Peer Mentoring program as part of a strong life skills program for all student-athletes.
- Seek input from student-athletes regarding departmental initiatives through a strong alliance with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Leadership Council.
- Encourage student-athletes to enrich their college experience by participating in areas of campus outside of Athletics that match their interests.

ASPIRATION: Place current and former student-athletes into the job market or into a graduate program upon undergraduate degree completion.

ACTIONS:
- Hire a dedicated staff member to develop a comprehensive leadership and life skills program that will prepare student-athletes for professional opportunities through resume preparation, internship placement and career guidance.
- Partner with the Career Center on campus in order to maximize resources and support.
- Utilize successful Stony Brook graduates and local business leaders to serve as mentors for student-athletes.
- Create opportunities for student-athletes to travel to New York City and major metropolitan areas for meaningful professional development opportunities.
- Work proactively with student-athletes who wish to pursue a graduate degree by aligning them with faculty who can best assist in the process.

ASPIRATION: Elevate the opportunity for academic success among student-athletes and achieve a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.15. (Cumulative GPA for 2013-14 was 3.04).

ACTIONS:
- Expand academic support services to include additional advisors, a learning specialist, reading specialist and/or disability support technicians.
- Work to strengthen our relationship with faculty to ensure partnership in student-athlete academic performance.
- Identify the large cohort of student-athletes who do not utilize the full extent of academic services and develop programs specifically designed to maximize their potential.
- Collaborate with campus entities to provide appropriate tutoring opportunities that are consistent with prescribed practice and game competition schedule restrictions.
- Work with the Provost and academic leaders to continue to create a positive academic environment with student-athletes, including the academic calendar, increased non-traditional course offerings and course scheduling.
- Integrate technology into our student-athletes' daily lives.
- Expand opportunities for student-athletes to receive financial support for summer and winter sessions.

ASPIRATION: Increase the number of individual student-athletes with a grade point average of 3.5 or higher. (Number of student-athletes with a 3.5 GPA or higher in 2013-14 was 108).

ACTIONS:
- Design specialized programs geared toward student-athletes who have a GPA between 3.0 and 3.49.
- Create a special recognition area within the athletics facilities that honors student-athletes who achieve a 3.5 or above during a given semester.
- Explore and support post-graduate scholarship opportunities for high-achieving student-athletes.

ASPIRATION: Provide immediate quality assistance and counseling for all issues related to mental health and wellness.

ACTIONS:
- Engage the on-site services of a counselor who will assist student-athletes in a safe, nurturing environment through development of rapport and trust with the student-athletes.
- Communicate mental wellness assistance as an essential aspect of the student-athlete support team along with academic advisors, strength coaches and trainers.
- Strengthen relationships with the Office of the Dean of Students, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and Center for Prevention and Outreach (CPO) to address specific issues related to the mental wellness of student-athletes.

ASPIRATION: Maximize the physical development of each student-athlete and instill a commitment to positive life choices regarding health and wellness.

ACTIONS:
- Hire a nutritionist or dietician who will work in concert with the athletic performance coaches and athletic trainers to create dietary plans to help achieve specific goals for student-athletes and provide substantial education about healthy diet and lifestyle.
- Secure the necessary equipment to allow student-athletes to do a significant amount of their physical therapy and rehabilitation within the athletic facilities.
- Provide supplemental meals and snacks for all student-athletes to aid recovery after workouts and between classes.
- Identify creative opportunities for maximizing relationships with orthopedic surgeons, general practitioners and Stony Brook Medicine staff.

Competing for Championships and National Prominence
At Stony Brook, our responsibility to our student-athletes includes the relentless pursuit of success in athletic competition. We will work every day to help provide student-athletes with the opportunity to maximize their athletic objectives at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics. Our expectation will be to build our programs with a priority placed upon a high level of long-term sustainable athletic achievement.

The formula for winning at Stony Brook includes coaches and administrators working together to best serve the student-athletes. We are here to help our student-athletes achieve their dreams in everything that they set their minds to, and athletic competition is a significant element of their college experience. Competitive success will also bring greater exposure to Stony Brook University, which will benefit as a result through increased philanthropy, enhanced student recruitment and expanded alumni engagement.

ASPIRATION: Win at least one NCAA national championship.

ACTIONS:
- Conduct comprehensive analysis of each Stony Brook program to determine the programs that are best positioned for national championship contention given their relative strengths and weaknesses.
- Analyze recent championship schools in order to identify specific factors that led to their success and determine how we can incorporate into our own approach.
- Support plans to successfully recruit top prospective student-athletes nationally and internationally.
- Enhance operating budgets for championship-aspirant programs that are comparable to those peer institutions consistently ranked within the top 25.

ASPIRATION: Earn NCAA postseason appearances, and advance beyond the first round, in a minimum of five Stony Brook sport programs annually.

ACTIONS:
- Increase annual operating budgets each year so that investment can be made in team travel, recruiting, equipment and other essential needs in order to position each program in the top third of its respective conference.
- Allow coaches to schedule games based upon individual program philosophy, including contests that are necessary for competitive balance, RPI, national ranking or recruiting.
- Successfully recruit top local and regional prospective student-athletes as well as transfers.
- Work with coaches and support staff to maximize mental and physical advantages for student-athletes during conference tournaments in order to best support our position when those events lead to automatic NCAA bids.
- Identify and hire essential operational support staff so that coaches may focus attention and energy on coaching, recruiting and student-athlete development rather than administrative tasks.
- Submit strong bids for Stony Brook to host NCAA first round and regional contests in an effort to secure home or local contests during postseason competition.

ASPIRATION: Earn regular season victories against programs from Power 5 conferences (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC) and teams ranked in the top 25.

ACTIONS:
- Schedule contests against Power 5 and perennial top-ranked programs that provide competitive matchups and regional exposure.
- Seek greater national television exposure by competing against Power 5 programs.
- Approach competition against Power 5 schools as an equal competitor rather than as the underdog.
- Determine long-term plans to support permissible initiatives (such as cost of attendance and unlimited meals) as permitted under the Power 5 autonomy policy.

ASPIRATION: Recruit, support and retain quality coaches in all sports in order to provide our student-athletes with the best opportunity to win at a high level.

ACTIONS:
- Increase salary pool that is available to be distributed among assistant coaches.
- Remain competitive among our national peers in regards to all coaches' compensation.
- Recruit candidates for coaching positions from aspirant programs.
- Identify creative opportunities to increase supplemental revenue for sport programs and coaches.
- Identify practice and competition facility needs and office space requirements necessary to attract and retain top coaching staffs and student-athletes.
- Perform annual comprehensive evaluation of each sport program and determine actions necessary to ensure future success.

To read Together We Transform in its entirety and learn more about Stony Brook Athletics' new primary fundraising arm of the department Seawolves United, visit SeawolvesUnited.com or call 631-632-6312.