Failures to comply with membership standards could result in a probation period half as long or less than currently required, under a recommendation by the Division III Membership Committee.

The committee is asking the Division III Management Council to support proposed legislation for the 2010 Convention to shorten prescribed probation periods for an institution’s failure to comply with a membership requirement.

Currently, an institution’s first failure to comply with any of the standards results in a 10-year probation period, during which a second failure can result in restricted membership – an action that includes the loss of such membership benefits as access to championships and grant funds.  A third violation during that period results in the institution being placed in corresponding membership.

The Management Council – concerned that some violations may be either less serious or more preventable than others, and that the only options are to impose the 10-year probation or no penalty at all – recently asked the Membership Committee to consider whether a more flexible penalty structure may be appropriate.

The committee responded with a recommendation that emphasizes the importance of the standards, rather than flexibility in application – though it also signaled its willingness to make more use of waiver and appeals processes to deal with unique circumstances that might either mitigate a violation or justify reconsideration of the penalty.

The committee’s recommendation puts the greatest emphasis on membership requirements that are tied most directly to the Division III philosophy statement – those dealing with sports sponsorship.

It recommended a five-year probation period for institutions’ first failure to comply with sports-sponsorship requirements, including minimums for student-athlete participation. Other violations of standards designed to bolster institutional awareness of Division III’s philosophy and rules – specifically, failure to complete the Institutional Self-Study Guide, failure to attend the Convention annually or failure to attend an NCAA Regional Rules Seminar at least once every three years – would result in a three-year probation under the recommendation.

Penalties would remain the same for second and third violations of a membership requirement during the probation periods.

The committee has monitored compliance with membership standards more aggressively since Division III adopted legislation in 2007 to hold active members more accountable for meeting those requirements. That legislation authorized an audit process through which the committee monitors compliance.

Tougher monitoring has subjected a few institutions to the 10-year probation period. If Division III ultimately votes to shorten the probation periods, those schools’ probations would be shortened in accordance with the requirement they failed to comply with.

The Management Council will decide during its July 20-21 meeting in Denver whether to support the proposal. The Division III Presidents Council ultimately would decide whether to place the measure on the Convention agenda for a vote.

Use of technology

The committee’s recommendation regarding the penalty structure also addresses one of several items listed for consideration in a recent Presidents Council “white paper” on sports-sponsorship and membership requirements.

Committee members also took time during their summer meeting in Indianapolis to review other parts of that paper, and spent significant time on a recommendation to “pursue technology through which institutions and conferences may fulfill educational obligations of membership.”

“We wholeheartedly support the use of technology to enhance education and provide more options, and we will pursue ways of bringing these benefits to campus,” said Mark Majeski, Willamette director of athletics and committee chair.

However, as the panel that initially recommended requiring institutions to attend the Convention and Regional Rules Seminars, the Membership Committee is counseling caution on relying too heavily on such technology as video and Web-based seminars to meet membership requirements.

Committee members suggested that personal interaction at those events contributes to education on Division III philosophy and rules and helps keep the membership engaged on issues. They also noted that funds available to conferences and independent institutions through the Division III strategic-initiatives grant program makes attendance affordable.

The committee believes the best use of technology may be to expand access to educational opportunities, for example by providing programming from Convention or Regional Rules Seminar sessions for viewing by additional campus personnel who are not attending those events.