The Sears Directors' Cup and John McLendon Memorial Minority Postgraduate Scholarship Award programs are underway. In October, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) mailed nomination forms and criteria to NACDA-member athletics directors.

The Sears Directors' Cup scholarships are for students who have served as a part of the athletics department support staff in the categories of academic support, athletic trainers, band members, cheerleaders, equipment room managers, facility staff (specific to athletics), sports information assistants, team managers, and others (that is, student assistant coaches). The deadline for nominating students for the Sears Directors' Cup scholarships is Friday, January 25.

Nominees must be full-time seniors at some point during the 2001-02 year (graduating between December 2001 and December 2002), have a minimum grade-point average of 3.000 (4.000 scale), have played an active role in one of the athletics support categories already mentioned and be planning to pursue a postgraduate course of study within five years of receipt of the award.

Five winners from each classification (Divisions I, II and III and the NAIA), four at-large and one from each institution that wins the Sears Directors' Cup, will receive a $5,000 grant to be used toward postgraduate studies, a total of $100,000 in scholarships, funded by Sears, Roebuck and Co.

The John McLendon Memorial Minority Postgraduate Scholarship Awards are for minority students who intend to pursue a graduate degree in athletics administration. The deadline for nominating students for the John McLendon Memorial Minority Scholarships is Friday, February 1.

Nominees must meet federal guidelines for definition as a minority, including Black, Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian or Alaskan Native; be a full-time senior at some point during the 2001-02 year (graduating between December 2001 and December 2002); have a minimum grade-point average of 3.000 (4.000 scale); be planning to pursue a postgraduate course of study in athletics administration within five years of receipt of the award; and have demonstrated leadership qualities on a college/university or community level. Students who are not of the listed origins, but have married someone of the listed origins are not eligible.

Winners for both programs will receive their awards at NACDA's 37th annual convention June 16-19 in Dallas.

Nomination forms may be completed by any member of the athletics department, but must be signed by the nominated student; and, for the Sears Directors' Cup program, the athletics director; and for the John McLendon program, the academic advisor.

Nomination forms for both programs can be found on the NACDA Web site at www.nacda.com.