National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - News and Features

September 1, 1997

Postgraduate scholarship selection chairs sought

In a modified procedure for administering the NCAA postgraduate scholarship program, the Association-wide Postgraduate Scholarship Committee is soliciting nominations for chairs of eight district selection committees.

Under the procedure approved by the Divisions I and II Management Councils and the Division III Administrative Committee, the Postgraduate Scholarship Committee will appoint the eight chairs -- four from Division I institutions, two from Division II institutions and two from Division III institutions.

The district selection committee chairs -- who will oversee the process of screening postgraduate scholarship nominees from each NCAA geographical district -- will be appointed for a two-year term and can serve as many as three terms in the position.

The appointment process is changed from the old governance structure, in which an NCAA Council member in each NCAA geographical district served as chair of the district committee. No division was guaranteed a specific number of chair positions in any given year.

The Postgraduate Scholarship Committee proposed the change to establish a more direct link between the committee and the district panels. The committee also notes that the new procedure provides additional opportunities for the membership to get involved in NCAA committee service.

In the new procedure, the Postgraduate Scholarship Committee is emphasizing the identification and solicitation of nominees who previously have participated on NCAA postgraduate scholarship district selection committees. Current and former selection committee members, as well as former Postgraduate Scholarship Committee members, are regarded as potential nominees.

The committee also is committed to achieving gender and ethnic diversity among district selection committee chairs.

Chairs' responsibilities

District chairs are responsible for the following:

  • Identification of individuals to serve on the district selection committee.

    (Each of the eight committees consists of an athletics director, faculty athletics representative, an individual familiar with postgraduate programs, an individual from each NCAA division, and at least one woman. No more than one representative from a member conference or from an institution may serve on a district selection committee.)

  • Arrange in-person meetings or telephone conferences for district committees three times annually (for football in November, basketball in March, and other sports in May). Each committee will establish its own method for selecting a district's scholarship finalists.

  • Duplicate or provide to district committee members materials to facilitate the review of nominations.

  • Participate in the district committee's screening of nominees.

  • Keep nominating institutions informed of the status of their nominations following the district committee's review.

    After screening nominees, the district committee forwards its lists of finalists to the Postgraduate Scholarship Committee, which annually selects 174 recipients of $5,000 postgraduate scholarships -- 35 in football, 32 in basketball (16 men and 16 women), and 107 in other sports (36 men and 71 women). The awards are based on athletics and academic achievements, as well as leadership on and off the playing field.

    Scholarship nominees are solicited three times a year from faculty athletics representatives, who submit those nominations directly to the appropriate district selection committee chair.

    Nomination of chairs

    Division I nominations for the four chair positions allocated to that division must be submitted in the same manner as all nominations for Division I committees -- by conferences.

    Individuals at Divisions II and III institutions may nominate themselves or peers for the two chair positions allocated to each of those divisions.

    Nominations must be received by Julie Quickel, committee coordinator and NCAA staff liaison to the Postgraduate Scholarship Committee, by September 19 (fax number 913/339-0035).

    Newly appointed district selection committee chairs will be invited to attend an orientation session in October.