Has the purpose of higher education been misappropriated by intercollegiate athletics? Are college-bound student-athletes intending to obtain degrees? Perhaps those are the questions the recent proposals to reform academic standards are trying to answer.

The Division I Board of Directors has charged the membership with developing proposals that increase graduation rates and minimize disparate impact on minority groups. However, those concerns are not easily addressed simply by increasing eligibility requirements. In fact, the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is concerned about the impact that some of the initial-eligibility proposals may have on student-athletes' opportunities in intercollegiate athletics.

In July, the Division I SAAC analyzed the academic enhancement proposals and agreed that in the interest of student-athlete welfare, prospective student-athletes should have more opportunities to compete in intercollegiate athletics.

In that vein, the SAAC favors the initial-eligibility model with the full sliding scale (Proposal No. 02-22-C). A full sliding scale -- eliminating the current test-score and high-school core grade-point average cut points -- will maximize the number of opportunities for student-athletes to compete at the intercollegiate level. It will allow students who may have high GPAs but low standardized test scores to participate in intercollegiate athletics.

While supporting that particular model, the SAAC is concerned about increasing the number of core courses. So far, the proposals recommend an increase of just one course -- from 13 to 14. However, there seems to be momentum for moving to 15 or 16 in the near future. The Board of Directors, in fact, has resolved to consider such a measure if research supports it.

Increasing the minimum number of core courses from 13 to 14 and requiring the additional course to be in English, math, natural/physical science or social science weights the high-school core GPA more heavily, which the NCAA Academic Consultants have indicated is a better predictor of college success than test scores. The consultants also see weighting core GPA more than test scores as the best way to minimize disparate impact on minority groups.

The SAAC worries, however, that increasing core courses beyond 14 may be too restrictive. SAAC members would prefer that prospective student-athletes have as much choice in coursework (that is, the ability to choose electives) during their high-school years in order to broaden their academic background. Though research indicates that the majority of qualifiers have in fact taken 16 or 17 core courses, the SAAC nonetheless is concerned about the minority of prospects who have not.

The SAAC also is concerned about those high schools that offer only a limited number of core courses and would struggle to meet an increased standard. Again, while that might be only a few high schools, it does affect a number of prospects.

Therefore, while the SAAC is comfortable with an increase to 14 core courses, members recommend that there not be any future increases.

As for the continuing-eligibility proposals, the SAAC is generally supportive, particularly because once student-athletes are enrolled, they have the support of the athletics department in meeting those requirements. The SAAC also was not troubled by the six-credit-hours-per-term requirement outlined in Proposal No. 02-23.

In addition, the SAAC favors the increased percentage-of-degree requirements (40/60/80) and the increased collegiate GPA requirements in Proposal No. 02-24-B. However, the group is concerned about the effects this proposal might have on transfers. Also, the SAAC did not support the decrease in the number of remedial credits that may be used for satisfactory progress (Proposal No. 02-26).

Overall, the SAAC supports the Board's charge of increasing graduation rates and minimizing disparate impact. The SAAC agrees that it is time to fortify the relationship between academics and athletics, so long as whatever changes are made do not jeopardize the opportunities for student-athletes to compete in intercollegiate athletics.

J. Derek Sparks is a cross country and indoor and outdoor track and field student-athlete at the University of Tulsa and currently is the Division I SAAC representative to the NCAA Olympic Sports Liaison Committee.