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NCAA News Archive - 2007
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Presidents Council reviews Convention proposals
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The Division II Presidents Council took advantage of the Presidents and Chancellors Summit to conduct its summer meeting and revisit legislative proposals slated for the 2008 NCAA Convention, including a measure to increase the number of core courses required to establish initial eligibility from 14 to 16 beginning in 2013.
The Council’s June 22 meeting replaced the in-person session originally slated for August 9.
The Council noted that the Academic Requirements Committee reiterated its support for the core-course increase at its recent meeting, and the presidents took no action to slow the momentum.
The core-course proposal is among 16 generated from the Division II governance structure so far. The Division II membership has until July 15 to submit proposals as well, though none had been received as of June 25.
Other measures prompting discussion included a three-part proposal regarding skill instruction that precludes out-of-season athletics activities from being conducted around final exams and restricts the number of participants in sessions to the number of starters on a team (in sports other than football). The third part of the proposal allows more than one group to participate in the same facility.
The proposal originated as a package, but the Management Council separated the concepts at its spring meeting. The Presidents Council noted that the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee had yet to review the proposal in its three-part version and opted not to take a position until then.
The presidents also engaged in another student-athlete well-being issue that is not yet a legislative proposal. The SAAC, seeking to increase institutions’ commitment to life-skills programming, had suggested legislation requiring schools to sponsor either the NCAA CHAMPS Life Skills program or its equivalent. But resulting concerns over funding and how “its equivalent” would be defined indicated that a legislative solution could be challenging.
Though most Division II institutions provide some sort of life skills programming, SAAC representatives told the Council about resistance from some athletics directors to commit to programming unless it was required. Given that, the Council urged SAAC members to use a number of nonlegislative resources, including the Division II Institutional Self-Study Guide, to ensure a meaningful commitment that aligns with the division’s strategic-positioning platform.
A legislative proposal is still not out of the question, however, particularly in light of data presented at the summit from the GOALS study indicating a general lack of awareness on the part of student-athletes regarding academic-support services available at their institutions. Some Council members believe the SAAC may be able to leverage those results into a legislative proposal.
In other actions, the Presidents Council:
The Council’s June 22 meeting replaced the in-person session originally slated for August 9.
The Council noted that the Academic Requirements Committee reiterated its support for the core-course increase at its recent meeting, and the presidents took no action to slow the momentum.
The core-course proposal is among 16 generated from the Division II governance structure so far. The Division II membership has until July 15 to submit proposals as well, though none had been received as of June 25.
Other measures prompting discussion included a three-part proposal regarding skill instruction that precludes out-of-season athletics activities from being conducted around final exams and restricts the number of participants in sessions to the number of starters on a team (in sports other than football). The third part of the proposal allows more than one group to participate in the same facility.
The proposal originated as a package, but the Management Council separated the concepts at its spring meeting. The Presidents Council noted that the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee had yet to review the proposal in its three-part version and opted not to take a position until then.
The presidents also engaged in another student-athlete well-being issue that is not yet a legislative proposal. The SAAC, seeking to increase institutions’ commitment to life-skills programming, had suggested legislation requiring schools to sponsor either the NCAA CHAMPS Life Skills program or its equivalent. But resulting concerns over funding and how “its equivalent” would be defined indicated that a legislative solution could be challenging.
Though most Division II institutions provide some sort of life skills programming, SAAC representatives told the Council about resistance from some athletics directors to commit to programming unless it was required. Given that, the Council urged SAAC members to use a number of nonlegislative resources, including the Division II Institutional Self-Study Guide, to ensure a meaningful commitment that aligns with the division’s strategic-positioning platform.
A legislative proposal is still not out of the question, however, particularly in light of data presented at the summit from the GOALS study indicating a general lack of awareness on the part of student-athletes regarding academic-support services available at their institutions. Some Council members believe the SAAC may be able to leverage those results into a legislative proposal.
In other actions, the Presidents Council:
- Reviewed a report from the Regionalization Advisory Board that the Council appointed to recommend options for providing equitable access for all regions and conferences to NCAA championships. The board presented options that include the current model (under moratorium); an updated eight-region model that places the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association in the same region as the South Atlantic Conference and Conference Carolinas; and a “quads and regions” approach that retains the current eight-region alignment for regular-season play and then combines regions into quadrants for postseason selection. While the Council did not reach a consensus on any of the options, it did agree to strongly consider whichever the Division II Championships Committee recommends at its upcoming meeting.
- Supported the concept of Division II funding non-NCAA championship postseason opportunities, including a pilot Division II football bowl game and a volleyball tournament for teams not selected to the NCAA championship field.
- Agreed to sponsor legislation that amends the Division II philosophy statement to reflect the strategic-positioning platform.
- Appointed Stillman College President Earnest McNealey and West Texas A&M University President Joseph Patrick O’Brien to fill vacancies on the Council. McNealey completes a term through January 2009 while O’Brien will serve through January 2010. Both may be re-elected.
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