Cal State LA Athletics

Carol M. Dunn was a fixture in Cal State L.A.’s Athletics Department for 24 years, including 17 as the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics from 1988-2005.
 
During her 17 years as the Athletics Director, Cal State L.A. intercollegiate teams made a combined 78 team appearances in the NCAA playoffs, including 12 different programs earning postseason berths. The Golden Eagles also claimed 33 individual national championships during her tenure.
 
Dunn was named Athletics Director on July 1, 1988 after six years as associate athletics director and four years as head women’s basketball coach (1981-85).  Upon taking over as athletics director, Dunn made it a top priority to ensure gender-equity in Cal State L.A.’s intercollegiate athletic program.
 
She was known for her goal-oriented and proactive management style. She designed and implemented a strategic plan stating the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics’ mission, purpose and goals. Along with this, she developed a model compliance program and a strong academic advising program for student-athletes that included counseling, course advisement, tutoring, progress checks and monitored study halls. In addition, she developed the Division’s first comprehensive community service program, which included all CSULA student-athletes and teams giving back to the local community.
 
Fundraising was a key component of CSULA’s success under Dunn, especially in the area of athletic scholarships. During her tenure, overall fundraising increased 10-fold.
 
Nationally, she was a well-respected administrator and served on numerous NCAA committees, including a five-year term on the prestigious NCAA Council from 1995-2000. Dunn also assumed roles as the chair of the NCAA Division II Amateurism Project Team as well as the NCAA Initial Eligibility Waiver Committee.
 
At the conference level, she served as the President of the California Collegiate Athletic Association in the 1992-93 and 1998-99 academic years. She was also a chair of the CCAA legislative committee and was a member of the CCAA Executive Council Board of Directors.
 
In 2001, Dunn was honored by her peers in the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics as one of the Athletic Directors of the Year. In 1991, she was named to the list of “2,000 Notable American Women.”