The NCAA News - News & Features

Council to sponsor learning-disability legislation -- Other highlights

Council
April 15-17/Kansas City, Missouri

* Agreed to sponsor legislation that a high-school course graded on a pass-fail basis may be used to satisfy the NCAA core-course requirement, with the understanding that the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse will assign the course the lowest passing grade at the high school, which in some cases could be a "D."

* Will issue an official interpretation to permit the clearinghouse to use faxed transcripts and documents for foreign student-athletes in determining the initial-eligibility status of the foreign student-athlete, provided a hard copy of the transcript or document subsequently is forwarded to the clearinghouse.

* Approved a 4.0 percent inflationary adjustment for Division I financial aid requirements. Effective September 1, 1997, the minimums will be $316,500 in men's sports and $316,500 in women's sports (or $442,500 for institutions not sponsoring men's or women's basketball), applicable to financial aid expenditures made in the 1996-97 academic year.

* Used its authority to adopt noncontroversial legislation to incorporate into NCAA Bylaw 15.01.7 and/or Bylaw 15.02.2 the official interpretation that the receipt of money from the NCAA special assistance fund does not affect a student-athlete's maximum individual financial aid limitation.

* Agreed to sponsor legislation for the 1997 Convention that would add to the list of exempted government grants (set forth in Bylaw 15.2.4.2) welfare benefits received from a state or the federal government.

* Referred to the Transition Oversight Committee a recommendation from the Special Committee to Oversee Implementation of the Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse that it be retained as an Association-wide committee.

* Endorsed a recommendation that the NCAA Executive Committee permit institutions to use academic-enhancement funds for the purpose of connecting to the clearinghouse via modem.

* At the suggestion of the NCAA/USOC Task Force, agreed to sponsor legislation to expand 1996 NCAA Convention Proposal No. 56 to permit student-athletes to practice at the institution that they attend or had attended as a graduate student.

* Agreed to sponsor legislation to permit a coach to be temporarily replaced when that coach takes a leave of absence to participate on or to coach the national or Olympic team, under the following conditions: (1) the replacement is limited to a one-year period and (2) the coach performs no recruiting or other duties at the institution.

* Requested that the staff draft legislation that would permit student-athletes to receive educational expenses awarded by national governing bodies. The draft will be forwarded to the NCAA Recruiting Committee and considered at the Council's August meeting.

* Referred to legal counsel a recommendation from the NCAA Professional Sports Liaison Committee that the Council sponsor legislation to amend Bylaw 10.3 to prohibit athletics administrators (including coaching staff members) from participating in any gambling activities associated with professional sports contests.

* Suggested modifications in a survey form designed to gather information for the Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act, the audit requirements of the Higher Education Act and the NCAA's gender-equity study.

* Discussed the possibility of a establishing a 10-year cycle for the Division I athletics certification program, rather than the current five-year cycle.