National Collegiate Athletic Association

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The NCAA News -- August 16, 1999

Division II: Presidents Council approves diversity grant program

BY DAVID PICKLE
STAFF WRITER

Division II leaders hope that their bold step to address administrative diversity will solve a major problem and at the same time serve as a model for the rest of the Association.

The Division II Presidents Council, which met August 5, officially committed $250,000 in funding for the 1999-00 fiscal year to a matching grant program designed to aid Division II conferences and institutions working to enhance gender and ethnic minority diversity.

The three-year pilot program, to be known as the Division II Strategic Alliance Matching Grant Program, will fund proposals from conference offices and member institutions. The proposals will encourage ethnic minority and gender participation in employment, educational opportunities and scholarships. It also will involve ac- tivities such as training sessions or workshops.

The need for the program was born from Division II's acknowledgement that it is the only division that has shown an overall regression in minority administrative opportunities. While the other divisions have shown some progress, a study by the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee indicates that professional opportunities for minority administrators and coaches are limited throughout the Association.

"Let me be very clear," said Gladys Styles Johnston, chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Kearney and vice-chair of the Division II Presidents Council. "This news is unacceptable to the Division II Management and Presidents Councils. Increasing gender and ethnic representation is a top priority for Division II, and this matching grant program will provide Division II schools and conferences with financial assistance as they attempt to diversify."

The $250,000 in Division II funds committed for the first year would finance 75 percent of the grant. Funds will be committed in the second year for 50 percent and in year three for 25 percent. Member institutions and conferences would be required to provide funding of 25 percent in the first year, 50 percent in the second year and 75 percent in the third year.

"We believe this can serve as a model for our colleagues in Divisions I and III," Johnston said. "This is an example of why it was so important for the NCAA to restructure. We now have the autonomy to address unique issues."

A complete description of the program will be mailed to the Division II membership this month. A timetable accompanies this article.

Legislation

Apart from implementing the diversity program, both the Division II Management Council, which met July 26-27, and the Presidents Council devoted major amounts of time to considering legislation that will be before the 2000 NCAA Convention in San Diego.

Of note, the Presidents Council approved a Management Council recommendation to remove two pieces of legislation from the proposed Bylaw 13 deregulation package.

One proposed revision would have eliminated Bylaw 13.1.3.1, which limits telephone calls to Division II prospects. The other would have made it possible for Division II institutional representatives to personally deliver national letters of intent.

At its spring meeting, the Management Council remanded both proposals to the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), which in turn recommended that neither be sponsored for the 2000 Convention. Since the Presidents Council agreed with that recommendation, neither proposal will be considered at the January Convention. However, the membership will be able to sponsor such legislation for any subsequent Convention, if it chooses to do so.

The Presidents Council also withdrew two additional pieces of legislation that had prompted concern from the Division II SAAC. One proposal would have permitted Division II football student-athletes to participate in individual skill-related instruction outside the institution's declared playing season, provided certain conditions are met. The other would have increased from three to four the maximum number of student-athletes who could participate in allowable skill instruction outside the playing season.

In both cases, the SAAC expressed concern about extending what was termed "involuntary voluntary" workouts. Although SAAC members said they understand the need for such instruction and value it to an extent, they believe that as a practical matter, coaches expect their athletes to participate in whatever skill instruction is offered. For that reason, the SAAC believes the number of "voluntary" opportunities need to be controlled.

Emergency legislation authority

The Presidents Council also supported in concept several Management Council proposals.

One of those would give the Division II Presidents Council the authority to adopt temporary emergency legislation in response to court orders and/or litigation involving the NCAA. Any such action taken by the Presidents Council would have to be ratified at the subsequent Convention.

Another proposal that was supported in concept would amend Bylaw 14.2.7 to permit a student-athlete to regain a season of competition when a coaching staff member carelessly costs that athlete a season of competition through a substitution error. The Management Council had defeated the proposal twice before but passed it at its July meeting, with the understanding that the reinstatement is not an automatic process. Divisions I and III have a similar rule in place, but the Division II Management Council has expressed reservations that the rule could be exploited.

The Presidents Council also supported in concept a proposal that would eliminate Bylaw 20.10.4.3.4. That bylaw permits institutions that are providing less than 25 percent of the maximum equivalencies in football to waive the 50 percent Division II scheduling requirement in football under certain circumstances. The presidents supported the Management Council's belief that the bylaw was a vestige of Division I-AA football legislation and was never meant to apply to Division II.

The Presidents Council also supported a revised definition of an NCAA core course that would be consistent with the Division I definition.

Other business

The Presidents Council approved a recommendation from the Management Council to provide funding for independent institutions through the "conference championship" prong of the Division II enhancement fund. The change means that independent institutions will share equally an amount equal to that of the smallest conference distribution for conference championships. In other words, if the smallest distribution for conference championships is $10,000, then all of the independent institutions in Division I would split $10,000 equally.

Other highlightsDivision II Presidents Council

August 5/Indianapolis

  • Forwarded the proposed Division II budget to the NCAA Executive Committee, with a minor change that would expand the field for the new Division II Women's Golf Championships from 45 to 48 competitors at an estimated additional annual cost of $7,000.

  • Received the latest draft of the Division II strategic plan and praised the work of the project team overseeing that task. The Presidents Council noted that the membership will receive a copy of the strategic plan this fall and that the plan will be considered at the Convention.

  • