Two priorities identified at January’s NCAA Convention – presidential leadership and an initiative to promote Division III’s identity – top the agenda for Thursday’s meeting of the Division III Presidents Council in Indianapolis.

Both topics were key subjects in the Council’s recent series of “white papers” addressing membership issues.

Council members will begin discussing ways to move toward positioning presidents to provide more strategic or “big picture” leadership for Division III, while delegating more responsibility for operational matters to the Division III Management Council.

The Presidents Council this week specifically will discuss its role in creating and sponsoring legislation for consideration by the membership.

It also will follow up on a commitment by Council leaders at the Convention to explore ways to better explain Division III’s approach to intercollegiate athletics.

Council members will meet with Jeff Jacobs, an independent marketing consultant, who has begun research – including interviews with a variety of presidents, student-athletes, athletics administrators, coaches and independent observers – that ultimately may help establish a communications platform for promoting the division’s attributes.

The presidents also will review legislative proposals that the Management Council has recommended for Presidents Council sponsorship at the 2010 Convention, including a simplification of Division III’s tryout legislation and proposals involving scheduling of and student-athlete participation in competition against alumni teams.

They also will be asked to give final approval to various budget recommendations, including an increase in championships per diem and other enhancements of travel parties or squads that would be supported through an inflation-based budget increase or reallocation of unused funds.

The meeting will be the first chaired by Paul Trible, president of Christopher Newport, who is succeeding John Fry of Franklin & Marshall in that role.