Mirror - Vol. 10, No. 28 - March 19, 1987

              The
FairfieldMIRRORy Volume 10, No. 28 Our Tenth Year Thursday, March 19, 1987 The Image of Fairfield
Lady Stags Withdraw
From MAAC Tournament
By Chris Michailoff
Staff Writer
The Lady Stags, who finished their
season at 18-10 overall, and in third place
in the MAAC, were forced to withdraw
from the MAAC championship
tournament. According to Dr. Harold
Menninger, the university Athletic
Director, "Fairfield University had
voluntarily withdrawn its women's
basketball team from the Metro Atlantic
Athletic Conference championship
tournament"
The team had already played 28
basketball games this season. The
NCAA allows a Division I women's
basketball team to play 28 games, but
the NCAA-game limit includes play in
conference post-season tournaments. The
playoffs are considered one game by the
NCAA, regardless of how many games a
team plays in the tournament. The Lady
Stags played 28 regular season games
this season. If they had gone to the
MAAC tournament they would have
committed a violation which could have
resulted in sanctions against the team. A
misinterpretation of the NCAA's
regulation on regular season games
resulted in the extra game being played.
The Lady Stags had set the 1986-87
schedule last year. The Head Coach,
Dianne Nolan, worked out the schedule
and submitted a copy to the then Athletic
Director Don Cook. The Athletic
Director confirms the schedule and sends
it on to the MAAC offices for approval.
After it gains committee approval it is
sent to the NCAA for final approval.
The extra game error had slipped past
everyone.
Menninger, the current Athletic
Director said, "No one individual is
responsible for this administrative error.
At this time there are many people who
are responsible."
Before Fairfield had played their
28th game Mark Breslin, Nolan's
husband and assistant coach, told Nolan
that the team had played one game more
then any other MAAC team. Nolan
reported this to Menninger. He in turn
checked the NCAA manual and looked at
the 1985-86 team schedule. In the
previous season the Lady Stags had
played 29 games. In effect the team was
in violation of NCAA regulations in that
season also. It went unreported and
undetected.
Menninger gave Nolan approval to
play the 28th game, not aware of the
regulation stating no team could play
more than 27 regular season games.
On Thursday MAAC commisioner
Don DiJulia was reading a New Jersey
paper which printed the Lady Stags final
record. Realizing the discrepancy, DiJulia
contacted Fairfield.
Once the team had played the 28th
game and realized they would be in
violation of NCAA if they were to play
in the tournament, they voluntarily
withdrew. The university reported the
mistake to the NCAA.
The Lady Stags appealed to the
NCAA for a possible exception. "We
weren't trying to gain an advantage in
this situation." Nolan said. "I felt an
honest mistake had been made and they
were tough consequences to pay." The
NCAA refused to waive the rule for
Fairfield.
Nolan says that she was,
"devastated" and it was the hardest thing
she ever had to do in telling the team the
news of the decision.
"I was looking forward to playing in
the MAAC tournament." said Senior
Chana Wilkerson. "But it was a bad way
to go out and there's no one to blame."
Junior Tasia Turkalo, a second team
All-MAAC selection for the past two
seasons echoed Wilkerson's sentiments.
"It was devasting to the team, and what
made it harder was that we found out the
day the men made it into the NCAA's.
We all worked hard and put in alot of
time." This was the Lady Stags finest
season.
"I'd rather lose on the court than
lose by not playing at all." said Dana
Pellegrino, a first team All-MAAC guard
this season. "There was nothing we can
do about it. The team was working hard
all year and we just want the chance to
prove that we can win."
Just as in the men's program, the
winner of the MAAC tournament earns
an automatic bid to the NCAA
tournament. Fairfield was seeded third,
behind LaSalle and Holy Cross, two
schools they had recently defeated.
Manhattan won the tournament.
«?&^
Meet the 1987-88 FUSA Cabinet. (L to R) Front Row—John Chiania, Bridget Mo-ran,
Tina Bugaro, Karen Beedenbender, Carmine (Happy to be in FUSA) Anza-lone,
Sam Faillace and Mr. Ritchie. Back Row—Tony Minnefor, Rusty Magner,
Shireen Rustum, Lisa Shook, Frank Carroll, Charlene Sorvillo, Kerry Pollicino,
Tina Maciag, Marianne Walsh, Terri Durso, Ken Caisse.
[Photo by Andrea Whitehouse]
ITS A NICE PLACE TO VISIT, BUT... Eddie Golden takes it to the hoop in the
Hoosier Dome. The Stags were ousted from the first round of the NCAA
tournament by Indiana 92-58 in front of 29,610 spectators. (See story page
16) (Photo by Kevin Wolfthal)
Study on University Revealed
By Joseph T. Draper
Editor in Chief
The University is in the midst of its
most comprehensive self evaluation in
preparation for its ten year accreditation
renewal by the New England Association
of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). A
final draft will be submitted to the
Association in August.
Rev. Thomas J. Savage, S.J., the
assistant Vice President of Academics,
began directing the self-study in January
of last year. Over one hundred faculty
members, administrators and students are
actively studying the various aspects of
the university in an attempt to present a
comprehensive and accurate picture of the
school to the agency.
"It (the study) does not examine or
assess individual programs or
departments as such. We have chosen to
be comprehensive rather than focus on
one or two issues." Savage said "The
accrediting agency has over 100 pages on
procedures. There are twelve standards of
evaluation. We have organinzed these
into eight task forces."
The following are the task forces:
The Unversity. It is responsible for
reviewing the school as a whole and the
entire academic system of Fairfield.
Organization and Governance looks at the
management and govenance according to
certain predetermined criteria. Programs
and Instruction examines the educational
programs available here.
Other task forces have studied the
Faculty, Student Services and Special
Activities, Library and Learning
Resources, Physical and Financial
Resources and finally Ethical Practices,
Publications and Advertising.
In the first draft distributed
throughout the school in late February
the Self-Study highlighted the strengths
and areas of concern within the univesity
community.
The group listed the following
among the school's strengths:
"Strong presidential leadership and
initiative especially in the areas of
advancement and planning. Continued
commitment to a strong core requirement
for all undergraduates in the College of
Arts and Sciences, School of Business
and School of Nursing."
"The development of new academic
programs and minors to increase the
University's ability to respond to an
increasingly computer-oriented and
technological society, a more
international perspective, a business
environment in which issues of finance
are of special concern, and a more
complex world in which ethical choices
and issues of faith, peace and justice are
of increasing significance."
"Exceptionally dedicated and loyal
University support staff and the
"continued diversification in membership
on the Board of Trustees" were also seen
as positive.
Continued on page 2