NCAA Division III Strategic Initiatives Grant Program

 

 

The Division III Strategic Initiatives Grant Program was formally approved by the Presidents and Management Councils during their October 2005 meetings.  The program was also endorsed by the Division III Strategic-Planning Subcommittee and Division III Commissioners Association.  Effective 2006-07, all NCAA Division III voting conferences and the Association of Division III Independents will receive an additional annual grant allowance.  The allocation will be increased significantly and replace the current annual allocations of $10,000 (technology) and $2,000 (SAAC), as well as transfer to conferences the responsibility to administer several existing grant programs and enhancements (included as part of the ongoing Division III Strategic Initiatives programs).

 

The Strategic Initiatives grant program is intended to encourage collaboration and involvement of all Division III constituent group representatives in the planning, decision-making and accountability of programming to achieve the goals established in the division’s strategic plan.  The program offers Division III conference members and the Association of Independents, the opportunity to determine at the appropriate “local level” how to achieve the clearly defined annual and cyclical broad areas of focus.  Presidential oversight and accountability with the new process and budget allocations, consistent with the legislated leadership role of presidents within conference governance, is paramount.

 

The program consists of annual grants that target three strategic goals, or “Tiers”:

 

Tier One – Professional Development, Education and Communication.

Annual Mandatory Enhancements

·                     Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

·                     Compliance and Rules Seminar Education.

·                     Faculty Athletic Representative Enhancement – FARA Fall Forum.

·                     SWA Enhancement – NACWAA Convention.

·                     Sports Information Director Workshop (Bi-Annual).

·                     Academic/Chief Student Affairs Officer Education – NCAA Convention.

·                     Commissioners Meeting.

 

Tier Two – Social Responsibility and Integration.

Four-Year Rotation Cycle

·                     Student-Athlete Well Being/Community Service Initiatives.

·                     Diversity and Gender-Equity Initiatives.

·                     Sportsmanship Initiatives.

 

Tier Three – Quality of the Participation Experience.

Strategic Enhancements (These are examples ONLY)

·                     Technology.

·                     Officiating Improvement.

·                     Training, Sports Medicine and Nutrition.

·                     Promotions and Marketing/Division III Identity.

·                     Championships Enhancements.

·                     Professional Development.

 

TOTAL ANNUAL ALLOCATION:      $31,000 - 46,000 per conference and $72,250 to the Association of Independents, based on the number of institutions.

 

TOTAL DIVISION III ANNUAL ALLOCATION:  Approximately $1,560,000.

 

NOTE:            Division III programs and funding that will remain under National Office oversight include:

 

·                     NAD3AA Partnership.  ($49,500)

·                     Women and Minority Internship Grant.  ($720,000)

·                     SWA Enhancement – NACWAA/Hers Institute.  ($45,000)

·                     Strategic Alliance Matching Grant.  ($880,200)

·                     Student-Athlete Leadership Conferences.  ($500,000)

Total - $2,194,700

 

 

Grant Program Rationale:

 

·                     Encourages broader-based initiative participation and collaboration by making numerous menu items available automatically (eliminating NCAA application selection process).  Conference administrators and members will have a more organized way of sharing ideas and information as appropriate at the “local level.”  Involvement of conference constituent group members is required.

 

·                     Clearly defines key divisional priorities, consistent with the strategic plan, and allocates resources for each conference and Association of Independents to establish a broad-based process for selection and participation.

 

·                     Clearly defines mandatory items as well as specific menu items to stimulate additional avenues of enhancement. (e.g., officiating improvement, promotions and marketing, compliance and rules education and championships enhancement).

 

·                     Supports efforts for increased cost saving measures and more efficient operations by decreasing NCAA national office application processes, finance and business office processes, and overhead fees, particularly fees associated with the administration of the current Initiative Grant program and related overhead expenses.

 

·                     As the NCAA grows to improve and expand upon its services to its membership, conference offices have also grown significantly to do the same.  In fact, the NCAA is relying more and more on conference offices to serve as a conduit between the national office and member institutions.  This program will enhance this effort in a manner consistent with Association-wide and divisional strategic goals.

 

 

·                     Easier to administer and file with one single Budget Request Form and one Detailed Report.  Takes items that are now piecemeal with varied application deadlines and communication vehicles and puts them in control of the membership for processing and accountability.  Permits conferences and Association of Independents to create customized administrative frame works and selection guidelines as appropriate.

 

·                     Greater autonomy adds flexibility to allow for different projects in different years.  Instead of spending $10,000 annually on technology, it may be wiser for a conference or Association of Independents to hold off for a year in that area while using those funds in another area.

