Johnson Accepts Offer to Serve as Wooster's FAR

Michelle Johnson, chair of Communication Studies and associate professor of communication studies, has accepted President Anne E. McCall's offer to serve as one of The College of Wooster's faculty athletic representatives.

"I am beyond excited Michelle has accepted President McCall's offer to serve as one of our faculty athletic representatives," said Lynn Holleran, Wooster's director of athletics and physical education. "Michelle was already highly visible within athletics by supporting our department on search committees and as a dedicated Fighting Scots fan. Wooster is very blessed with numerous dedicated faculty members who continuously elevate and support our department in a variety of ways. Outstanding faculty athletic representatives are crucial to our overall success. We are looking forward to having Michelle join Drew Pasteur is this important role."

"I have appreciated my informal relationship with Athletics over the years and I am really looking forward to this opportunity to support the department in a formal manner," said Johnson. "I am looking forward to working more closely with student-athletes, coaches, and staff within the department. As a former NCAA Div. III student-athlete, I understand the value of participating in sports and want to do what I can to enhance the athletics experience at the College."

Johnson will work alongside Pasteur, professor of mathematics, in the faculty athletic representative roles. Duties of faculty athletic representatives can include advising student-athletes on a range of topics in one-on-one settings, educating faculty members on NCAA and North Coast Athletic Conference issues, serving within the governance structure of the NCAA and NCAC in a wide range of capacities, and working with student-athletes, coaches, faculty, and the dean's office on scheduling conflicts between academics and athletics. Additionally, faculty athletic representatives spearhead NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship applications, of which Wooster has had the most selections across the entire NCAA over the last five academic years. Other duties of faculty athletic representatives can include meeting with prospective student-athletes and families to answer questions about Wooster, serving on coaching and administrator hiring committees, and assisting with admissions panels for admitted students.

"Faculty athletic representatives have a key role in ensuring the academic-athletic balance and positive student-athlete experience that are core to the Div. III philosophy," said Pasteur. "After mentoring Fighting Scots for many years and having served as the College's advising dean, Michelle will be an impactful faculty athletic representative, and I look forward to working alongside her."

Johnson joined Wooster's Communication Studies faculty in 1997. Her research centers around social support in parent-child relationships, especially during transition and adjustment to college. Other research interests include conflict management in friend and family relationships. Her courses focus on public speaking, interpersonal communication, small group and organizational communication, theories of human communication, and quantitative research methods.

Johnson previously served as associate dean for academic advising at APEX, the College's center for advising, planning, and experiential learning. She is one of the lead planners and implementers of ARCH, the College's signature summer program for incoming students focused on helping them transition to Wooster and register for classes.

Johnson is replacing Shelley Judge, professor of earth sciences and longtime faculty athletic representative, who has accepted a new position outside of the College.