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14 Crusader Nation • Spring 2017 CATCHING UP WITH... Rev. Philip L. Boroughs, S.J. Holy Cross President Q: Fr. Boroughs, you have been Chair of the Patriot League's Council of Presi- dents for the past two years. Would you tell us something about the Council? A: It is a great group of people. The League's Council is composed of the presidents of the 10 full-time members of the League. It is supported by an Ex- ecutive Committee of three presidents, which I chair. I am also a member of the Budget Committee. The Council meets twice a year with League Commissioner Jennifer Heppel to identify league priorities, discuss issues and determine policies. Our full council meetings always include a session with Athletics Directors of our respective institutions. The Chairmanship is a two-year rotating position. The Chair first serves two years on the Executive Committee, and then two years as Chair. My term as Chair ends this June. Q: What are the specific responsibilities of the Chair of the Council of Presidents? A: I work directly with the Commissioner and I am in touch with her frequently. In addition, I am in regular contact with the Executive Committee to discuss league business, establish budgets and set the agendas for our meetings. In between meetings, the Executive Committee has a series of conference calls to manage issues. We hire the Commissioner and evaluate her annually. We work with the Athletics Directors to deal with policy issues, our league championships, our relationship to the NCAA and other related concerns. Q: What was your experience like as Chair of the Council? A: The Patriot League Presidents share a strong commitment to our league values. As a group we are dedicated to the academic and personal growth of our student-athletes. We are one of the two most academically-oriented leagues, and we are committed to serving our student-athletes and ensuring that their experience reflects our commitments as serious educa- tional institutions. We all get along extremely well. I'm told this level of harmony is rare! Q: Would you tell us about some of the issues and policies on which you worked during your time as Chair? A: Having known Jen Heppel when we were both at Georgetown, we worked closely together during the transition to establish her leadership of the League. Last year we celebrated the 25th An- niversary of the Patriot League. We completed the transition of the League out of the administrative structures of Lehigh and into independent status. We have negotiated new contracts and enhanced our multi-media presence. We have added student participation in League governance, and we have transitioned into the new NCAA Divi- sion governing structure, with strong representation on several committees. We have also been working to enhance our Patriot League Championship Tournaments. Q: What did you learn from your time as Chair of the Council? Did anything surprise you? A: It's a warm and welcoming group and I have really enjoyed getting to know the presidents at the other schools and visiting their campuses. We are very concerned about academic integrity and health issues, especially concussions and mental health con- cerns. I was very surprised to learn that women soccer players have more concussions than football players. Q: How do the decisions of the Council of Presidents impact the League and the student-athletes at Holy Cross? A: The League sets safety and aca- demic standards for athletes, oversees championships, provides financial sup- port for our member schools' athletics leadership programs, and manages the multi-media contracts, which provide coverage of our games. We uphold and promote the important values of the Patriot League at member institutions. Q: What are some of the big ques- tions or issues that you see the Patriot League facing in the upcoming three to five years? A: The tensions in the NCAA regarding academic integrity and their financial support to leagues and individual schools will be a major issue. Ongoing health concerns for athletes is always an issue. Membership changes in other leagues create both opportunities and challenges for our League composition. And the League will need to continue to prioritize student academic commit- ments by setting time limits on practice, training, and travel for competition. C rusader Nation recently sat down with Holy Cross President Rev. Philip L. Boroughs, S.J., to discuss his experience as Chair of the Patriot League's Council of Presidents for the last two years.