MINUTES OF THE
NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
DIVISION III PRESIDENTS COUNCIL
Participants:
David L. Beckley,
Richard Berman,
Richard Flynn,
John Fry,
James Moseley,
Ivory Nelson,
Jane Margaret O’Brien, St. Mary’s
Miriam R. Pride,
Phillip Stone,
Richard Torgenson,
Richard Wells,
Matt Banker, NCAA
Bridget Belgiovine, NCAA, recording secretary
Jack Copeland, NCAA
Daniel T. Dutcher, NCAA
Debbie Kresge, NCAA
Leah Nilsson, NCAA
Susan Peal, NCAA
Beth Taimi, NCAA
Michael Miranda, Division III Management Council chair, and Sandy Slabik, Division III Management Council vice-chair, also were in attendance. Elsa Cole, NCAA general counsel; Bernard Franklin, senior vice-president for governance and membership; and Judy Sweet, senior vice-president for championships, education services and senior woman administrator, attended portions of the meeting. David Carter, Eastern Connecticut State University; Dale Knobel, Denison University; Deborah Stanley, State University of New York at Oswego; and Peggy Williams, Ithaca College, were unable to attend.
[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 Council'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
1. Announcements. Stone welcomed the Council members and staff.
2. Review Roster, Future Meeting Schedule, and the Division III Newsletter. The Council reviewed the documents. No action was necessary.
3. Previous Minutes. The Council reviewed the minutes of the January 8 Presidents Council meeting; the January 10 Executive Committee meeting; and the March 22, Administrative Committee actions.
It was VOTED
“That the minutes of the January 8 Presidents Council meeting and the March 22, Administrative Committee actions be approved as distributed.”
4. January 10 NCAA Executive Committee Meeting. The Council reviewed the minutes of the January 10 Executive Committee meeting.
5. Report of the April 11-12 Division III Management Council Meeting.
a. Association-Wide Committees. The Council:
(1) Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS). Endorsed the actions of the Management Council.
(2) Olympic
Sports Liaison Committee.
Endorsed the actions of the
Management Council.
(3) Research Committee. Endorsed the actions of the Management Council.
(4) Committee on Women’s Athletics (CWA). Endorsed the actions of the Management Council.
b. Division III Joint Presidents Council/Management Council Subcommittees. The Council:
(1)
Convention-Planning Subcommittee. Endorsed the actions of the Management
Council noting the 2006 schedule and the challenges with Friday programming,
particularly for CEOs, as well as conflict with Council of Independent Colleges
(CIC). The Presidents Council noted
its expectation for attendance beginning with the joint PC/MC/SAAC meeting on
Saturday, January 7 at
(2) Strategic-Planning Subcommittee.
(a) Division III Strategic Initiatives – 2005-06 Update. Approved the Management Council recommendations noting the importance of a broad view of the Athletics Oversight Grant.
(b) Division III Strategic Initiatives – 2006-08 Conference Grant Program. Approved the concept of decentralizing NCAA strategic initiative funds and creating an enhanced conference grant program, noting its value to link the Division III strategic planning priorities with the concept of conference and institutional autonomy.
(c) Presidents Council Strategic Session. Recommended an annual session (e.g., October) for strategic reflection resulting in a white paper for input from all Division III chief executive officers (CEOs). Some areas of focus may include:
· Role and involvement of CEO at institutional and conference levels.
· Reporting structures for intercollegiate athletics; campus differences.
· Integration of athletics into campus culture.
Possible outcome of session could be topic for 2006 NCAA Convention CEO luncheon and issues forum.
(3) Future of Division III – Phase II. The Council:
(a) 2005 Convention Sunday Forum Feedback. Approved the following Oversight Group recommendations in principle and forwarded the following concepts for further review and feedback to the relevant Division III committees, the Management Council and the Virtual Focus Groups in preparation for formal review at its August meeting:
Management of Growth and Championships.
· Legislative revision to Bylaw 31.3.4.5 to cap all team sport brackets at 64, once the sports sponsorship access ratio exceeds 1:6.5, except football will remain at 32.
· Request that the Division II governance structure consider accommodations in reclassification process for Division III institutions who might wish to reclassify to Division II.
· Legislative revision to possibly increase minimum sports sponsorship requirements, maintaining seasonal requirements. The Council expressed its preference to retain current sponsorship minimums, absent clear rationale to link any proposed increase to the division’s philosophical principles and growth management. The Council also noted the special concerns of institutions with smaller enrollment and the need for any legislation to have a delayed effective date.
