This is believed to be a first in the nation of a college president and athletic
director teaching a class together. Mahony will tackle topics such as the purpose of higher education and sport in America,
the evolution of college sports in the country since the mid-1800s, and the role of
women and race in sports. Halpin will talk about current issues, such as NCAA governance, budgets, student-athlete
concerns, legislative connections and the impact of Title IX. 
ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA — Winthrop University President Dan Mahony and new Athletics Director Ken Halpin will team up to teach this spring "The History and Current Issues in College Athletics," a sport management course open to both undergraduate and graduate students, as well
as members of the community who would like to audit the course.
This is believed to be a first in the nation of a college president and athletic director teaching a class together. This is also
the first time either has had the opportunity to teach a class at Winthrop.
Mahony, who has taught a similar course at other universities, asked Halpin if he was interested in the new venture. "I thought this would be natural for Ken,
who has a Ph.D. and is more current on the inner workings of college athletics," the
president said.
Mahony will tackle topics such as the purpose of higher education and sport in America,
the evolution of college sports in the country since the mid-1800s, and the role of
women and race in sports. Halpin will talk about current issues, such as NCAA governance, budgets, student-athlete
concerns, legislative connections and the impact of Title IX. "We'll let the past
feed discussions about the present and the future," said Halpin, who joined Winthrop in July, 2016 and is one of the youngest athletic directors
in the country and one of the few with a Ph.D.
Both Mahony and Halpin are committed to attending the class when they are on campus, even if they aren't
leading the discussion that day. They'll also invite guest speakers who are prominent
in college athletics and in the media for a few of the classes.
One of the observations they will make is that while college athletics has received
a lot of attention for many years, it operates more in the spotlight today than it
did even a few decades ago. This is due to more televised games, greater news coverage
overall, and ongoing commentary on social media.
Conflicts among players, coaches, teams, officials and fans receive far more attention than
even a decade ago, they said.
Twenty-eight Winthrop students have already signed up for the Tuesday and Thursday class, but there is still room
for more and it is open to students in majors other than sport management. Mahony and Halpin are also encouraging people in the community who are interested to audit the class and have arranged for it to be taught in a large classroom to accommodate this group.
"We would love to have diversity in the class not only of race and gender but also
age," Mahony said. "We plan large and small group discussions, so having a good mix will offer
a richer learning environment."
The president said opening the class to the community is good exposure for the university
and its programs.
Both Mahony and Halpin said teaching the class will keep them better connected with students. "There's a
different bond that develops when you are in the classroom with students on a regular
basis and we are both looking forward to having that opportunity again," Mahony said.
TO SIGN UP OR TO AUDIT THE COURSE:
Current Winthrop students who want to take the class for academic credit can register
via Wingspan. Currently admitted Winthrop students wishing to audit the class should
contact the Office of Records and Registration to add the class as an audit student.
/recandreg/general-information.aspx#Auditing_a_course
Persons not currently admitted as an active Winthrop student will need to be admitted
to enroll as a for credit or auditing student. Persons with an earned undergraduate
degree should contact the Graduate School for admission as a non-degree seeking graduate
student. Those without a degree should contact the Office of Admissions for admission
as a non-degree undergraduate student.
Students who enroll as either credit seeking or as an auditing student will still
pay the appropriate (in-state/out-of-state, undergraduate/graduate) tuition on the
course. South Carolina residents 60 years of age or older may qualify for waived tuition.
/recandreg/general-information.aspx#senior_cit
For more information, contact Judy Longshaw, news and media services manager, at 803/323-2404 or e-mail her at longshawj@winthrop.edu.
