REPORT OF THE JUNE 27-30, 2006
NCAA
DIVISION I COMMITTEE ON ATHLETICS CERTIFICATION
ACTION ITEMS.
·
Legislative
Action Items. [NOTE: These items were reviewed by the Management
Council Administrative Committee during its August teleconference.]
a. Amend NCAA Division I Bylaws 22.2.1.1 -
Institutional Control, Presidential Authority and Shared Responsibilities and
22.2.1.2 - Rules Compliance.
(1) Recommendation. The NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics Certification recommends the NCAA Division I Management Council sponsor legislation to amend NCAA Division I Bylaws 22.2.1.1 and 22.2.1.2 in the area of governance and commitment to rules compliance.
(2) Effective Date. August 1, 2008.
(3) Rationale. The athletics certification program is approaching the end of its second-cycle with the third-cycle beginning in 2008-09. The operating principle in Bylaw 22.2.1.1 will continue to emphasize presidential/chancellor authority over the intercollegiate athletics program and will also focus on involvement of governing boards with the athletics program. The proposed changes in Bylaw 22.2.1.2 will clarify the program’s standards related to rules compliance. The changes will specify that written policies and procedures must be communicated to individuals both inside and outside the athletics department who have rules compliance responsibilities. Further, the proposed changes will specify certain areas of responsibility that must be the same for student-athletes and students generally. Finally, the proposal clarifies the expectations for an institution’s rules-education program. These changes are a result of the committee’s examination of the athletics certification program in order to strengthen and clarify the operating principles in preparation for the third cycle.
(4) Estimated Budget
Impact. None.
(5) Student-Athlete Impact. None.
[Note:
Sponsored by the Management Council Ad Com.]
b.
Amend
Division I Bylaws 22.2.2.1 - Academic Standards and 22.2.2.2 - Academic
Support.
(1) Recommendation. The committee recommends the Management Council sponsor legislation to amend Bylaws 22.2.2.1 and 22.2.2.2 in the area of academic integrity.
(2) Effective date. August 1, 2008.
(3) Rationale. The athletics certification program is approaching the end of its second-cycle with the third-cycle beginning in 2008-09. These proposed changes clarify the program’s standards in the area of academic integrity. These changes to the academic standards operating principle will address the different measures of academic performance that are now available to the membership through the academic performance program. Additionally, institutions will be required to engage in further analysis for student-athletes with special academic needs and student-athletes admitted through a special admissions process, if applicable, or a specific academic profile, if the institution does not have a special admissions process. Further, changes to the academic support operating principle specify standards for the academic support services review and align this review timeline with that of the rules compliance review (i.e., at least once every four years) as required in Bylaw 22.2.1.2. Finally, the changes will incorporate a review of academic progress rate improvement plans developed by the institution since the institution’s previous self-study. These changes are a result of the committee’s examination of the athletics certification program in order to strengthen and clarify the operating principles in preparation for the third cycle.
(4) Estimated Budget Impact. None.
(5) Student-Athlete Impact. None.
[Note: Sponsored by the
Management Council Ad Com.]
c. Amend
Bylaws 22.2.3 - Equity and Student-Athlete Well-Being, 22.2.3.1 - Gender
Issues, 22.2.3.2 - Minority Issues and 22.2.3.3 - Student-Athlete Well-Being.
(1) Recommendation. The committee recommends the Management Council sponsor legislation to amend Bylaws 22.2.3, 22.2.3.1, 22.2.3.2 and 22.2.3.3 in the area of equity and student-athlete well-being.
(2) Effective date. August 1, 2008.
(3) Rationale. The athletics certification program is approaching the end of its second-cycle with the third-cycle beginning in 2008-09. These proposed changes specifically identify the three separate areas of focus for this area to be gender, diversity and student-athlete well-being. Further, these proposed changes more closely align the standards of the athletics certification program with that of the Association in the areas of gender, diversity and student-athlete well-being to ensure that the Division I membership is committed to fair and equitable treatment of student-athletes and staff, regardless of gender, race, ethnicity or other diverse backgrounds. These changes are a result of the committee’s examination of the athletics certification program in order to strengthen and clarify the operating principles in preparation for the third cycle.
(4) Estimated Budget Impact. None.
(5) Student-Athlete Impact. None.
[Note: Sponsored by the Management Council Ad Com.]
INFORMATIONAL
ITEMS.
1. Suspension of Committee Deliberations. The committee discussed its policy to suspend the athletics certification process when an institution is involved in NCAA enforcement activity. The committee was provided an overview of the NCAA enforcement process and procedures and discussed situations in which enforcement activity or other information may arise involving an institution that has completed or is currently engaged in the athletics certification process. The committee agreed to maintain its current policy to suspend the process for institutions who have received an official notice of inquiry or official notice of allegations from the NCAA enforcement staff. The committee also agreed to reserve the right to delay the issuance of a public release of a certification decision when appropriate based on developments at an institution in order to avoid a misinterpretation of the meaning of the decision or the purpose of the athletics certification process.
