When contractors finish with a new home, they walk through the building with the new owners to develop a "punch list" of problems that are fixed before the owners take possession. At an Association-wide session January 12 at the NCAA Convention in Nashville, officials of the new NCAA Eligibility Center said they've worked through their punch list and want to work with the membership to provide better service.

Teamwork was a theme of the session - the staff will work together with prospective student-athletes, their parents, high schools and member institutions to provide a positive experience in all areas of the Eligibility Center, including amateurism review, high school review, the National Letter of Intent program and academic review. Technology will play a large role in improved customer service in the upcoming year.

Bill Saum, who is in charge of the amateurism review component, said one of the developments he'd like to see is an elimination of the terms "amateurism" and "professionalism" because definitions are so varied, especially internationally. The real question, he said, is simply whether a recruit has been compensated above and beyond expenses.

More staff will be dedicated to the high school review to deal with issues like credit recovery courses and online education, while the National Letter of Intent staff is reaching out to institutions, conferences, affiliated organizations and others looking for feedback.

Lori Williams, director of academic certification, detailed legislation that is affecting the work her group performs, including the increase in core courses and early certification. She also encouraged the membership to provide as much information as possible when seeking initial-eligibility waivers.