The 2003 NCAA Convention in Anaheim, California, will feature nine Association-wide and division-specific education sessions to help inform the membership about important issues of the day.

This will be the third year for the sessions, which attracted up to 400 delegates at the 2002 Convention in Indianapolis.

"Attendance for the sessions has been growing every year," said Mira J. Colman, assistant director of membership services. "We have listened closely to the membership as we identify the topics for these sessions."

This year, the number of sessions will be reduced by five. That decision was based on feedback from the membership, which desired fewer concurrent sessions.

All of the education sessions will be conducted Saturday, January 11 at the Anaheim Marriott. The topics and times are:

Association-wide, 12:30 to 1:45 p.m.

Title IX -- The most up-to-date information on the Secretary's Commission on Opportunities in Athletics.

Just a Fraction of Potential -- A review of the most recent race and gender demographics of NCAA member institutions' athletics personnel, including administrative and coaching positions. Panelists will discuss the Association's commitment to diversity, and the audience will have an opportunity to provide input on enhancing diversity.

Administrators and Coaches as Educators -- A discussion of the tension between maintaining a focus on higher education and funding programs. How do collegiate administrators and coaches keep academic achievement as a chief focus? Learn about best practices in this area.

Division-specific, 2 to 3:15 p.m.

Division I: Student-Athlete Time Demands/Bylaw 17 Deregulation -- A review of the discussions of the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet playing and practice seasons subcommittee about the reduction of student-athlete time demands. The subcommittee has been charged with deregulating Bylaw 17 and studying options to reduce the time demands on student-athletes.

Division II: Issues Involving Division II Football -- A discussion about access to postseason football, health and safety issues, promotional opportunities for Division II football, and the postseason selection process for teams and sites.

Division III: Facility Planning, Construction and Usage (presented by NAD3AA) -- Issues athletics administrators should be aware of when they are involved in the design and construction of a new facility. This session also will discuss considerations for scheduling multiples usages of a facility (both internal and external).

Association-wide, 3:30 to 4:45 p.m.

Dear Prudence: Is Your Institution at Risk? -- Prevent violence against and harassment of gay/lesbian/bisexual and transgendered student-athletes and staff. Hear from medical and legal experts about current issues and solutions.

Make the Connection: Connecting with Your Student-Athletes -- How can you maximize the input and meet the diverse needs of your student-athletes? Are the needs of today's student-athletes very different from 10 years ago?

In Whose Honor? -- A presentation of the report of the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee on the use of American Indian mascots and imagery in intercollegiate athletics. The presentation will include recommendations forwarded to the NCAA Executive Committee subcommittee on gender and diversity issues.

Other sessions

In addition, the three divisions will conduct division-specific sessions at other times.

Division I has three sessions planned for Sunday, January 12. The first is a membership orientation session from 10 a.m. to noon Sunday, January 12, for provisional and reclassifying members. From 1 to 2:15 p.m., Division I will conduct a session on the selection process for the Division I men's and women's basketball championships, followed by a 2:30 to 3:45 p.m. session on Division I litigation in the post-restricted earnings coach era.

The Division II issues forum will be conducted from 3 to 4 p.m. Sunday and will feature a panel discussion about sportsmanship and civility in college sports.

The Division III issues forum will be from 1:30 to 3:30 Sunday and will focus on the future of Division III.

Division I will conduct its forum sessions from 8 a.m. to noon Monday, January 13. The topics will be governance structure issues, the economic baseline study and the status of academic legislation.