National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - News and Features

August 17, 1998

Clearinghouse committee eyes Web access for status reports

The Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse Committee continued its review of establishing a Web site that would allow member institutions to submit institutional request lists (IRL) and to access weekly status reports regarding student-athletes on institutional request lists.

The committee, meeting August 3-4 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, reviewed a proposal from the Clearinghouse regarding implementation of the Web site that in addition to IRL submissions and weekly status reports also would include student registration via the Internet.

The committee determined that its priorities for development would be the IRL weekly status report and the student registration form.

The committee directed the Clearinghouse staff to provide a cost analysis of the weekly status report and institutional request list in addition to an estimate of the time involved in updating the Web site.

In other actions, the committee reviewed and made modifications to the customer surveys developed for parents, prospective student-athletes, high schools and member institutions. It was noted that the surveys will be distributed this fall and that member institutions will need to administer the surveys to student-athletes who are initially enrolling at the institution.

The committee also discussed the search to replace Calvin Symons as director of the Clearinghouse. The committee noted that the search has been extended and that Symons will remain as director until a successor is named.

The committee also noted that an agreement has been reached with ACT for a five-year contract extension through 2002. In a related matter, the committee discussed the potential for significant Clearinghouse operations pending changes in initial-eligibility legislation that might impact the established procedures of the Clearinghouse.

Other highlights

Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse Committee
August 3-4/Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

  • Recommended that Divisions I and II institutions that have fewer than 30 student-athletes on the institutional request list (and Division III institutions that have fewer than five) will be reminded that all incoming students must have a final certification from the Clearinghouse before they can practice, compete or receive financial aid (other than the two-week or 45-day exceptions for practice prior to a final certification).

  • Recommended that the Division I Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet and the Division II Academic Requirements Committee amend a July 31, 1996, interpretation

    regarding transcripts without yearly grades that would allow the Clearinghouse to average the two semester grades upon receipt of the transcript without requiring verification from the high school.

  • Acknowledged the Division I Management Council's support for increasing the student registration fee from $18 to $25.

  • Noted that the enhancements made to the customer service initiatives -- specifically to telephone service -- have been successful in that from February 1998 through July 1998, the average number of busy signals per month on the general public lines has decreased significantly. In addition, there have been no busy signals on the institution lines during the same period.