1.

ISSUE:

Provisional Membership Process.

Approve the following series of recommendations related to provisional membership, to be effective with the termination of the current membership moratorium:

a.

Increased Application Fee. The current application fee of $2,500 is not comparable to the amount of service and education provided to provisional members. The committee agreed that the fee should reflect the actual (or approximate) cost of the service and education provided to provisional members. The committee will consider an exact amount in the future based on the new educational program. (See attachment.)

b.

Rules Test. Each provisional member must administer the Division III Rules Test to its coaching staff members by the conclusion of year two of the provisional membership process. This will provide additional education for new Division III coaches. [This test will be made available to active members as a resource for their coaching staffs.]

c.

Exploratory Period. Require each institution interested in applying for provisional membership to proceed through an "exploratory period" the year immediately before application for provisional membership. During this year, each school would be required to attend an informational meeting at the NCAA Convention. The start of this year would be triggered by a "registration" or similar process with the national office.

d.

Athletically-Related Financial Aid. At the time of application (i.e., effective during year one of provisional membership), a provisional member applicant may not award any new athletically-related financial aid. Current legislation prohibits provisional members from awarding any new athletically related aid at the conclusion of year one. Each institution may continue to award athletically-related aid to existing recipients through the conclusion of year two (consistent with the current rule).

e.

Sports-Sponsorship Requirement. At the time of application, each provisional member must have at least five sports for each gender, three of which must be team sports. Each provisional member also must sponsor at least one sport each season. These sports are not required to be in full compliance with minimum contest and minimum participant requirements until the start of year two. Current legislation permits an institution two years before full compliance with sports-sponsorship requirements.

f.

Each provisional member must complete the yet-to-be-finalized financial aid audit prior to year four of provisional membership and during each subsequent year.

g.

Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR). Each provisional member must appoint a FAR by the completion of the first year of provisional membership.

h.

Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). Each provisional member must implement a campus SAAC by the completion of the first year of provisional membership.

Approve the new provisional member education process effective with the provisional class of 2002-03 as amended. The Council noted:

a.

Commitment to a comprehensive program and the provisional application fee should reflect the actual cost of the service and education provided to provisional members.

b.

Need for consistency within the Association, particularly Divisions II and III education programs. (See attachments.)

c.

Concern relative to large number of new members.

d.

Impact of increased application fees for some small institutions.

1.

ISSUE:

Sports-Sponsorship Requirements for Single-Gender Institutions (Bylaw 3.2.4.10.4).

Sponsor legislation to create a three-year waiver opportunity of compliance with sports-sponsorship requirements for an institution that is transitioning from single-gender to coeducational status. The waiver must be requested prior to the transition and must include a detailed action plan outlining the steps that will be taken to ensure compliance with sports sponsorship requirements at the end of the three-year period.

Agreed to sponsor noncontroversial legislation to amend Bylaw 3.2.4.10.4 to create an exception.

2.

ISSUE:

NCAA Division III Constitution 3 – Noncontroversial Legislation.

Sponsor noncontroversial legislation to amend various references in Constitution 3 to make legislation consistent with the current practice relating to Division III membership issues. The revisions would clarify that the Division III Management Council, on recommendation of the Division III Membership Committee, may act in accordance with the specific membership legislation.

Agreed to adopt noncontroversial legislation.

3.

ISSUE:

Counting Multi-Season Sports – Winter Sports (Constitution 3.2.4.10.1).

Sponsor noncontroversial legislation to modify Constitution 3.2.4.10.1 to indicate that for a multi-season sport to be considered a winter sport, the majority of contests must occur from December through March.

Agreed to adopt noncontroversial legislation.

4.

ISSUE:

Reclassification Process – Annual Report (Bylaw 20.6).

Sponsor noncontroversial legislation to require institutions reclassifying to Division III from NCAA Divisions I or II to complete and submit an annual report by June 15 each year during the reclassification process similar to schools in the provisional membership process.

Agreed to adopt noncontroversial legislation.

5.

