REPORT OF THE

NCAA DIVISION III MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE

 

 

1.     ACTION ITEMS.

 

a.       Preliminary Program Assessment.

 

(1)      Recommendation.  To amend NCAA Constitution 3.6.1.1.1.1 (waiver) to indicate that the preliminary program assessment shall be submitted with the four-year provisional/reclassification waiver application.

 

(2)      Rationale.  The NCAA Division III Membership Committee reviewed the list of items to be considered in the waiver process and discussed the possibility of requiring that the preliminary program assessment be submitted with any waiver request.  The committee saw value in requiring the preliminary program assessment as it will help the committee evaluate the proper functioning of the athletics compliance system.

 

b.       Reclassification.

 

(1)      Recommendation.  To amend Bylaw 20.6.2.2.1 (waiver) to include the list of items to be reviewed in the four-year provisional/reclassification waiver request.  This list of items shall be the same as those in the provisional membership waiver.

 

(2)      Rationale.  The committee reviewed NCAA Bylaw 20.6.2.2.1 and the waiver provision for the reclassification process.  That waiver does not include a list of items to be reviewed in consideration of the waiver request.  Because the provisional and reclassifying programs are essentially the same, the reclassifying requirement should be amended to reflect the same list of review items as the provisional waiver.

 

c.       University of Texas at Tyler.

 

(1)      Recommendation.  That the University of Texas at Tyler's request to amend the provisional waiver process be denied.

 

(2)      Rationale.  The committee reviewed a request from the University of Texas at Tyler to amend the provisional waiver process so that the waiver may be requested at the end of the third year of the program.  The committee discussed the four-year provisional waiver process, specifically as it relates to when an institution has the opportunity to request such a waiver.  The committee determined the waiver is only available at the completion of year two of the provisional timeline.  It is the committee's intent to accelerate those institutions that exhibit complete readiness for active Division III membership from the start of the program.  As such, institutions would need to meet all membership requirements as noted in Constitution 3.6.1.1.1.1, including sports sponsorship for provisional years one and two.  Should an institution meet all the requirements, the institution would complete its final (third) year as verification of its ability to apply all Division III regulations.

 

d.       Voting Requirement -- NCAA Constitution 3.6.3.1.

 

(1)      Recommendation.  To amend Constitution 3.6.3 to eliminate the common voting line for election procedures – voting requirement.

 

(2)      Rationale.  The committee noted that Constitution 3.6.3.1 (voting requirement) indicates that procedures for election to membership are common provisions.  Each division has been establishing separate legislative requirements in this area, thus the constitution should be federated.

 

e.       Conference Application -- Northern Athletic Conference.

 

(1)      Recommendation.  To approve the Northern Athletic Conference as a member conference.

 

(2)      Rationale.  The committee reviewed the conference application from the Northern Athletic Conference, noting that the conference included more than six active Division III institutions, exhibited president or chancellor oversight and showed the development of a conference student-athlete advisory committee in its constitution.

 

f.        Application Fee for Provisional Members -- Constitution 3.7.3.1.

 

(1)      Recommendation.  To amend Constitution 3.7.3.1 to eliminate the common voting line, to specify the impact of the corresponding membership fee during the institution's time in the provisional queue and to specify that the institution shall be invoiced for membership fees after its provisional application has been approved.

 

(2)      Rationale.  The committee noted that Constitution 3.7.3.1 (application fee -- provisional members) does not explain that a corresponding membership fee of $225 is charged to institutions waiting to begin provisional membership and that submission of that fee is what keeps the institution in the queue to begin the provisional membership program.  Further, it does not state that the exploratory fee and any corresponding fees paid to maintain position in the


queue shall be deducted from the amount due at the start of year one.  Finally, Constitution 3.7.3.1 has a common voting line, meaning all divisions are required to have the same regulation and that changes must be approved by all divisions to become effective.

 

 

2.     INFORMATIONAL ITEMS.

 

a.       Legislated President and Chancellor Positions on Division III General Committees.  The committee reviewed the recent NCAA Division III Management Council action to increase the size of the membership committee by one person and to designate that the committee position be held by a chancellor or president.  The committee noted the importance of the president or chancellor's perspective in developing programs for new Division III institutions and also welcomed the addition of one committee member to manage the wide breadth of issues handled by the committee.

 

b.       Review Formation of NCAA Executive Committee Working Group on Membership Growth.  The committee received a report regarding the establishment of a working group to study membership growth, stemming from the North Coast Athletic Conference's (NCAC) proposal to limit the size of Division III.  In light of Association-wide concerns that the impact of the NCAC's proposal would extend beyond Division III, the NCAA Executive Committee recommended the establishment of a working group to focus on ways through which Divisions I and II can exercise divisional autonomy to reach short and long term membership goals.  The working group would preserve the fundamental relationship that currently exists between the Association's three divisions.  The committee expressed concern that the composition of this working group was to include only representatives from the three presidential bodies, as the committee sees great value in including Membership Committee representation from each of the three divisions.  The committee would like to see the working group include Membership Committee members (especially the incoming chancellor or president) as these individuals study membership issues on a regular basis.  The committee also asks that the Executive Committee consider hosting a summit to include many or all members of each division's Membership Committee.  Also, the committee expressed concern that the early plans for the working group propose that Divisions I and II work separately for the early stages of the process.  The committee recommends that dialogue between Divisions II and III occur early and often in this study.