Engineer management case study
You are the athletic director at a large private university with a highly comprehensive, highly competitive intercollegiate athletics program. Every year the football team is ranked in the top 25 and is always in the hunt for an NCAA Division I national championship. The football team captain at your university has just been in your office. He presented you with a petition signed by 70% of the players that requests permission to start the process leading to unionization. The players aren't asking to be paid, but they believe it is in their best interests to have union protection when it comes to their physical well-being, academic progress, and financial affairs. Since you are at a private university, the players are within their rights and can speak with unions such as the National College Players Association about representing them. The next step in the process will be for the players to distribute formal "union cards" for signatures. If at least 30% sign the cards, they could ask the National Labor Relations Board to endorse their request to unionize. This is a complete surprise to you.
Questions
You have to contact the university president, but you want to be well prepared. What notes will you make about on goals, critical issues, possible outcomes, and stakeholders in this situation? What will be on your list of possible recommendations? What will be your preferred course of action, and why?