After devoting much of its attention in recent years to providing education for prospective member institutions, the Division III Membership Committee is moving toward ensuring that active members also receive comprehensive educational opportunities on an annual basis.

The committee, which met June 28-29 in Indianapolis, reviewed and endorsed a draft membership-education program intended to organize existing educational opportunities and provide additional activities, including rules-compliance programs scheduled in conjunction with the annual Convention.

The proposed program incorporates existing elements such as regional seminars, institutional self-study and visits by Division III Management Council members and the NCAA membership services staff to conference meetings, as well as various resources, including the virtual focus groups that recently have been established by the Management Council and the quarterly Division III newsletter published by the division governance staff.

The program's major new feature would be rules-compliance sessions scheduled just before or just after the annual Convention. The committee is considering a round-table discussion format for those sessions focusing on playing and practice seasons and compliance concepts.

The committee also anticipates that components of the program will be embedded into the Institutional Self-Study Guide (ISSG), and it is asking the Division III Strategic Planning Subcommittee to consider allocating additional resources to active member education.

The committee is working to finalize the program in time for 2005-06, after consulting with a variety of groups, including the Faculty Athletics Representatives Association, the Division III Commissioners Association, the College Sports Information Directors of America, the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators, the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, the National Athletic Trainers' Association and the National Association of Compliance Coordinators.

It expects to unveil the program at the 2005 Convention.

Membership status

In actions involving membership status, the committee recommended to the Management Council that Alverno College and Transylvania University be granted active membership effective with the 2004-05 academic year. The Council will review the recommendation at its July 19-20 meeting in Baltimore, and it also is subject to approval by the Division III Presidents Council at its August 5 meeting in Indianapolis.

The committee also recommended a six-member class of institutions for provisional membership beginning in the 2006-07 academic year.

The institutions are Johnson & Wales University Denver; Lincoln Christian College & Seminary; Lyndon State College; Saint Vincent College; Seton Hill University; and State University of New York at Morrisville.

In addition, the committee recommended that institutions at various stages of provisional membership be moved into the next year of the four-year provisional process. They include: