Faculty Athletics Representative
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FACULTY ATHLETICS REPRESENTATIVE |
The Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) is a required position of all NCAA member institutions, appointed by the university president or other senior administrator. The FAR must be a member of the institution's faculty or administrative staff who does not hold an administrative or coaching position in the athletics department. The responsibilities of the FAR role are broadly defined, and left to each individual institution to determine.
The work of the FAR at the University of Washington centers on (1) the wellness and support of student-athletes, (2) monitoring the academic integrity of the university within the athletics department, and (3) representing the University (along with senior leadership but through the lens of a faculty member) in conference and NCAA deliberations. Per past precedent, the FAR is appointed for a five-year term, and serves at the discretion of the president in consultation with the athletic director.
The current FAR is Dr. Alexes Harris, who was appointed in 2019. Learn more about Dr. Harris:
Alexes Harris, Ph.D., is the Presidential Term Professor and Professor of Sociology at the University of Washington. Dr. Harris’ work has spanned the criminal legal system, including juvenile, case processing outcomes, and monetary sanctions. Dr. Harris has been appointed to serve on several federal advisory boards and has also been called to testify for numerous state and federal governing bodies about inequalities in the criminal legal system and sentencing. Dr. Harris was inducted into the Washington State Academy of Sciences (2017) and was the chair of the Washington State Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights (2017-2024). She received the UW’s Distinguished Teaching Award (2018). In 2019, Dr. Harris was appointed by President Cauce as the UW Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR). In 2021, she was appointed to serve as Special Adviser to the Provost at the University of Washington and serves as the Director of the Faculty Development Program (FDP). Most recently, in 2022 Professor Harris was appointed to be the first Faculty Regent to sit on the UW Board of Regents. She currently chairs the Board of Regents' Advisory Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