 

Grant Program General Policies:

 

·                     Grant Program begins with the 2006-07 NCAA Division III budget year (September 1, 2006). 

 

·                     Annually, a Requisition Form must be submitted to the NCAA national office prior to each academic year with a detailed Impact Form submitted at the end of each year to ensure accountability.  For the 2006-07 inaugural grant program, the Requisition Form is due June 30, 2006 and the Impact Form due June 1, 2007.  Future due dates will be determined.  To ensure broad-based involvement, signatures are required on both forms from the conference executive, and a representative of the conferences chancellors/presidents, directors of athletics, senior woman administrators, faculty athletics representatives and SAAC.

 

·                     A broad-based, conference-wide dialogue should occur to determine the best approach for the conference to establish the policies to govern the distribution of funds and the selection of grant recipients.

 

·                     The Division III Strategic-Planning Subcommittee will oversee the grant program.  NCAA staff will review all Requisition Forms and issue checks to conferences.  For the 2006-07 inaugural grant program, checks will be mailed September 1, 2006.  The Impact Forms will be submitted to NCAA staff; however, they will be reviewed in detail on an annual basis by the Strategic-Planning Subcommittee to determine consistency with Division III strategic goals and objectives and policies of the grant program.  The subcommittee will also recommend changes, as appropriate, regarding program components, budget allocation, unused funds and individual conference commitment to the program.

 

·                     The Division III Strategic-Planning Subcommittee and NCAA staff reserve the right to request further details and information on allocation and use of funds at any time.

 

 

·                     Resource Allocations.

 

o                    Provisional members (06-07) are not included in financial calculations.  Affected conferences that have provisional members may choose to share grant resources with those members (Allegheny Mountain, Great South, Michigan, and North Eastern).

o                    Conferences with members in two conferences (Atlantic Women’s, Capital, Liberty, NESCAC and UAA) will receive allocations for “half-members (.5)”.

o                    Association of Division III Independents will support its current members as well as independents not currently members of the association (Total 21) to receive resource allocations.  The total membership and subsequent allocation equals five percent of grant resources.

o                    Tiers One and Three allocations are conference based; all conferences receive the same allocation.  Tier Two allocations are based on the number of active member institutions in the conference.  All conferences will also receive an annual allocation to support administrative functions.

o                    Allocations may vary each year based on fluctuating conference and Association of Division III Independent membership.

o                    More than a total of $1,000 of unused funds (all three tiers) must be returned at the end of each year.  Unused funds totaling less than $1,000 may remain with the conference; however, a justification and plans for their future use must be submitted as a component of the Impact Form.  Further, Tier One excess resources must remain in Tier One.  Flexibility exists for moving excess resources of less than $1,000 between Tiers Two and Three only.

 

·                     Tier One - Professional Development, Education and Communication.  Annual Mandatory Enhancements.  The strategic goal is to support each constituent group for professional development, education and communication on an annual basis.  Specific allocations may vary depending on needs or location of professional development/education experiences and may also be split among more than one individual within a constituent group.  If specific member institutions are funding constituent professional development/education and no other interest in the grant exists within a particular group, then conference reallocation to another constituent group within Tier One is permitted.  Unused resources under $1,000 can carry over within Tier One, with a justification submitted on the Impact Form. 

 

·                     Tier Two - Social Responsibility and Integration.  Four-Year Rotation Cycle.  Core values of our division will shine through in this particular area.  Each of the three areas (Student-Athlete Well-Being/Community Service, Sportsmanship and Diversity, and Gender Equity) must be addressed at least once within a four-year cycle at the annual amount the conference receives for Tier Two.  Funds can be used for conference-wide programming or provided to institutions.  Distributions can be based on equity, rotation or selection.  If you complete your cycle of


programming in three years (e.g., Year 1 - Diversity, Year 2 - Student-Athlete Well-Being/Community Service, Year 3 - Sportsmanship) then in Year 4 the resources may be used in any of the tiers to meet conference needs.  Unused resources under $1,000 can carry over within any Tier with a justification submitted on the Impact Form.

 

·                     Tier Three - Quality of the Participation Experience.  Optional Strategic Enhancements.  This Tier emphasizes autonomy to utilize the pool of resources for a series of optional strategic enhancements to address conference needs, consistent with the goals of the Division III strategic plan.  Particular emphasis should be placed on the impact and quality of the participation experience for student-athletes.

 

·                     Questions regarding Grant Program should be directed to:  Bridget Belgiovine (bbelgiovine@ncaa.org) or Dan Dutcher (ddutcher@ncaa.org).