· Increase minimum contest requirements for sponsorship in selected sports. The Council directed the Membership Committee to continue to explore the issue.
· Increase the minimum number of required student-athlete participants in selected individual sports, if the sport is used to meet the minimum sport sponsorship requirements. The Management Council approved noncontroversial legislation to increase participants in tennis from 5 to 6 at its April meeting. Direct the Membership Committee to continue to explore the issue.
· Continue to permit national dual membership affiliations.
Sports Sponsorship and Broad-Based Program.
· Oversight of intercollegiate athletics – Incorporation of individual to whom the athletics director (AD) reports.
- Add a sixth person responsible for “athletics oversight” to NCAA institutional demographic report and mailing list.
- Establish a chief student-affairs/chief academic affairs grant fund ($25,000) to encourage attendance at NCAA Convention.
· Legislation to create a Conference Self-Study Guide to emphasize the importance of a conference-based philosophy and address issues such as institutional mission; academic profile; geographic proximity; athletics profile; diversity; and CEO involvement.
·
Once the conference self-study is completed,
encourage
division-wide dialogue, and establish subsequent limited time period for
institutional realignment without loss of automatic qualification.
Sport and Program Equity.
· Maintain NCAA programming and create best practices that enhance opportunities for the recruitment of minority coaches and staff.
· Establish NCAA programming to enhance opportunities for the recruitment of minority student-athletes. Seek input from Strategic-Planning Subcommittee.
· Continue to explore the concept of sport equity.
Academic Success of Student-Athlete.
· Legislation to amend the Division III philosophy statement to indicate that admissions policies for student-athletes should be consistent with the general student body.
·
Legislation to amend the Division III philosophy
statement to indicate that academic performance of student-athletes should be,
at a minimum, consistent with the general
student body.
· Identify best practices that utilize academic standards such as graduation rate and college grade-point average to assess the college academic performance of student-athletes.
Cultural and Campus Integration.
· Legislation to amend the Division III philosophy statement to indicate that the administration of an institution’s athletics program (e.g., hiring and compensation; professional development and certification of coaches) should be integrated into the campus culture and education mission.
· Identify best practices to support:
- CEO active involvement in the oversight of intercollegiate athletics.
- Institutional governing boards’ or boards of trustees’ awareness of campus intercollegiate athletics.
- Hiring of coaches consistent with other institutional units.
- Evaluation of and annual compensation adjustments for coaches that go beyond wins and losses and are consistent with other institutional educational priorities.
- Educational efforts and desirable campus programs to assist the integration of student-athlete into the campus culture.
· Maintain NCAA programming to enhance the sportsmanship to include the following constituents: student-athletes; coaches; officials; athletics staff; and spectators. Seek input from the Strategic-Planning Subcommittee.
Charge the Future of Division III Oversight Group subgroups to develop best practices for each applicable area and present recommendations for the Council’s October meeting.
(b) Council Communications Plan and Virtual Focus Group #4 Feedback. Noted that the VFG communication #4 resulted in the largest response to date.
(c) Future of Division III-Phase II Timetable. Reviewed the timetable noting the review of possible 2006 Convention legislative proposals at its August meeting and a series of best practices at its October meeting.
(d) College Sports Project Update. Received an update on the progress of the College Sports Project (CSP). The Council noted its continued commitment to its Future of Division III initiative.
c. Management Council Subcommittees. The Council:
(1) Playing and Practice Seasons Subcommittee. Endorsed the actions of the Management Council and recommended a review of the role/availability of certified strength and conditioning coaches, relative to the incidence of student-athletes injuries.
(2) SWA Ad Hoc Group. Endorsed the actions of the Management Council.
d. Division III Committees. The Council:
(1) Budget Committee.
(a) 2004-05 Budget-to Actual. Endorsed the budget-to-actual report.
(b) Six-year Revenue and Expense Projections. Accepted the information, noting the importance of the division’s commitment to its strategic planning priorities and the broader educational values of the athletics experience, including the championships experience.
(c) Insurance Update. Noted that the committee will determine the feasibility of a Division III-specific revenue insurance policy and forward a recommendation to the Council at its August meeting.
(3) Championships Committee. Endorsed the actions of the Management Council.
