REPORT OF THE

NCAA DIVISION III MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

1. ACTION ITEMS.

a. Reclassification Waiver Authority – NCAA Bylaw 20.6.2.3.

(1) Recommendation. Adopt noncontroversial legislation to grant the NCAA Division III Membership Committee authority to waive years of the four-year reclassification process when unique circumstances exist.

(2) Rationale. On review of the unique circumstances surrounding an institution's reclassification to Division III, the committee determined there are some instances where relief of the four-year reclassification process may be warranted (e.g., an institution applying Division III legislation for one full year prior to making application to reclassify to Division III).

b. Reclassification Request from Green Mountain College.

(1) Recommendation. That Green Mountain College's request for active membership status effective 2005-06 be denied, but that retroactive credit be granted to Green Mountain for the 2003-04 academic year to be counted toward its four-year reclassification, effectively waiving one year of the reclassification process provided Green Mountain fulfills the educational requirements contained in the overall four-year educational program for reclassifying institutions.

(2) Rationale. During its review of Green Mountain's request, the committee determined that Green Mountain's application of Division III financial aid regulations to incoming students in 2003-04 warrants the retroactive application of the reclassification period for that year. The committee also noted that it has fashioned the four-year reclassification period such that an institution will have time to adjust operational practices and philosophical values of the athletics department to align with the Division III philosophy statement. The committee determined that Green Mountain has not spent enough time in the Division III program to assure the committee that this shift has taken place. The committee also noted the fundamental differences between Divisions II and III, and that the institution would benefit from participating more fully in the Division III educational process before being granted active status.

c. Legislative and Policy Options for Institutions that do not Fully Meet Program Requirements – NCAA Constitution 3.6.

(1) Recommendation. Adopt noncontroversial legislation to grant the committee authority to place an institution in restricted membership status for its first year of active membership. The committee will establish the parameters of restricted membership to include loss of any or all of the following: championship access, voting privileges, Division III grants and initiatives and catastrophic insurance.

(2) Rationale. Based on its review of the NCAA Division III Management Council directive to explore future legislative and policy options for institutions that do not fully meet program requirements, the committee determined that a loss of championships access, voting privileges, grants and insurance would be the most meaningful way to demonstrate concern over an institution's active membership status. The committee shall have the authority to select from the particular parameters to best accommodate an institution's individual circumstance.

d. Definitions of Probation and Restricted Membership – Constitution 3.

(1) Recommendation. Adopt noncontroversial legislation to add definitions of the terms "probation" and "restricted" membership to the constitution.

(2) Rationale. The committee does not have an official definition of the terms probation and restricted membership. It will be important to have official definitions for these terms as the committee confers that status on institutions.

e. Championships Eligibility When Pursuing Multidivision Classification – Bylaw 20.4.

(1) Recommendation. Adopt noncontroversial legislation to specify an institution that has forwarded to the national office written notice of its intention to reclassify a sport to Division I no longer shall be able to participate in any future Division III championships for the affected sport.

(2) Rationale. There has not been a bylaw to describe the championships eligibility of an institution that has forwarded to the national office written notice of its intention to reclassify a sport to Division I. The recommendation is consistent with eligibility of an institution that has forwarded to the national office written notice of its intention to reclassify it entire program to Division II.

f. Review Authority for Membership Waivers and Applications.

(1) Recommendation. Adopt noncontroversial legislation to amend the review authority of membership waivers, as follows:

(a) Amend NCAA Constitution 3.2.4.12.5 (male-female enrollment ratio waiver) to specify that male-female enrollment ratio waivers shall be submitted to the committee.

(b) Amend Constitution 3.2.5.1 (termination or suspension) to specify that the notice of intention to suspend or terminate membership shall be given, in writing, to the NCAA Executive Committee.

(c) Amend Constitution 3.6.4.2 (self-study and annual review) to specify that the provisional institution's written report is to be reviewed by the committee with Management Council approval.

(d) Amend NCAA Bylaws 20.4.2.1 (deadline for submission of approved form), 20.4.3.1 (deadline for submission of approved form), 20.6.2.1 (reclassification to Division II – notification requirement) and 20.6.2.2 (deadline for submission of approved form) to specify that institutions shall notify the committee when petitioning for Division III membership.

(2) Rationale. Several of the review authorities for membership waivers and applications no longer exist in the Division III structure or are no longer used in common practice. This proposal would specify more appropriate review bodies for membership waivers and applications.

g. Failure to Comply with the Institutional Self-Study Guide Deadline – Constitution 6.3.1.

(1) Recommendation. Adopt noncontroversial legislation to place institutions failing to comply with the NCAA Division III Institutional Self-Study Guide (ISSG) deadline on probation. Further, if an institution does not submit the ISSG Notification of Completion Form within one year of the original deadline, that institution shall be placed in restricted membership status.

