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Committee certifies eight more institutions

One school certified with conditions, five reclassified as certified in decisions involving 14 Division I members

The NCAA Committee on Athletics Certification announced decisions May 15 concerning the certification of 14 NCAA Division I member institutions.

A total of eight schools were certified and one was certified with conditions. Five schools were reclassified as certified.

Those institutions receiving a designation of certified were American University, Ball State University, Monmouth University (New Jersey), Northwestern University, Samford University, Southeast Missouri State University, the U.S. Naval Academy and Wright State University.

One institution, Chicago State University, received a designation of certified with conditions.

The conditions placed on Chicago State's certification are to develop a detailed plan to ensure compliance with the certification program's operating principles concerning the athletics department mission; assignment of rules-compliance responsibility; rules-compliance accountability; and periodic evaluation of the rules-compliance program by an authority outside the athletics department. Chicago State also will be required to provide a status report on the implementation of actions contained in the plan approximately one year after it is submitted.

The committee also reclassified five institutions as certified. Those institutions are Bethune-Cookman College, Charleston Southern University, Idaho State University, St. Francis College (Pennsylvania) and Western Kentucky University.

Bethune-Cookman complied fully with the conditions placed on the institution's certification by the committee in June 1995, which included developing plans for upgrading academic support services for student-athletes, for ensuring policy input by appropriate campus constituencies, for ensuring that rules education and compliance responsibilities are shared with persons inside and outside the athletics department, and for addressing gender equity in its intercollegiate athletics program. In addition, Bethune-Cookman complied with conditions concerning the mission and goals statement of the athletics department and concerning student-athlete welfare.

Charleston Southern completed a comprehensive plan for addressing minority opportunities in its intercollegiate athletics program, a condition placed on the institution by the committee in August 1995.

Idaho State and Western Kentucky completed comprehensive plans for addressing gender equity and minority opportunities in their intercollegiate athletics programs. St. Francis also submitted plans for addressing gender equity and minority opportunities, and documented its compliance with Division I financial aid minimums. These conditions were placed on Idaho State, Western Kentucky and St. Francis in June 1995.

A designation of certified means that an institution has shown that it operates its athletics program in substantial conformity with operating principles adopted by the Division I membership.

A designation of certified with conditions means that a college or university generally operates its athletics program in substantial conformity with the Division I operating principles but problems were identified that were serious enough that full certification is withheld until those problems have been resolved.

A designation of not certified means that the institution is not operating in substantial conformity with the Division I operating principles. Problems were identified that were considered very serious or pervasive. Action must be taken by the institution before it can be conditionally certified.

The institution may be placed in a restricted membership category for up to a year if it fails to make an effective effort to correct problems within the time frame set by the committee. If problems remain unresolved at the end of that year, the committee may reclassify an institution as a corresponding member.

An institution can request, within 15 calendar days, a hearing before the Committee on Athletics Certification. If it is still not satisfied, the institution may appeal to the Division I Steering Committee of the NCAA Council.