· Team Sport Selection Criteria Guidelines – Out-of-Region Contests. The Council discussed out-of-region contests, noting the issue remains controversial within the membership. It was noted that primary emphasis on in-region competition remains a component of the Division III philosophy.
(4) Financial Aid Committee. Endorsed the actions of the Management Council.
(5) Interpretations and Legislation Committee. Endorsed the actions of the Management Council.
(a) Student-Athlete Well-Being Initiatives - NCAA Bylaw 16.12.1.5 – Awards and Benefits – Occasional Meals. Approved sponsorship of legislation for 2006 Convention.
(b) Bylaw 13 Task Force – Bylaw 13.7.5.7.3 – Recruiting – Meal Location. Approved sponsorship of legislation for 2006 Convention.
(c) Bylaw 13 Task Force – Bylaw 13.12.1.2 – Recruiting – Competition against Prospective Student-Athletes. Approved sponsorship of legislation for 2006 Convention.
(6) Membership
Committee. Endorsed the actions
of the Management
Council.
(a) Failure to Comply with the Institutional Self-Study Guide Deadline – Constitution 6.3.1. Approved sponsorship of legislation for 2006 Convention.
(b) Failure to Submit Annual Electronic Report – Bylaw 15.4.1.1. Approved sponsorship of legislation for 2006 Convention, noting concern with financial aid office staff resources.
(7) Nominating
Committee. Endorsed the actions
of the Management
Council.
(8) Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee. Endorsed the actions of the Management Council.
6. 2006 Proposed Legislation. The Council:
a. Noncontroversial Legislation. Endorsed the actions of the Management Council.
b. Administrative Regulations. Endorsed the actions of the Management Council.
c. Intent-Based Revisions. Endorsed the actions of the Management Council.
7. General Issues. The Council:
a. Association-Wide Committee Meeting Frequency. Granted the exceptions for the three in-person meetings in 2005-06 for the Committee on Women’s Athletics, Minority Opportunity and Interest Committee, and the Postgraduate Scholarship Committee and forwarded related recommendations to the Executive Committee.
b. Division III Committee Meeting Frequency. Granted exceptions for three in-person meetings in 2005-06 for the Championships, Financial Aid and Student-Athlete Advisory Committees.
c. Resolution for Executive Committee – Additional Clarification of Intercollegiate Athletics Policy: Three-Part Test – Prong Three. Endorsed the following resolution and forwarded it to the Executive Committee:
“Whereas the U.S. Department of Education, without notice or opportunity for public input, issued an “Additional Clarification of Intercollegiate Athletics Policy: Three-Part Test – Prong Three,” on March 17, 2005, which Clarification allows schools to gauge female students’ interest in athletics under the third prong of the three-part test by conducting an e-mail survey and further allows schools to treat a lack of response to the survey as a lack of interest in playing additional sports; and
“Whereas the Additional Clarification is inconsistent with the 1996 Clarification and with basic principles of equity under Title IX because it, among other problems (a) permits schools to use surveys alone, rather than the factors set forth in the 1996 Clarification, as a means to assess female students’ interest in sports; (b) conflicts with a key purpose of Title IX – to encourage women’s interest in sports and eliminate stereotypes that discourage them from participating; (c) allows schools to restrict surveys to enrolled and admitted students, thereby permitting them to evade their legal obligation to measure interest broadly; (d) authorizes a flawed survey methodology; (e) shifts the burden to female students to show that they are entitled to equal opportunity; and (f) makes no provision for the Department of Education to monitor schools’ implementation of the survey or its results; and
“Whereas for these reasons, the Additional Clarification provides the opportunity to evade the legal obligation to provide equal opportunity in sports and violates the Department’s 2003 commitment to strongly enforce long-standing Title IX standards; and
“Now, therefore, be it RESOLVED that:
“NCAA members are urged to decline use of the procedures set forth in the March 17, 2005, Additional Clarification and abide by the standards of the 1996 Clarification to evaluate women’s interest in sports under the third prong of the three-part test, which standards anticipate the use of a multiplicity of tools and analyses to measure that interest; and
“The
NCAA Executive Committee, on behalf of its members, urges the Department of
Education and federal policymakers to rescind the Additional Clarification and
to honor the Department’s 2003 commitment to strongly enforce the
standards of long-standing
Title IX athletics policies, including the 1996 Clarification.”
8. Adjournment. The meeting was adjourned at
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