Following are the minutes of the January 9 meeting of the Division III Presidents Council at the Marriott Hotel and Marina in San Diego. All actions taken by the Presidents Council are included. Highlights of the meeting were reported in the January 17 issue of The NCAA News.

1. Announcements. Ann H. Die, chair, welcomed all members and reviewed the schedule.

2. Review Roster, Committee Assignments and Future Meeting Schedules. The Presidents Council reviewed the roster and future meetings, noting the April meeting will commence with an orientation session for all new Presidents Council members at 10 a.m. Thursday April 27. The Presidents Council also noted that President Courtice will serve on the Executive Committee Subcommittee on Gender and Diversity Issues and that one vacancy remains on the Convention-Planning Subcommittee.

3. Previous Minutes. The Presidents Council reviewed the minutes of the following meetings: October 29, 1999, Presidents Council meeting and October 18-19, 1999, Management Council meeting.

It was voted that the minutes of the October 29, 1999, Presidents Council meeting and the November 4, 1999, Administrative Committee teleconference be approved as distributed.

4. Report of the October 29, 1999, NCAA Executive Committee Meeting. The Presidents Council reviewed the minutes of the October 29, 1999, Executive Committee meeting.

5. Report of the January 7-8, 2000, Division III Management Council Meeting.

a. Division III Strategic Plan. The Presidents Council:

(1) Approved the establishment of a task force, to include members of the Presidents Council, Management Council, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and at-large members to develop specific initiatives and budget projections focusing on the three key strategic-planning priorities:

(a) Student-athlete welfare.

(b) Membership education.

(c) Diversity.

The Council charged the Division III Administrative Committee with clarifying the committee's composition, time line and charge.

(2) Concept of Special Assistance Fund.

The Council noted that the treatment of student-athletes consistent with other students on campus is a key component of Division III mission/philosophy; accordingly, it concluded that the concept of a separate Special Assistance Fund is inappropriate.

(a) Support of student-athletes is a high priority; however, the distinction between returning funds directly to students and through educational and support programs is critical.

(b) Communication of priorities and how revenues are allocated in Division III is key, particularly to student-athletes.

(c) Consideration of a January 2001 joint meeting with Management Council/Presidents Council/Student-Athlete Advisory Committee to discuss priorities.

b. Committee Reports.

(1) Association-Wide Committees.

(a) Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports. The Presidents Council endorsed the Management Council's actions, noting that the issue of emergency care and coverage is complicated and requires further attention.

(b) Honors Committee. No action required.

(c) Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee. The Presidents Council endorsed the Management Council's actions.

(d) National Youth Sports Program Committee. The Presidents Council endorsed the Management Council's actions.

(e) Olympic Sports Liaison Committee. The Presidents Council endorsed the Management Council's actions.

(f) Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct. The Presidents Council endorsed the Management Council's actions.

(g) Committee on Women's Athletics. No action required.

(2) Management Council subcommittees.

(a) Administrative Review Subcommittee. The Presidents Council endorsed the Management Council's actions.

(3) Division III Committees.

(a) Budget Committee. The Presidents Council endorsed the Management Council's actions and:

(1) Recommended that the newly established task force should assist with the creation of specific initiatives before any adjustment to the Division III reserve fund.

(2) Recommended clarification of the goal and purpose of the Division III reserve fund in light of the new rights fee contract.

(3) Requested a written report and in-person presentation to address the Association's reserves at its April meeting.

(b) Committee on Infractions. The Presidents Council agreed to sponsor legislation for the 2001 Convention to amend NCAA Bylaws 19.6.2.1, 19.8 and 31.21.2.5 to allow for the imposition of financial penalties and fines for major violations.

(c) Interpretations and Legislation Committee. The Presidents Council agreed to sponsor legislation for the 2001 Convention to amend the length of playing season for fencing, gymnastics, rifle, women's rowing, skiing, men's volleyball and water polo to 21 weeks.

(d) Membership Committee. The Presidents Council endorsed the Management Council's actions.

(e) Nominating Committee. The Presidents Council approved the committee appointments and recommended that committee appointments be an item of information for future meetings.

(f) Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. The Presidents Council endorsed the Management Council's actions.

6. Issues Related to the 2000 NCAA Convention.

a. Convention-Planning Subcommittee. No action required.

b. 2000 NCAA Convention Program. The Presidents Council reviewed the 2000 Convention schedule and program.

c. Legislation, Speaker Assignments and Positions for All Legislation Affecting Division III. The Presidents Council:

(1) Agreed to sponsor an amendment-to-amendment (No. 55-1) to delay the effective date for golf and tennis until August 1, 2000, and recommended an amendment to the rationale by deleting "better prepare for the implementation of the proposal and..."

(2) Agreed to sponsor an amendment-to-amendment (No. 87-1) consistent with the intent of Proposal No. 87.

(3) Identified additional Presidents Council speakers for Proposal Nos. 55-1 and 55.

(4) Approved the Management Council recommendation to support adoption of Proposal No. 57 with the intent to sponsor legislation to establish a Division III women's ice hockey championship at the 2001 Convention as the only way to truly guarantee equitable championships access for Division III women's ice hockey student-athletes.

d. Noncontroversial legislation adopted by the Management Council per NCAA Constitution 5.3.1.1.1. The Presidents Council endorsed the Management Council's actions.

e. Division III deregulation editorial revisions adopted by the Management Council per NCAA Constitution 5.4.1.1.1. The Presidents Council endorsed the Management Council's actions, noting that the inclusion of "impact of resources" in the rationale statements may not be appropriate for Division III.

7. Proposed Legislation for the 2001 NCAA Convention.

a. Proposed Legislation for the 2001 Convention. The Presidents Council approved the legislative proposal to amend Bylaw 17.8.6.1.1 to eliminate summer workout sessions in the sports of fencing, gymnastics, rifle, women's rowing and skiing for the 2001 Convention.

b. Noncontroversial Legislation Adopted by the Management Council per NCAA Constitution 5.3.1.1.1 for the 2001 Convention. The Presidents Council endorsed the Management Council's actions.

c. Intent-Based and Editorial Revisions Approved by the Management Council per NCAA Constitution 5.4.1.1.1 for the 2001 Convention. The Presidents Council endorsed the Management Council's actions.

8. Litigation Update. Elsa Kircher Cole, NCAA general counsel, provided the Council with an oral report on the Association's current litigation.

9. Federal Relations Report. Doris Dixon, NCAA director of federal relations, and Bill Saum, NCAA director for agent and gambling activities, provided the Council with an update on federal relations, including the Association's efforts and intent to assist with federal legislation to ban gambling on collegiate sports.

10. Association-Wide Issues.

a. Executive Committee Subcommittee on Gender and Ethnicity. The Presidents Council endorsed the Management Council's actions.

b. Student-Athlete Leadership Conference. Stanley P. Caine, John DiBiaggio, Bette Landman and Gloria Scott volunteered to participate on a Division III panel at the leadership conference in June.

11. Presidents Council Members' Demographics. The Presidents Council noted two new members of the Council whose terms began post-Convention January 2000 through January 2004:

a. Robert Chambers, Western Maryland University.

b. Peter Stanley, Pomona-Pitzer Colleges.

12. Other Business. The Presidents Council recommended possibly extending the length of time for its January 2001 meeting.