REPORT OF THE
NCAA DIVISION III
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
1. ACTION ITEMS.
a.
Editorial
Revision ? NCAA Constitution 3.6.1.5 (Five-Sport/Three Season Requirement).
(1) Recommendation. Editorially revise NCAA Constitution 3.6.1.5
by adding language to clarify that an applicant institution must sponsor at
least one sport per season per gender to begin provisional membership, and also
to refer to the affected institution as the applicant institution, rather than
the provisional institution. Thus, the
first two sentences of Constitution 3.6.1.5 should state: "At the time of application, an
applicant institution must have at least five sports for each gender, three of
which must be team sports (per Bylaw 17). In addition, an applicant institution
must sponsor at least one sport per gender, per season (e.g., fall, winter,
spring)."
(2) Rationale. The NCAA Division III Membership Committee
determined that Constitution 3.6.1.5 did not clearly reflect the committee's
intent and that the recommended changes were necessary to answer questions
posed by exploratory institutions.
(3)
Budget Impact. None.
b.
Financial
Aid ? NCAA Bylaw 15.4.10 (Membership Reclassification).
(1)
Recommendation. Sponsor legislation to modify NCAA Bylaw
15.4.10 to permit a Division III institution that is reclassifying to Division
II to provide athletics aid to any eligible student-athlete if the institution
has been accepted by the NCAA Division II Membership Committee to begin the
reclassification process and the Division III institution notifies all of its
opponents that it is providing athletics aid.
(2)
Rationale. Under current legislation, Division III
institutions wishing to reclassify to Division II are put in an impossible
position of meeting Division II financial aid minimums for reclassification,
while not being permitted to provide athletics aid to student-athletes who
enrolled in the institution prior to the institution's request for
reclassification. Thus, the
reclassifying institution would be forced to commit a violation of Division III
financial aid regulations in order to satisfy the Division II reclassification
requirements.
(3)
Budget Impact. None.
c.
Length
of Reclassifying Membership Period ? Bylaws 20.6.2.3, 20.6.2.3.1 and
20.6.2.3.2.
(1)
Recommendation. Sponsor legislation to amend Bylaws 20.6.2.3,
20.6.2.3.1 and 20.6.2.3.2 to lengthen the reclassification process from three
to four years and require completion of a four-year educational program for
those institutions wishing to reclassify from Division II to Division III. Reclassifying institutions shall be subject
to the educational fee of $12,000.
(2)
Rationale. The committee determined that institutions
reclassifying form Division II should be held to the same standard as
institutions reclassifying from Division I.
Further, the committee felt that all reclassifying institutions would
benefit from a four-year educational program, similar to the program for
provisional members, but tailored to meet the needs of reclassifying institutions.
(3)
Budget
Impact. None.
2. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS.
a.
Exploratory
Member Issues. The
committee agreed to add information regarding the NCAA Division III
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee to the exploratory education program. The committee also discussed the handling of
exploratory institutions that will not begin provisional membership in the
2003-04 year. The committee encourages
those institutions to become an affiliated or corresponding member of the NCAA
until beginning provisional membership, and staff will send the Division III
newsletter to those institutions waiting to begin provisional membership. Finally, the committee discussed the
deferral process for exploratory institutions and will require those
institutions wishing to defer the start of the provisional membership process
to clearly indicate the year in which the institution wishes to defer prior to
the provisional membership lottery. If
an institution notifies the committee that it desires to defer the provisional
process after it has been slotted in an academic year, that institution will be
placed at the end of the line of all institutions already officially
slotted. The provisional membership
lottery will be conducted at the June in-person committee meeting.
b.
Provisional
Member Issues. The
committee determined that provisional members required to repeat a year of
provisional membership should be required to pay an additional fee for the
repeated year. Thus, an institution
will be charged $3,000 for each year of repeated provisional membership to
cover the expenses related to the additional year of provisional
membership. The committee updated the
provisional member education program to require provisional chief executive
officers and athletics directors to attend the Division III Convention Business
Session during each of the years they are required to attend the
Convention. The committee also established
a chief executive officer orientation session in year one and made attendance
at regional rules seminars optional in year three of the provisional membership
process.
c. Membership Status of the Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School. The committee reviewed a statement from the Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School and confirmed that the Apprentice School shall be considered a corresponding member of the NCAA rather than an active Division III member. The committee noted that the Apprentice School is not eligible for active membership due to the fact that it does not grant four-year degrees.
d. Discussion of the Ad Hoc Committee Report. The committee discussed the ad hoc report and engaged in a discussion concerning the governance structure. The committee indicated it was not in favor of the representative structure used in Division I, but it is supportive of the current one institution, one vote system. The committee indicated that Division III should continue to develop any and all means to increase presidential involvement. The committee believes that presidents are as engaged in athletics department issues as much as any other department on campus. The committee suggested requiring that one president from each conference must attend the Convention. The committee expressed concern that the legislative process is increasingly being driven from the top down rather than from the membership. As a result, the committee suggests providing further education to conference commissioners in an attempt to further educate the Division III membership.
e. Institutional Self-Study Guide (ISSG) Revisions. The committee agreed to add a question regarding the senior woman administrator in section five of the ISSG and also to add questions concerning the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee in sections 10 and 11.
Staff
Liaisons: Ellen
Ferris, Rich McGlynn and Leah Nilsson, Membership Services