DePaul University Athletics
Guiding Principles for Success in Action
3/18/2021 2:24:00 PM | ATHLETICS
DePaul's Guiding Principles for Success lead vision for future of athletics program
CHICAGO – From the moment Director of Athletics DeWayne Peevy stepped on campus for his interview, his message has been well defined and consistent to "Dream Big." He has defined that vision through his guiding principles for success in what he calls "DePaul Athletics' ABCs".
DePaul Athletics' Guiding Principles
For more information, call DePaul Athletic Development at 773-325-1456.
DePaul Athletics' ABCs in Action
Academic Excellence
Elevate academic excellence, promote holistic development, and develop the leaders of tomorrow by enabling student-athletes to achieve their educational, professional and personal goals.
At the heart of academic excellence has been an intentional effort to continue to raise scholarship funding to provide additional opportunities for DePaul's student-athletes. Endowed scholarships have shown significant growth in the last nine months through the efforts of the Hay Challenge in the summer and fall and then most recently during the Blue Demon Challenge.
The Hay Challenge, led by the estate of William Hay, provided donors with a potential match of $25,000 if they chose to invest $25,000 in an endowed scholarship. Blue Demon alumni and fans more than answered the challenge as they committed to establish 14 new endowed scholarships for DePaul student-athletes, bringing DePaul's total named endowed scholarships to nearly 60.
The challenges weren't over as the Sarowitz Family offered to kick-start academic excellence by making a challenge gift of $100,000 to the Pat Savage Endowed Scholarship for Track and Field if DePaul could raise gifts from 150 donors to any of its scholarship funds. Again, alumni, donors and fans responded in fine fashion, raising more than 210 gifts from nearly 170 donors. Leading the pack, the efforts of head coach Dave Dopek and Hall of Famer Pat Savage, was the Track & Field/Cross Country donors compiling 128 gifts to its respective scholarship funds.
"Scholarship support always will be central to the success of student-athletes and our athletic department," Peevy said. "Scholarship giving starts with the ability to expand educational opportunities for student-athletes through the transformative experience of intercollegiate athletics and extends to the fiscal impact that endowed scholarships can make on an athletic department."
Building the Brand
Raise the national prominence of the DePaul Athletics brand and reestablish ourselves as Chicago's Team. Deepen our community impact by delivering professional, immersive and engaging fan experiences. Foster a culture of stewardship, align resources with expectations and achieve financial sustainability.
Our brand breathes life into our department. Peevy worked with trustee Jessica Sarowitz to make an immediate statement to DePaul student-athletes, coaches and staff by refreshing the Sullivan Athletic Center. The renovation encompassed a nearly-complete overhaul of the look and feel of the Athletics Center, including the creation of two permanent fueling stations and enhanced branding for recruiting in the Fr. Thomas Munster, C.M. Conference Room.
"The incredible support Jessica Sarowitz gave us to reimagine the Sullivan Athletic Center was an incredible boost," Peevy said. "Throughout the winter, student-athletes and staff continually saw new aspects of the building come to life in a new, more engaging way. These visible changes signaled a new era of DePaul Athletics to everyone that walks through our doors.
Championship Experience
Develop a students-first championship experience that optimizes the ability for our student-athletes to work together towards common success and consistently win championships.
Creating championship experiences demands commitment combined with effort to provide the resources needed to transform student-athlete performance. Championship experiences focus on the every-day needs of student-athletes.
The first area that DePaul Athletics has focused on improving is Sports Performance. As a result, an anonymous trustee made a gift to jumpstart the championship experience guiding principle. That investment will be used to make an impact on the training needs of DePaul's student-athletes through enhanced technologies and analytics that will aid the physical development of student-athletes.
"We're in the midst of an unprecedented time where every one of our teams are competing simultaneously, yet we have kept a keen focus on the future of student-athlete performance and development," Peevy said. "I asked Jimmy Duba, our Director of Sports Performance, to provide me with the cutting-edge tools that he and our coaches needed to be at the forefront of sports performance. The funding from the Championship Experience Fund will make that wish list a reality. A reality that will make an immediate impact."
Developing & Equipping Future Leaders
Cultivate a first-class student-athlete experience and workplace culture grounded in diversity, inclusivity, integrity and compliance while deepening our commitment to DePaul's Catholic, Vincentian and urban mission.
