HACKENSACK, N.J. – Fairleigh Dickinson University Director of Athletics Bradford Hurlbut announced the results of a Values Assessment on Tuesday afternoon. The assessment was part of a strategic planning process which began in January 2020, was paused during the pandemic and recently completed in May 2021. During that process, the Department of Athletics worked with an athletics industry consultant, a number of University constituents and athletic alumni to examine the current organizational structure and sports sponsorship offerings as well as examine "what it means to be a Knight" in terms of values.
 
FDU student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and alumni participated in the process of creating and defining the five values. Each of the 19 teams as well as the coaching staffs, administrators and a set of alumni met separately with Hurlbut and Assistant Athletic Director for Academics and Student-Athlete Support Services Madison Townley. In each session, the group was divided into subsets of five to discuss the values they want the Athletic Department to uphold. They then reassembled to discuss, narrow and select the group's top values. Each group's "Top 5" were then entered into a poll and the student-athletes, coaches, administration and alumni were asked to select their "favorite five" values.   
 
As determined by the vote, the five Knight Values are: Integrity, Pride, Resilient, Respect and Unity.
 
The last step in the Assessment was defining the five values. That task was accomplished by bringing together five student-athletes, five coaches, five administrators and five Knight alumni to work together in defining each value. The five values have been defined as follows:
 
Integrity: I will always do the right thing for the right reason. As a member of the Knights Family, I will hold myself to a higher standard while holding others accountable as well. My character and actions will support the values and mission statements of our University. 
 
Pride: I will appreciate the privilege to represent the Burgundy and Blue and bring honor to all past, current, and future Knights.
 
Resilient: No matter the situation, or how tough the adversity, I will always bounce back and never give up on our collective pursuit to achieve greatness: academically, athletically, and socially. 
 
Respect: I will exhibit compassion for all Knights regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or political beliefs. I will listen to and show empathy towards the feelings, opinions, and beliefs of others while being honest with my own. 
 
Unity: Through mutual support, selflessness and inclusivity, I will lift up my fellow Knights to achieve our collective goals.
 

About FDU Knights Athletics:
 
The Knights are home to 21 NCAA Division I teams. A member of the Northeast Conference, FDU has had tremendous success in the classroom, in athletic competition, and giving back to the Bergen County community. In 2019-20 year, FDU won NEC championships in men's soccer and women's indoor track & field and followed that up with championships in 2020-2021 in women's bowling, men's tennis, and women's golf. In 2020, FDU student-athletes were also recognized for their efforts in the community by winning the NEC Building Communities Award with over 3,000 community service hours. Other recent milestones include men's basketball winning the 2019 NEC championship and going on to win the first NCAA Tournament game in school history. In addition to recent championships, FDU also holds two NCAA National Championships in the sport of women's bowling (2006, 2010).