(2) Rationale. After reviewing the list of 56 Division III institutions that have failed to submit their ISSG Notification of Completion Form by the deadline, the committee expressed a desire to strengthen the meaning of the ISSG deadline. The institution would be notified of this status with a deadline to submit the ISSG completion form. Repeated failure to submit the completion would move the institution to restricted membership. The committee also noted that conference commissioners would be copied on the institution’s correspondence related to any late submission.

h. Tennis - Minimum Number of Participants – Bylaw 20.11.3.3.

(1) Recommendation. Sponsor noncontroversial legislation to increase the minimum number of participants in tennis to six.

(2) Rationale. The previous minimum number of participants had been set at five participants, which is not enough participants to complete a match. Six participants is the minimum number to complete an NCAA tennis competition.

i. Failure to Submit Annual Electronic Report – Bylaw 15.4.1.1.

(1) Recommendation. Sponsor legislation for the 2006 NCAA Convention to specify that institutions failing to submit the annual financial aid electronic report be moved to probation, restricted status and corresponding membership on repeated failures of submission.

(2) Rationale. On recommendation from the NCAA Division III Financial Aid and Awards Committee, the committee determined that, due to the importance of the report and its relationships to the Division III philosophy, repeated failure to submit the annual electronic report should result in a loss of Division III membership.

j. Waiver of Minimum Contest Requirement – Bylaw 20.11.3.3.9.2.

(1) Recommendation. That Management Council deny Westminster College's request for a waiver of the sport sponsorship minimum contest requirements per Bylaw 20.11.3.3.9.2.

(2) Rationale. The committee noted that Westminster (Missouri) could satisfy Division III sports sponsorship requirements by scheduling a complete women's golf schedule this spring and that the unexpected resignation of a coach should not lead to an inability to complete a season. The committee expressed some concern about the number of student-athletes who quit the team in volleyball as well as the health of the women's golf roster. Finally, the committee noted that the institution had ample time between the resignation of the volleyball coach and the spring golf season to strengthen the women's golf schedule and recruit golf participants to satisfy Division III sports sponsorship requirements.

2. INFORMATIONAL ITEMS.

a. Acceleration of the Provisional Membership Process. The committee considered an acceleration mechanism for the provisional and reclassifying membership program, noting that some institutions may exhibit a readiness for Division III active membership more quickly than other institutions. At this time, the committee remains committed to a four-year provisional membership process with no acceleration mechanism, as the program is designed to help an institution adjust to operational practices and philosophical values of the athletics department to align with the Division III philosophy statement and that valuable activities occur in each of the four years of the provisional membership program.

b. Provisional Member Attendance at Regional Leadership Conference. The committee recommended allowing years three and four provisional institutions the opportunity to participate in the Student-Athlete Regional Leadership Conference within their respective region and that provisional participants be eligible to receive NCAA funding to attend the conference.

c. Future of Division III Convention Forum Feedback. The committee reviewed the membership comments from the 2005 NCAA Convention forum to provide feedback to the Joint Subcommittee on the Future of Division III. The committee identified the following items for the Oversight Committee to discuss in more detail:

(1) Enable Division III institutions to reclassify to Divisions I and II;

(2) Adjust sports sponsorship requirements based on enrollment;

(3) Increase minimum contest requirements for sports sponsorship;

(4) Increase the minimum number of required student-athlete participants in individual sports, if the sport is used to meet the minimum sports sponsorship requirements;

(5) Continue to permit national dual membership affiliations;

(6) To what extent are chief executive officers (CEO) involved in the oversight of intercollegiate athletics;

(7) Better incorporate the individual to whom the athletics director reports;

(8) Realignment without loss of automatic qualification for a limited time period; and

(9) Creation of a Conference Self-Study Guide.

d. NCAA Support of Administrator to Whom the Athletics Director Reports. As shown in the Future of Division III – Phase II survey responses, 48 percent of Division III athletics directors report to an individual other than the CEO (e.g., chief academic affairs officer, chief student affairs officer). Based on the Division III reporting lines, the committee agreed to include the administrator to whom the athletics director reports in its member education program. To this end, the committee will pursue the following initiatives:

(1) Providing an opportunity for Convention grants;

(2) Expanding the membership database to include the "top six;"

(3) Including the appropriate reporting lines in the ISSG;

(4) NCAA staff presenting information at the chief student affairs annual convention; and

(5) Providing NCAA Convention programming.

e. ISSG Updates. The committee approved two questions related to certification of insurance to be added to the Sports Medicine section of the ISSG, as well as a membership education checklist.

f. Conference Orientation. The committee approved the conference orientation concept and directed the NCAA staff to implement the orientation program. The committee also asked for feedback from the Division III Commissioner Association and will make the program available to all conferences that have an interest.

Committee Chair: Del Malloy, Salve Regina University

Staff Liaisons: Leah Nilsson, Membership Services

Susan Peal, Membership Services