Equipping our student-athletes and staff to be effective leaders now and in the future is an important piece in DePaul's Guiding Principles. In response to the issues that arose across country, DePaul Athletics has made a commitment to reflect the University's position to honor and recognize the dignity of all through the concerted efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion.
As a result, three working committees, which include staff, coaches and student-athletes, have worked to strengthen DePaul's work in DEI issues. The result of those committees has been increased dialogue, and organized effort for voter participation and enhanced work as it relates to hiring and retention of student-athletes and staff.
Those efforts also have resulted in innovative ways to enhance the relationships with the Chicago community. Through a gift from athletic alum Marc Jacobson, DePaul will partner with the Jesse White Tumblers for a unique student-experience for one of its Tumbler alumni. The selected Tumbler will receive The Marc Jacobson Blue Demon Award, a full-ride scholarship to be part of the DePaul Athletic staff and to develop professionally in intercollegiate athletics.
"The work we are doing in partnership with the Jesse White Tumblers shows the importance we place on the Chicago community," Peevy said. "I'm incredibly appreciative that alum Marc Jacobson has led this effort to make a long-term impact on DePaul Athletics, but not only that, he united us with a Chicago institution – the Jesse White Tumblers.
External Outreach
Employ bold and innovative approaches to increase annual giving and self-generated funding necessary to accomplish our strategic goals.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a disruption in the normal outreach for DePaul Athletics. Traditionally, alumni, donors and season ticket holders attend a calendar full of events and engagement opportunities.
In response to the pandemic, DePaul has been forced to create new and innovative ways to engage with its constituents. December brought Dream Big Week which featured "A Conversation with DeWayne Peevy" and an Athletic Alumni Huddle for each of DePaul's athletics programs. Following that week's activities, the DePaul Ticket Office and Athletics Development teamed up to host a season full of fun in the Blue Demon Room Virtual Pregames which featured Director of Athletic Reports, Spotlight Alumni of the Game and Coaches' Chalk Talks.
To continue DePaul's commitment to community engagement, the Wintrust Reads Program and the DIBS Kids Club virtual library allows us to maintain connections with the youth of Chicago and beyond.
DePaul Athletics' Guiding Principles
- Academic Excellence
- Building the Brand
- Championship Experience
- Developing & Equipping Future Leaders
- External Outreach
For more information, call DePaul Athletic Development at 773-325-1456.
DePaul Athletics' ABCs in Action
Academic Excellence
Elevate academic excellence, promote holistic development, and develop the leaders of tomorrow by enabling student-athletes to achieve their educational, professional and personal goals.
At the heart of academic excellence has been an intentional effort to continue to raise scholarship funding to provide additional opportunities for DePaul's student-athletes. Endowed scholarships have shown significant growth in the last nine months through the efforts of the Hay Challenge in the summer and fall and then most recently during the Blue Demon Challenge.
The Hay Challenge, led by the estate of William Hay, provided donors with a potential match of $25,000 if they chose to invest $25,000 in an endowed scholarship. Blue Demon alumni and fans more than answered the challenge as they committed to establish 14 new endowed scholarships for DePaul student-athletes, bringing DePaul's total named endowed scholarships to nearly 60.
The challenges weren't over as the Sarowitz Family offered to kick-start academic excellence by making a challenge gift of $100,000 to the Pat Savage Endowed Scholarship for Track and Field if DePaul could raise gifts from 150 donors to any of its scholarship funds. Again, alumni, donors and fans responded in fine fashion, raising more than 210 gifts from nearly 170 donors. Leading the pack, the efforts of head coach Dave Dopek and Hall of Famer Pat Savage, was the Track & Field/Cross Country donors compiling 128 gifts to its respective scholarship funds.
"Scholarship support always will be central to the success of student-athletes and our athletic department," Peevy said. "Scholarship giving starts with the ability to expand educational opportunities for student-athletes through the transformative experience of intercollegiate athletics and extends to the fiscal impact that endowed scholarships can make on an athletic department."
