The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- January 4, 1999

Division III Presidents Council minutes

Following are the minutes of the October 27, 1998, meeting of the Division III Presidents Council at the Atlanta Airport Marriott Hotel in Atlanta. All actions taken by the Presidents Council are included. Highlights of the meeting were reported in the November 9, 1998, issue of The NCAA News.

1. Previous Minutes. The Presidents Council reviewed the minutes of the following meeting and telephone conference: August 11, 1998, Presidents Council meeting; August 31, 1998, Division III Administrative Committee telephone conference.

It was voted that the minutes of the August 11, 1998, Presidents Council meeting, and the August 31, 1998, Division III Administrative Committee telephone conference be approved as distributed.

2. Report of the October 19-20, 1998, Division III Management Council Meeting.

Committee reports.

a. Association-Wide Committees.

(1) Committee on Women's Athletics. The Presidents Council:

(a) Endorsed the recommendation to sponsor noncontroversial legislation to amend Bylaw 20.05.1 effective August 1, 1999, to identify the sport of equestrian as an emerging sport.

(b) Agreed to withdraw Convention Proposal No. 2-26, which mandates the designation of a senior woman administrator and refer it to the Committee on Women's Athletics. In referring, the Presidents Council will request that the committee provide recommendations no later than its July 1999 meeting, addressing legal issues and attempting to define senior woman administrator in an Association-wide context.

b. Management Council subcommittees.

(1) Convention Planning Subcommittee. The Presidents Council approved:

(a) The recommendation of utilizing the assistance of the Honors Committee to coordinate securing an Association-wide keynote speaker for the 1999 NCAA Convention.

(b) The 1999 Convention schedule, as amended by the Management Council, and identified Gloria Scott to introduce the discussion session on nontraditional segments. The Presidents Council also approved the legislative groupings identified for membership voting.

c. Division III Committees.

(1) Championships Committee. The Presidents Council:

(a) Approved sponsorship of Amendment-to-Amendment No. 2-45-1 to delete Part B of Proposal No. 2-45 (Bylaw 31.3.4.2), eliminating the requirement that all members of a conference must play a minimum percentage of their published schedule against conference opponents to receive an automatic bid.

(b) Approved sponsorship of Amendment-to-Amendment No. 2-45-2, a resolution to specify that, should the automatic-qualification legislation be adopted, the Division III Championships and governing sports committees will work together to clarify the policies and procedures to implement at-large berths in each team sport, with a deadline of June 15, 1999.

(c) Approved sponsorship of noncontroversial legislation to amend Bylaw 31.1.4 -- Sunday Competition, to establish procedures to permit the adjustment of a championships schedule for religious reasons on any day, not just Sunday, but not include the provision to permit the sports committee or Championships Committee to waive the institution's request.

(2) Financial Aid and Awards Committee. The Presidents Council:

(a) Approved a recommendation for a five-year award resubmission requirement in conjunction with the institutions' self-study, effective September 1, 2000.

(b) Approved a recommendation that the NCAA enforcement staff issue a "letter of inquiry" or other suitable communication to those institutions that have not responded by March 1, 1999, to the committee's requests for submission of information regarding awards of circumstance and nonathletics achievement awards.

(c) Approved a recommendation that requires provisional members to submit awards of circumstance and nonathletics achievement awards for approval no later than the end of their second year of provisional membership.

3. NCAA Legislation.

a. Review of legislation submitted by the Division III membership for the 1999 NCAA Convention. The Presidents Council reviewed Proposal No. 2-30 -- (Eligibility -- Division III "4-2-4" Transfers) and agreed with the Management Council recommendation to sponsor an amendment-to-amendment (No. 2-30-1) to require student-athletes to complete 24-semester or 36-quarter hours of transferable degree credit and at least two semesters or three quarters of attendance at the two-year institution.

b. Review of proposed legislation sponsored by Division III Presidents Council for the 1999 Convention. The Presidents Council reviewed proposed legislation and supported the Management Council's recommendations and identification of proposed speakers.

c. Noncontroversial legislation per Constitution 5.3.1.1.1. The Presidents Council ratified all noncontroversial legislation approved by the Management Council and approved the Management Council recommendation to remove noncontroversial Proposal No. 10 -- Division III Financial Aid -- Leadership and Merit Awards and place it in the Presidents Council grouping for a membership vote at the 1999 NCAA Convention. The Council also approved the Management Council recommendation to remove noncontroversial Proposal No. 12 -- Medical Expenses and place it in the general grouping for a membership vote at the 1999 NCAA Convention.

d. Legislative modifications per Constitution 5.4.1.1.1. The Presidents Council ratified all legislative modifications approved by the Management Council.

4. Miscellaneous Legislative Issues. The Presidents Council received information from the Management Council but took no action.

5. Evaluation of New Governance Structure. The Presidents Council approved the Management Council recommendation to include the evaluation of the governance structure as part of the Division III committee-planning process by utilizing existing strategic-planning priorities and timetables. The Presidents Council also approved a draft timetable for the evaluation process:

October 1998 -- Initial discussion of process.

January 1999 -- Review and approve process, note process in other divisions.

February-June 1999 -- Committee/Council input (i.e., survey/operations plans).

July 1, 1999 -- Committee submission of updated operations plans/survey.

July-August 1999 -- Review survey results/input by Management Council/Presidents Council and proposed legislative changes (if necessary).

6. Budgetary Issues. The Presidents Council received the Management Council recommendations and heard discussion from the NCAA president. The Presidents Council agreed to revisit this issue during its January 1999 meeting.

7. Update on Presidents Council Nominations Process. The Presidents Council:

a. Approved the appointment of M. Lee Pelton, president, Willamette University, to replace Curtis McCray. President Pelton's term will expire January 2001 and he will not be eligible for reelection.

b. Approved the reelection of Gloria Scott, president, Bennett College. President Scott's term will expire January 2003 and she will not be eligible for reelection.

c. Approved the nomination of Ann Die, president, Hendrix College, as Presidents Council chair. President Die's term will begin immediately following the close of the 1999 NCAA Convention through January 2001.

d. Approved the nomination of Thomas Courtice, president, Ohio Wesleyan University, as Presidents Council vice-chair. President Courtice's term will begin immediately following the close of the 1999 NCAA Convention through January 2002.

e. Approved the following slate of nominees for the January 1999 vacancies:

(1) Ronald Applbaum, president, Kean University;

(2) Bette Landman, president, Beaver College; and

(3) Marlene Springer, president, College of Staten Island.

f. Endorsed the process for membership notification and voting regarding these vacancies.