2. Measurable Standard Regarding Gender-Equity Plans. The committee approved a new measurable standard for NCAA Operating Principle 3.1, effective with Class 9 institutions. The new measurable standard clarifies the committee’s expectations regarding the use of surveys (e.g., a Web survey, hard-copy survey) to assess interest in athletics and specifies that the committee will not interpret a lack of response to the survey as a lack of interest. The committee adopted the following measurable standard related to Operating Principle 3.1:
Please
note, for the program area of accommodations of interest and ability, the use
of surveys alone does not constitute a thorough review. If an institution chooses to use a
survey (e.g., a Web survey or hard-copy survey) as one of its sources of data,
the committee will expect an explanation regarding populations surveyed, the
survey response rate and the method used to interpret the data.
3. Consideration of Athletics Certification Requirements for Multidivisional Institutions. The committee received an update from the ad hoc group of committee members and individuals from the NCAA Division I Management Council Membership Subcommittee regarding a possible athletics certification process for multidivisional institutions that sponsor a Division I sport(s). The committee will continue discussion regarding possible requirements for multidivisional institutions. The committee will identify key issues and questions for the membership subcommittee to review during its August meeting.
4. Committee Policies and Procedures. The committee approved a revision to its policies and procedures manual to clarify the committee’s discretion to use any information it deems relevant in reaching a certification decision (e.g., information on an institution’s Web site). Further, the committee approved policies that allow it to continue to review an institution (and not render a certification decision) when the institution fails to meet Division I membership obligations and/or when the committee becomes aware of new developments at the institution.
5. Continuation of Third-Cycle Planning. The committee continued its third-cycle planning efforts in several areas. As noted above, the committee approved revisions to the operating principles and forwarded these to the Management Council to sponsor legislation for the 2006-07 cycle. In addition, the committee approved revisions to its philosophy statement for the third-cycle. Further, the committee continued discussion of mechanisms designed to increase accountability by requiring institutions to identify an individual on the institution’s campus to be responsible for tracking athletics certification-related activity between cycles. The committee adopted the following philosophy statement for the third-cycle:
The NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics Certification (hereafter
referred to as “committee”) is charged by
the Division I membership to assist institutions in identifying mechanisms to
ensure intercollegiate athletics programs are operating in accordance with the
high standards and core values of Division I. An institution is expected to conduct an
accurate self-study that involves broad-based campus participation. The committee, and a visiting
peer-review team, will provide an objective evaluation of the institution’s
program based on legislated operating principles adopted by the
membership. Further, the committee
expects institutions to routinely monitor and implement its plans for
improvement to ensure these plans are completed on time. The certification program is designed to
help an institution improve and to make continual progress toward its stated
objectives and build on previous certification reviews. The committee will allow ample time for
an institution to consider its programs, identify deficiencies and take steps
to correct them. If the self-study
reveals deficiencies in the intercollegiate athletics program, the committee
will work collaboratively with the institution to achieve those corrective
actions or will withhold certification if the institution fails to remedy its
deficiencies. Through its actions,
the committee will monitor the effectiveness of the certification program to
ensure the NCAA’s fundamental commitment to
integrity in intercollegiate athletics is supported and that the program
continues to emphasize applicable principles of the Association.
6.
NCAA
Presidential Task Force. The
committee heard a summary of the NCAA Presidential Task Force’s
discussions related to the athletics certification program. The committee noted the task force is
supportive of strengthening presidential control, increasing chancellor or
president involvement with peer-review team visits and increasing the number of
chancellors or presidents that serve on the committee. In addition, the task force discussed
reinstituting the fiscal integrity operating principle to focus on responsible
fiscal practices related to campus athletic programs. The committee will review a copy of the
task force’s report when it becomes available this fall.
7.
Second-Cycle
Certification Decisions. The
committee engaged in deliberations regarding the second-cycle athletics
certification status of 19 institutions.
The following
institutions were certified:
Alabama A&M University; Bucknell University; Central Connecticut State University;
College of Charleston (South Carolina); Delaware State University; Duke
University; Middle Tennessee State University; University of New Mexico;
University of North Carolina, Charlotte; University of Pennsylvania; Saint
Joseph’s University; University of Southern Mississippi; Stephen F.
Austin State University; Stetson University;
The following
institutions were certified with conditions: Eastern Kentucky University and
Committee chair: Leo M. Lambert, President,