Building the Brand
Raise the national prominence of the DePaul Athletics brand and reestablish ourselves as Chicago's Team. Deepen our community impact by delivering professional, immersive and engaging fan experiences. Foster a culture of stewardship, align resources with expectations and achieve financial sustainability.
Our brand breathes life into our department. Peevy worked with trustee Jessica Sarowitz to make an immediate statement to DePaul student-athletes, coaches and staff by refreshing the Sullivan Athletic Center. The renovation encompassed a nearly-complete overhaul of the look and feel of the Athletics Center, including the creation of two permanent fueling stations and enhanced branding for recruiting in the Fr. Thomas Munster, C.M. Conference Room.
"The incredible support Jessica Sarowitz gave us to reimagine the Sullivan Athletic Center was an incredible boost," Peevy said. "Throughout the winter, student-athletes and staff continually saw new aspects of the building come to life in a new, more engaging way. These visible changes signaled a new era of DePaul Athletics to everyone that walks through our doors.
Championship Experience
Develop a students-first championship experience that optimizes the ability for our student-athletes to work together towards common success and consistently win championships.
Creating championship experiences demands commitment combined with effort to provide the resources needed to transform student-athlete performance. Championship experiences focus on the every-day needs of student-athletes.
The first area that DePaul Athletics has focused on improving is Sports Performance. As a result, an anonymous trustee made a gift to jumpstart the championship experience guiding principle. That investment will be used to make an impact on the training needs of DePaul's student-athletes through enhanced technologies and analytics that will aid the physical development of student-athletes.
"We're in the midst of an unprecedented time where every one of our teams are competing simultaneously, yet we have kept a keen focus on the future of student-athlete performance and development," Peevy said. "I asked Jimmy Duba, our Director of Sports Performance, to provide me with the cutting-edge tools that he and our coaches needed to be at the forefront of sports performance. The funding from the Championship Experience Fund will make that wish list a reality. A reality that will make an immediate impact."
Developing & Equipping Future Leaders
Cultivate a first-class student-athlete experience and workplace culture grounded in diversity, inclusivity, integrity and compliance while deepening our commitment to DePaul's Catholic, Vincentian and urban mission.
Equipping our student-athletes and staff to be effective leaders now and in the future is an important piece in DePaul's Guiding Principles. In response to the issues that arose across country, DePaul Athletics has made a commitment to reflect the University's position to honor and recognize the dignity of all through the concerted efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion.
As a result, three working committees, which include staff, coaches and student-athletes, have worked to strengthen DePaul's work in DEI issues. The result of those committees has been increased dialogue, and organized effort for voter participation and enhanced work as it relates to hiring and retention of student-athletes and staff.
Those efforts also have resulted in innovative ways to enhance the relationships with the Chicago community. Through a gift from athletic alum Marc Jacobson, DePaul will partner with the Jesse White Tumblers for a unique student-experience for one of its Tumbler alumni. The selected Tumbler will receive The Marc Jacobson Blue Demon Award, a full-ride scholarship to be part of the DePaul Athletic staff and to develop professionally in intercollegiate athletics.
"The work we are doing in partnership with the Jesse White Tumblers shows the importance we place on the Chicago community," Peevy said. "I'm incredibly appreciative that alum Marc Jacobson has led this effort to make a long-term impact on DePaul Athletics, but not only that, he united us with a Chicago institution – the Jesse White Tumblers.
External Outreach
Employ bold and innovative approaches to increase annual giving and self-generated funding necessary to accomplish our strategic goals.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a disruption in the normal outreach for DePaul Athletics. Traditionally, alumni, donors and season ticket holders attend a calendar full of events and engagement opportunities.
In response to the pandemic, DePaul has been forced to create new and innovative ways to engage with its constituents. December brought Dream Big Week which featured "A Conversation with DeWayne Peevy" and an Athletic Alumni Huddle for each of DePaul's athletics programs. Following that week's activities, the DePaul Ticket Office and Athletics Development teamed up to host a season full of fun in the Blue Demon Room Virtual Pregames which featured Director of Athletic Reports, Spotlight Alumni of the Game and Coaches' Chalk Talks.
To continue DePaul's commitment to community engagement, the Wintrust Reads Program and the DIBS Kids Club virtual library allows us to maintain connections with the youth of Chicago and beyond.
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