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