WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Dec. 8) – The Waynesburg University Department of Athletics is pleased to announce that Erin Leaver has been named its new Senior Woman Administrator (SWA). Leaver currently serves as Waynesburg's Head Athletic Trainer and will continue in that capacity while taking on her new role.
 
"I'm very excited for an opportunity to help lead the department, and, in particular, in the capacity as the senior woman administrator," Leaver said. "The SWA is a position that I have long admired, and I have great respect for the women who have held the position before me."
 
The senior woman administrator is the highest-ranking female in each NCAA athletics department or conference office. The purpose of the SWA designation is to promote meaningful representation of women in the leadership and management of college sports.
 
The NCAA membership voted to create the SWA designation in 1981 — the same year it added women's championships — to ensure women were involved in the male-dominated administration of college athletics. Schools and conference offices are not legislatively required to have an SWA, although 99 percent of NCAA schools do. A staff member who meets the definition of an SWA is eligible for benefits such as serving on NCAA committees, participating in eligibility hearings and receiving select grants, among others. If an athletics director or commissioner is female, the school or conference may designate another woman as its SWA.
 
Many SWAs are involved in senior-level management decisions within athletics on their campuses and in their conference offices. Athletics directors and commissioners are encouraged to designate the SWA as a lead on major athletic projects, depending on her level of experience and professional development interests. SWAs should have oversight of both men's and women's sports, as well as sports deemed revenue and nonrevenue generators. Because of her senior designation and diverse perspective, the SWA and athletics director or commissioner should have regular communication, not only for leadership development, but also to confer on major departmental, university or conference initiatives.
 
Athletics departments and conference offices that optimize the SWA designation create the opportunity for these types of positive outcomes:

• Enhanced quality of decision-making resulting from the inclusion of diverse perspectives at the campus, conference and national levels.
• Professional success for the SWA, resulting in leadership demographics more reflective of the student-athlete population.
• Visible presence of female role models for student-athletes and staff.
• Diverse points of contact on the senior management team for student-athletes and staff to bring issues or concerns.

 
"Erin is a natural fit for the position of Senior Woman Administrator for our department," said Waynesburg Director of Athletics Tim Fusina. "She has shown a great amount of care and concern for our student-athletes and will make a positive impact on our department. She is organized, thoughtful and puts the success of our student-athletes and their well-being first. I am excited to be working with her in this vital administrative capacity and look forward to seeing her grow within her new role as SWA and continue moving our department forward."
 
Leaver is in her 10th year at Waynesburg University. Prior to working with the Yellow Jackets, she spent the 2013-14 school year at fellow Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) member Washington & Jefferson. 

Before coming to Waynesburg, Leaver earned a Master's of Science Degree in Athletic Training from California University (Pa.). She arrived at Cal after completing a bachelor's degree in Athletic Training from Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana. A western Pennsylvania native, Leaver graduated from Hampton High School in 2009. She was an accomplished athlete, earning a total of seven varsity letters while competing for the Talbots.