Telephone Conference August 29, 2002

Participants:

Christopher Bledsoe, New York University

Tim Downes, California Institute of Technology

Donna M. Ledwin, New Jersey Athletic Conference, chair

Del Malloy, Salve Regina University

Mark Molesworth, University of Wisconsin, Platteville

Kay Whitley, Sul Ross State University

Mweni Ekpo, NCAA

Rich McGlynn, NCAA

Leah Nilsson, NCAA, recording secretary

Charlie Titus, University of Massachusetts, Boston; and Anne Steele, Muskingum College were unable to participate.

[Note: These minutes contain only actions taken (formal votes or stated "sense of the meeting") in accordance with NCAA policy regarding minutes of all Association entities. While certain items on the committee's agenda were acted on at various times throughout the meeting, all final actions within a given topic are combined in these minutes for convenience of reference.]

The meeting was called to order at 9:30 a.m. by the chair, Ms. Ledwin. All were present as noted above.

1. Review of June 27-28 In-Person Meeting Minutes and July 18 Telephone Conference Minutes. The NCAA Division III Membership Committee reviewed minutes from its June 27-28 in-person meeting and July 17 telephone conference.

It was VOTED

"That the minutes from the June 27-28 in-person meeting be amended to reflect that Baptist Bible College and D’Youville College were recommended to move into the final year of provisional membership."

It was VOTED

"That the minutes from the June 27-28 in-person meeting be approved as amended and the minutes from the July 17 telephone conference be approved as distributed."

2. Westminster College (Pennsylvania) Response to Membership Contingency. The committee reviewed Westminster's (Pennsylvania) response to explain the institution’s policy of tracking full-time enrollment. The institution requested the committee provide suggestions about how to better involve the campus community when certifying the eligibility of student-athletes. The committee will send the institution written suggestions describing which campus constituent groups should be involved in certifying eligibility of student-athletes, and would like the institution to report back to the committee once changes have been implemented.

It was VOTED

"That the information submitted by Westminster (Pennsylvania) satisfies the committee’s membership contingency."

3. Spelman College Provisional Reclassification and Application of NCAA Bylaw 3.6.3.2. The committee discussed the language in Bylaw 3.6.3.2 and determined that an institution that was a provisional member of the NCAA prior to August 1, 2002 would not be required to fulfill the one-year exploratory period and would also be subject to the old education process as opposed to the new educational process. Further, the committee expressed concern that other provisional members may wish to reclassify to NCAA Division III provisional membership and avoid the new education process. Therefore, the committee will forward a recommendation to the NCAA Division III Management Council to clarify that NCAA Division I or II provisional institutions wishing to reclassify to Division III after August 1, 2002 must complete the new educational process but would not be required to fulfill the exploratory year.

It was VOTED

"That the membership committee recommend that the NCAA Division III Management Council adopt noncontroversial legislation that any Division I or II provisional member applying to reclassify to Division III be required to go through the new educational program, and would not be subject to the one-year exploratory period, effective immediately."

4. Review of Conference Application for the North Atlantic Conference. The committee reviewed the conference application for the North Atlantic Conference and noted that the conference was meeting conference-eligibility requirements but was not meeting the five-sport/three-season requirement to be eligible for all privileges of member conferences per Bylaw 3.3.2.

It was VOTED

"That the North Atlantic Conference be granted nonvoting conference membership."

5. Fall Exploratory Education Session Update. The committee received an update on the fall exploratory education session to be held October 24 at the NCAA national office. Ms. Ledwin will attend the educational session on behalf of the committee.

6. Reclassification and Division II Financial Aid Minimums. The committee reviewed Division III Bylaw 15.4.10 and Division II Bylaw 20.10.1.2 concerning financial aid requirements for institutions reclassifying from Division III to Division II. The committee would like to communicate with the NCAA Division II Membership Committee prior to taking any action to recommend an amendment to Division III Bylaw 15.4.10.

7. Future Teleconferences and In-Person Meetings. The committee reviewed its future meeting schedule, which is as follows:

a. September 25 telephone conference at 9 a.m. Central time;

b. October 31 telephone conference at 10 a.m. Eastern time;

c. December 5 telephone conference at 10 a.m. Eastern time; and

d. January 23-24, 2003, in-person meeting in Key West, Florida.

8. Adjournment. The conference call was adjourned at 10:40 a.m.

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