CALDWELL COLLEGE COMMITS TO POSITIVE GAME ENVIRONMENT EFFORTS
9-2-08
CALDWELL,
N.J. – Caldwell College President Sister Patrice Werner has joined
fellow Division II presidents and chancellors and signed a pledge to strive
to provide a positive game environment at all athletics events that take
place on the Caldwell College campus. Division II leadership plans to have
pledge signatures from presidents and chancellors from all 302 member
schools by the end of the year.
The pledge is part of a Division II-wide effort to offer student-athletes,
coaches, officials and fans the best game environment possible. The pledge
affirms that athletics events should reflect the values of higher education
and the mission of each institution. It also affirms that presidents and
chancellors are concerned about any uncivil behavior that may occur at
athletics contests and will work together to make respectful events the
standard of Division II.
“I am excited to be joining my colleagues in a united effort toward such an
important cause,” Sister Patrice said. “Positive game environment is
something to be taken seriously and this initiative will help our campus
continue to provide an encouraging and exciting game atmosphere for the
entire community.”
The goal of Division II’s national game environment initiative is designed
to engage the institution’s community to promote a positive game atmosphere.
Game environment is more than just sportsmanship; it addresses anything from
student-athlete, coach and fan behavior, to pep bands, to healthy
concessions and clean venues. The initiative calls for the need for
sportsmanship from players and coaches on courts and fields of play and also
strives to ensure a family-friendly and lively game atmosphere.
“Our member institutions have embraced community engagement on their
individual campuses, and a focus on game environment is a natural next
step,” said Mike Racy, vice president of Division II. “We must provide a
civil, comfortable, entertaining experience that is in line with the overall
higher education experience to ensure that those fans who were welcomed on
campuses through community engagement will want to return.”
The Division II membership has also created a game environment website,
www.divisioniicommunity.org/gameenvironment, which offers a number of
resources, video versions of “teachable moments,” and a shared-ideas
component for best practices among campuses for creating more civil,
comfortable and entertaining experiences.



