Eligibility

Initial-eligibility working group solicits membership feedback

The working group established to review whether some recent trends in secondary-school education align with the intent of NCAA initial-eligibility standards in Divisions I and II  is seeking comment on its  initial recommendations.

The working group, which met during February in California (see the February 27 issue of the NCAA News), has posted recommendations at the NCAA Web site touching on the following issues:

• Source of graduation and core courses.
• Core-course patterns.
• Test-taking patterns.
• Shared responsibility in the initial-eligibility process.
• Ability to identify and respond appropriately to suspected academic fraud.
• Development of partnerships to address issus of academic integrity.

Comments regarding those issues can be posted via the Web site before the working group’s April 17-18 meeting.

A report of the working group’s February actions and links for submitting comments are accessible at www1.ncaa.org/membership/membership_svcs/eligibility-recruiting/ie_working_group/index.html.

The working group ultimately will submit recommendations, which could include legislative proposals for the 2006-07 cycle, to the Division I Academics/Eligibility/

Compliance Cabinet and the Division II Academic Requirements Committee in June.

NCAA President Myles Brand authorized the working group after presidents from several NCAA member institutions raised concerns about the legitimacy of high school academic credentials presented by some entering student-athletes. Those concerns centered on use of academic credentials earned through nontraditional schools and courses to establish initial eligibility.

International students

Academic standards guide available for fall 2006 students

The NCAA Guide to International Academic Standards for Athletics Eligibility, which applies to students entering institutions in fall 2006, is now accessible at the NCAA Web site.

An important section of the new guide addresses the issuance of SEVIS Form I-20, and how it relates to admissions eligibility, financial aid eligibility, and the academic status of international student-athletes. The information was prepared by the NCAA Foreign Student Records Committee and the NCAA membership services staff.

The guide, which no longer is printed and mailed to member institutions, can be accessed at www.ncaa.org/library/membership/international_guide/2006/2006_ international_guide.pdf.

In another informational initiative, the membership services staff will conduct sessions on initial eligibility and common issues involving international student-athletes during NCAA Regional Rules Compliance Seminars in May in San Diego and in June in Dallas.

Staff contacts: Binh Nguyen (bnguyen@ ncaa.org), Lisa Auten (lauten@ncaa.org) or Lisa Mills (lmills@ncaa.org).

Academics

Teams lauded for achievement in posting unblemished APRs

The NCAA has honored more than 1,000  teams for their achievement in the classroom as part of a new annual public-recognition program to list the top 10 percent of teams in each Division I sport based on the Academic Progress Rate.

The list of 1,048 teams includes all squads that posted perfect 1000 APRs and all ties. This year, more than 10 percent of sponsoring institutions are included on the list for some sports, because of the high number of unblemished APRs in the first relatively small data set.

The March 1 announcement was made in conjunction with the release of two-year APR data that included contemporaneous penalties for teams that did not meet APR standards. Only 99 teams incurred penalties, out of 215 teams that posted APRs below 925.