Director of Athletics & Recreation Crystal Gibson and Associate Professor Geoff Bowers, faculty athletics representative and chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, participated in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Convention at the National Harbor, on Jan. 14, 2026.
Gibson was the facilitator for a panel titled "Bridging the Gap: Building Campus-wide Relationships for Athletic Success." Bowers served as one of three participants on the panel. The annual meeting brings together representatives from all three divisions for several days of education, business meetings and awards.
Gibson noted how the NCAA had elevated and strengthened the role of the faculty athletic representative, a mandated institutional role by the NCAA, in recent years. Bowers highlighted the efforts by United East Conference faculty athletics representatives, who recently produced two documents: a guide for faculty to help make their classrooms more athlete-inclusive, and another guide for athletic departments on inclusivity.
"Building community is about eliminating divisions and bringing people together," said Bowers. "The first thing I think is important is to have an inclusion mindset about everything that you're doing."
St. Mary's College of Maryland sponsors 23 varsity sports teams as a member of NCAA Division III, the Intercollegiate Sailing Association and the Intercollegiate Rowing Association. A member of the United East Conference (UEC), SMCM has won the UEC Presidents' Cup for overall athletic performance for three consecutive years.
