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DII educational sessions highlight long-range issues

Division II delegates to the 2011 NCAA Convention will benefit from a pair of important educational sessions focusing on issues central to the future of the division.

The first, a session on Division II championships initiatives and prioritizing enhancements for the future (3-4 p.m. Wednesday), will update current Division II championships initiatives, including the implementation of a Rating Percentage Index for the selection of teams. Attendees will be able to provide feedback and suggestions as the Division II Championships Committee and sports committees prioritize their recommendations to enhance the Division II championships experience (for example, increased per diem, increased travel party sizes and bracket expansion).

Presenters will include Championships Committee chair Bill Fusco, director of athletics at Sonoma State;  Erin Lind, associate commissioner and senior woman administrator of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference; and Butch Raymond, commissioner of the Northern Sun and vice chair of the Division II Management Council.

The session will be videotaped and available for viewing on the Division II homepage after the Convention.

Another especially important session will focus on the management of Division II’s strategic growth and update the work of the Long-Range Projections Task Force (9:45-10:45 a.m. Friday).

The discussion involves membership requirements, how growth does not unnecessarily burden the division’s resources and long-range revenue allocations, and development of a membership system that is flexible enough to maximize growth in certain geographical areas.

Representatives from the Division II Membership Committee and the Long-Range Projections Task Force will explain the context, objectives and legislative recommendations for the projects. Audience members will have the opportunity to respond with comments and questions.

Presenters include Bob Boerigter, commissioner of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association; Membership Committee chair Sandy Michael, director of athletics at Holy Family; Julie Ruppert, commissioner of the Northeast-10 Conference; and Brian Swanson, director of athletics at Cal Poly Pomona.

Other Division II educational sessions include:

• What’s The Headline? Update from the Office of Inclusion (11 a.m.-noon Friday).

This session will feature a conversation with NCAA directors of the newly restructured gender and inclusion office. Topics include creation of a working group to address issues at Hispanic-serving institutions, Title IX and the work of the Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee. Kim Ford and  Karen Morrison of the NCAA staff will present.

• Mind, Body, Spirit: Addressing Student-Athletes’ Mental Health Issues (11 a.m to noon Friday

Delegates will be provided with information about what factors contribute to student-athlete mental-health issues, how those issues may present themselves and how to effectively intervene. 

Presenters include a student-athlete, a cheerleader and Bren Stevens, associate athletics director/senior woman administrator at Charleston (W.Va.); Allison Staley, a counselor at St. Mary’s (Texas); and John Sullivan, clinical sports psychologist at Providence College/University of Rhode Island.

• The Division II platform: tools and resources to help tell your campus or conference story (11 a.m.-noon Friday)

This session will focus on how members can leverage the Division II strategic-positioning platform, with special emphasis on the online network, especially the Division II student-athlete website and Facebook page.

Presenters include Debbie Chin, director of athletics, at New Haven; Dianthia Ford-Kee, director of athletics at Lincoln (Pa.); Jody Harpster, executive vice president at Shippensburg; and Jill Willson of Double LL Consulting.