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OFFICIAL ATHLETICS SITE OF  THE SWARTHMORE COLLEGE GARNET

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Garnet Athletics Hall of Fame Operational Guidelines (Updated 6/14/24)

I. Purpose: 

The Garnet Hall of Fame has been established to enable the College to commemorate exceptional performance by teams and individuals associated with Swarthmore College Athletics. It is further intended to recognize those who have brought distinction to themselves and to the College through their accomplishments in athletics and their contributions to their community and society. 

II. Candidacy: 

Eligible candidates must be Swarthmore College graduates, members of the Swarthmore College community, or individuals who have made significant and distinctive impact on Swarthmore College Athletics and Swarthmore College. Nominees and inductees will be categorized as Athlete, Coach, Team, or special associate. 

The following achievements will result in an automatic nomination for an individual or team, given a 10-year period since graduation, or 15 years of association with Swarthmore.

  • Any athlete inducted into a national athletics hall of fame in the sport in which they participated at Swarthmore. 
  • Any coach who is inducted into a national hall of fame during their tenure at Swarthmore for the sport coached. 
  • Any Swarthmore student-athlete or coach who participates in the Olympics or sets a world record in an event in which they competed at Swarthmore. 
  • Any NCAA National Champion, team or individual, 10 years after the accomplishment.
Note: Former students and employees must have left the University 10 years prior to the year of the class being inducted, and be in good standing to be eligible for consideration. 

Current employees formerly involved with Athletics must have discontinued their association at least 5 years prior to the year of the class being inducted, and be in good standing to be eligible for consideration. However, current Head Varsity Coaches that have been with the College for 15 or more years, have a proven record of athletic success and who have been instrumental in the overall development and advancement of Swarthmore Athletics can be considered for nomination and voted upon for induction by the Hall of Fame Committee on a case by case basis. 

III. Nominating Committee: 

A committee of eleven shall oversee nominations. The committee shall include a Hall of Fame Board, consisting of the following five permanent members: 
  • Director of Athletics 
  • Associate Director of Athletics 
  • Director of Athletics Communications - Committee Chair 
  • Vice President of Development and Alumni Relations (or designee) 
  • Garnet Club Advancement Council (GCAC) Chair 
  • College Communications representative (or designee) 
Further, six members will be selected by the Hall of Fame Board to serve terms of four years. They will include the following positions:
  • Coach of a men’s sport 
  • Coach of a women’s sport 
  • A third coach (of any sport) 
  • Two Swarthmore student-athlete alumni 
  • One current member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) 
Beyond these designated seats, the President may designate an additional committee member at his/her discretion.

IV. Meetings: 

Meetings will take place as needed to conduct business, typically 3 times per year. 
  • Winter – Advertise a call for Hall of Fame nominations. 
  • January/February – Review HoF guidelines and fill vacancies, if needed. 
  • March/April – Selection meeting; HoF Committee members discuss and vote on nominees 
  • May – Final selection meeting; Hof Committee members finalize nominees to be inducted. 
Meetings shall be scheduled by the Committee Chair. Majority shall constitute a quorum. 

V. Nomination & Selection Process: 
  • Nominations will be solicited and accepted annually. Any athlete, ten or more years after graduation, will be eligible for nomination. Any coach or administrator will be eligible for nomination five years or more after retirement or leaving College employment. 
  • The Nominating Committee will only accept online nominations from Swarthmore College faculty, staff, alumni, students, and friends of the program. All nominations must be submitted in the nomination portal at swarthmoreathletics.com/honors/hall-of-fame. Nominations must include biographical information, as well as strong supporting documentation related to the nominees' accomplishments during and after college. Nominators may email any alternative documentation, references or records to the Athletic Communications Director. Nominations may be discarded if they do not include sufficient information. Candidates will not be advised of their nomination and all information pertaining to them and the process shall be confidential. 
  • When considering nominees, athletic accomplishment will be of primary importance, but the committee will also consider moral character, good citizenship, and service to community as an undergraduate and / or graduate, among other valuable traits.
  • The Athletic Director, or his/her designate, will lead discussions on the nominees. Nominees will be inducted by consensus of the Nominating Committee. No more than six nominees will be inducted in any single year, including no more than one team, one coach, and one special inductee as defined below in section V, paragraph D. All committee discussion will be kept confidential. 
  • Voting members will select up to seven nominees on his/her ballot to be advanced into the final voting discussion. Committee members will then work through the remaining list of nominees to select the Hall of Fame class. Although there is a maximum of six inductees per class, the committee may select less than six inductees if agreed upon by voting members. 
  • All nominees will stay on the ballot for at least five years. However, starting with the nominee’s sixth year of consideration, they must receive top-seven votes on a minimum of four ballots to remain in consideration for the following year. This rule will take effect in the 2024 voting class. 
VI. Selection Criteria: 

Consideration for induction shall include, but is not limited to, the following criteria. 
  • Student-Athlete: Documented outstanding performance during career at Swarthmore; A four-year letter-winner, or All-American status; Performance recognized at the national level; Recognition by national governing bodies; Record-setting accomplishments; Contributions to community and society. 
  • Coach: Outstanding record as a coach at Swarthmore or elsewhere (professional organization, club, international team, Olympic team, etc.); Contributions to his / her sport through coaching; Service to the community through coaching; Recognition of accomplishments by regional, national, and /or international coaching bodies; Contributions to community and society;
  • Team: Outstanding record or accomplishments such as NCAA champion or finalist. Major victories over superior opponents; Undefeated record, or conference record; Streak of wins or accomplishments. 
  • Special Inductee: Person who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to the program through clinics, writing, organizations, etc.; Supporter of the department and College as an administrator, through volunteer work, etc. or who has represented Swarthmore Athletics through international organizations, national groups, publications, etc. All special inductee nominations must be approved by the Athletic Director before appearing on the voting ballot. 
VII. Induction Process: 
  • Induction will take place at an annual awards banquet during either reunion or homecoming weekend. 
  • Inductees and their spouses / partners shall be invited directly by the chair of the Hall of Fame Board, or designee. 
  • Inductees will receive a plaque commemorating the event and an additional plaque will be put on display in the athletics facilities in an area to be designated for Hall of Fame inductees. 
VIII. Additional Information: 
  • Any member of the Selection Committee may make a motion at any meeting of the Selection Committee to amend the guidelines. The motions shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting and shall be immediately tabled until the next meeting of the Selection Committee at which time the motion may be voted upon by the committee. 
  • Any other person may propose an amendment to the guidelines by presenting the proposed amendment to the Chairperson of the Selection Committee. The Chairperson shall present the proposed amendment to the Selection Committee at the next meeting of the Selection Committee, and it shall be recorded in the minutes of the meeting and shall be immediately tabled until the next meeting of the Selection Committee at which time the motion may be voted upon by the Committee 
  • After the amendment has been approved by the Selection Committee it will subsequently be approved by the Provost & Dean of the Faculty and the President of the College prior to becoming official. 
  • If a quorum of members (majority) vote in favor of the amendment, it shall become effective (30) days after the amendment is approved by the above listed individuals. 
  • The guidelines may be amended only by the members of the selection committee pursuant to the procedures set forth in this section.