The NCAA News - News & Features

Outreach Program undergoes revisions

Committee modifies proposal for creation of new initiative

The NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee put the finishing touches on the development of its NCAA Outreach Program and reviewed drafts of proposed legislation regarding initial-eligibility standards, financial aid and various other issues during its July 29 meeting in San Diego.

The committee responded to suggestions from the NCAA Executive Committee for revision of the Outreach Program, which is designed to provide educational information to and enhance academic preparation of potential collegiate students, particularly those who reside in "empowerment zones" (a designation by the federal government that recognizes the level of economic and social distress that exists in certain areas and cities within the country).

The program also is an effort to comprehensively address community awareness and address issues that impact the future of intercollegiate athletics, in addition to supporting the Association's efforts to improve graduation rates and the quality of the student-athlete's experience.

The revised version of the program features three components:

(1) A community awareness program to enhance the potential for disadvantaged students in grades five through eight and to engage them in postsecondary education by using sports as a vehicle to provide information about educational opportunities and requirements;

(2) A celebration of achievement of student-athletes through the expansion of activities that occur in conjunction with National Student-Athlete Day; and

(3) The development of National Youth Sports Programs Academic Camps, which will provide an avenue for member institutions, coaches and student-athletes to assist with the academic preparation of and communication of the requirements for athletics participation to prospective students who reside in "empowerment zones."

"This program provides an opportunity for the NCAA to serve its membership communities in providing a vehicle for information and opportunities for academic enhancement," said Charles Whitcomb, chair of recreation/leisure studies at San Jose State University and chair of the Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee. "This program is essential for the many youths who may participate in future intercollegiate programs."

The committee forwarded the revised proposal for the Outreach Program to the NCAA Council and Executive Committee for approval.

In other actions, the committee reviewed several items of proposed legislation from the membership, including Proposal Nos. 1-51, 1-52 and 1-54 (as they appear in the Initial Publication of Proposed Legislation for the 1997 Convention). Those proposals all involve issues related to partial qualifiers.

The committee agreed to conduct a telephone conference later this month to confirm its position on these and other proposals that may be forwarded to the committee by the NCAA Administrative Committee for comment.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee
July 29/San Diego

* Agreed to ask the NCAA Council to sponsor legislation for the 1997 Convention that would eliminate requirements of rules waivers to participate in activities associated with National Student-Athlete Day.

* Agreed to forward to the NCAA Executive Committee a recommendation to increase the number of ethnic-minority postgraduate scholarships awarded through the NCAA Ethnic-Minority Enhancement Program from 10 to 12 and to increase the amount of the award from $6,000 to $8,000 to defray inflation in tuition costs.

* Reviewed the committee's proposed status as an Association-wide committee in the new NCAA governance structure. The committee would report to the new Executive Committee but would deal with each division's legislative process separately.

* Reviewed the NCAA Fellows Program and recommended that the training component of the program remain one year in length and that the mentor component increase from one to 11/2 years.

* Reviewed a proposal from Coleman Management Consultants, Inc., regarding development of a "train-the-trainer" component for diversity education.

* Reviewed a status report regarding the Minority Steering Committee, a group formulated to assist the Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee by bringing together various minority constituencies from the membership to address common issues related to the Association. The group includes members of the Black Coaches Association, African-American college presidents, athletics directors and conference commissioners from both nonhistorically and historically black colleges, and representatives from the National Athletic Steering Committee. The Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee recommended that a student-athlete from each division also serve on this panel.

* Agreed to inform the Division I Board of Directors of the committee's endorsement of the Division I Management Council's recommendation that ensures ethnic minorities no less than 20 percent representation on the Management Council.

* Announced that the committee has agreed to dismantle the NCAA Vita Bank. The committee noted that there are a number of similar services available, such as Profiles, which is available on the World Wide Web and sponsored by the Black Coaches Association (www.bca.org).