Presidents announce new Athletics Conference

HOBOKEN , N.J. — The presidents of eight colleges and universities, including Stevens Institute of Technology, have announced the formation of a new NCAA Division III athletics conference. The members of the new conference will compete in all sports other than football. The conference, yet to be named, will begin competition in the fall of 2007.

The institutions in the new conference are Catholic University, Washington, D.C.; Drew University, Madison, N.J.; Goucher College, Baltimore, Md.; Juniata College, Huntingdon, Pa.; Moravian College, Bethlehem, Pa.; Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, N.J.; Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, Pa.; and the US Merchant Marine Academy, King’s Point, N.Y.

In a joint statement, presidents of the above institutions outlined the purpose and character of the new conference: “In forming an affiliation with this new conference, we have affirmed a shared focus on institutional excellence that emphasizes our academic mission and a belief that athletics competition is an important component of the undergraduate experience.”

Stevens Institute of Technology President Hal Raveche observed that as a member of the new conference, “Stevens looks forward to competition with seven truly exceptional schools. The student athletics culture of Division III competition is increasingly a focus of undergraduate excellence in higher education, and the formation of this conference is an expression of a belief in the leadership-building qualities of that culture. We look forward to this rewarding association with Catholic, Drew, Goucher, Juniata , Moravian, Susquehanna and US Merchant Marine.”

Echoing President Raveche’s remarks, Stevens’ Director of Athletics Russell Rogers noted that “this new conference is a great fit for Stevens and its athletic programs. We feel that the competition, camaraderie and travel opportunities will greatly enhance the college experience for our student-athletes.”

In addition to athletics competition, members of the new conference will explore ways to develop and expand curricular and co-curricular relationships among their institutions.

Presidents of the eight member institutions indicated that work had begun on a full range of organizational activities related to the formation of a new conference, including the articulation of conference philosophy, drafting and adoption of governing by-laws, petition for NCAA recognition, staffing and organization of conference offices, and establishment of operating and financial procedures.

Teams from the eight colleges and universities will continue to participate in their current conferences through spring 2007.

About Stevens Institute of Technology

Founded in 1870 and celebrating 140 Years of Innovation, Stevens Institute of Technology, The Innovation University, is one of the leading technological universities in the world dedicated to learning and research. Through its broad-based curricula, nurturing of creative inventiveness, and cross disciplinary research, the Institute is at the forefront of global challenges in engineering, science, and technology management. Partnerships and collaboration between, and among, business, industry, government and other universities contribute to the enriched environment of the Institute. A new model for technology commercialization in academe, known as Technogenesis®, involves external partners in launching business enterprises to create broad opportunities and shared value.

Stevens offers baccalaureates, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science and management, in addition to a baccalaureate degree in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. The university has a total enrollment of 2,234 undergraduate and 3,700 graduate students with more than 400 faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.stevens.edu.

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