On Jan. 24  at 4 P.M., the D1 Task Force will he hosting an Open Forum event at the Clyde h.
Wells Fine Arts Center auditorium.

The purpose of the D1 Task Force, established under the orders of Tarleton State University President Dr. F. Dominic Dottavio, was to research the possible changes that may come if the university were to receive an invitation to become a Division 1 institution.

The Task Force is then to put together and submit “an unbiased report of the researched findings to the President,” said Dr. Rick Richardson, Chair of the Task Force and Interim Vice President of Finance and Administration. “Even though [Tarleton State] has not received an invitation to become a D1 school, this report will allow the president to make a timely response to either accept or decline the invitation in the event that an invitation is received.”

The purpose of this forum will be to inform the public of the task force’s findings regarding the possibility of Tarleton State receiving an invitation to become a Division 1 school and the possible changes that may arise if such were to happen. The forum will also allow participants to ask any questions they may have regarding the topic and how it may impact them as members of the Tarleton community.

“The forum will be opened to students and faculty,” said Dr. Richardson. “We also hope to invite alumni, donors and Stephenville community members.”

During the forum, audience members will hear from members of other universities whom received and accepted a D1 invitation and learn of their experience during the transition. Following the guest speakers, the Task Force will present their current findings on Tarleton receiving an invitation, as well as answer any questions audience members may have. Richardson and his Task Force members plan to present how they investigated certain topics and what they found from the investigation.

Anyone who is interested in attending should go over the information on the D1 Task Force website,” recommends Richardson. “On top of that, we ask that people listen to our guest speakers and write any questions they may have on notecards that we will provide at the forum.”

“We highly encourage people to ask questions,” said Richardson. “Questions are valuable to [The D1 Task Force], as they direct our focus to what needs to be considered and included in our research. Questions will ultimately allow us to cover all bases and complete our work as a Task Force, allowing Dr. Dottavio to make a sound decision in the event Tarleton State receives an invitation.”