ISSUE:

Reclassification Process – Rules Test (Bylaw 20.6).

Sponsor noncontroversial legislation to require institutions reclassifying into Division III to administer the NCAA Division III Rules Test to coaching staff members by the end of year two of the reclassification process.

Agreed to adopt noncontroversial legislation.

6.

ISSUE:

Waiver of ISSG -- Westminster College.

Approve a waiver of the requirement for completing the Institutional Self-Study Guide (ISSG) for Westminster College provided the institution completes the ISSG during its second year of the reclassification process.

Approved waiver, noting that the institution had not received the ISSG from the NCAA.

 7.

ISSUE:

Waiver of Sports-Sponsorship Requirements – Elms College.

Approve a waiver for Elms until August 1, 2002, in accordance with Constitution 3.2.4.10.5 of the five-sport/three-season requirement based on the low male/female enrollment ratio.

Approved the waiver.

8.

ISSUE:

Waiver of Acceptable Sports – Maine Maritime Academy.

Approve a waiver until August 1, 2003, in accordance with NCAA Bylaw 20.11.3.1.1 to permit the institution to count women's sailing towards meeting the five-sport/three-season requirement.

Approved the waiver.

9.

ISSUE:

Waiver of Sports-Sponsorship Requirements – Massachusetts Maritime
Academy.

Approve a waiver until August 1, 2003 in accordance with Constitution 3.2.4.10.6 and Bylaw 20.11.3.1.1 to waive the one-sport each season requirement for each gender and permit the sport of women's sailing to be counted toward meeting the five-sport/three-season requirement.

Approved the waiver.

10.

ISSUE:

Waiver of Sports-Sponsorship Requirements – Polytechnic University (NY).

Approve a waiver for 2000-01 in accordance with Bylaw 20.11.3.1.1 to permit the institution to count women's judo as a winter sport for women towards meeting the one-sport each season requirement.

Approved the waiver, noting that this should be the final waiver granted to this institution.

11.

ISSUE:

Editorial Revisions (Constitution 3.02.3.2; 3.6.1.1.1, Bylaw 20.2.2).

Approve editorial revisions to Constitutions 3.02.3.2 and 3.6.1.1.1 and Bylaw 20.2.2 to indicate that provisional membership shall not be less than four years in length.

Approved the editorial revisions.

1.

ISSUE:

Provisional Member Annual Report Review Process.

The committee will create three "working groups" of three committee members, including matching "new" committee members with "experienced" committee members. Each working group will be assigned eight to nine annual reports to review, with each committee member reviewing each report assigned to their working group prior to the in-person meeting. On the first day of the in-person meeting, each working group will share their reactions/concerns about each annual report. The group would then report its overall opinion to the full committee that would make all recommendations, based on the
working group's presentation. In addition, the full committee will review all recommendations on the second day of the in-person meeting to ensure consistency.

Accepted the information.

2.

ISSUE:

2000 NCAA Convention Proposal Nos. 49 (Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committees) and 50 (Ultimate Conference Authority).

The committee will send a letter to each voting member conference requesting signatures from the conference commissioner and/or top-level conference administrator verifying compliance with these proposals. Proposal Nos. 49 and 50 require the implementation of a conference student-athlete advisory committee and that institutional chief executive officers have the ultimate authority and responsibility for the operation and conduct of the conference, respectively.

Accepted the information.

 3.

ISSUE:

Five-Sport/Three-Season Notice.

The committee agreed to send a letter this spring to each of the 27 schools that are not currently in compliance with the new five-sport/three-season requirements (effective August 1, 2001) reminding them of the increase. This would be the third notice sent to the Division III membership over the past 12 months.

Accepted the information.

4.

ISSUE:

Conference ISSG.

The committee discussed the possibility of creating a conference ISSG that would be provided as a tool for member conferences. The committee envisions that this document would highlight the need for written documentation of conference procedures, such as hardship-waiver policies, communication lines between conference personnel and the conference's student-athlete advisory committee guidelines. The committee will seek input from Division III conference commissioners this summer.

Accepted the information.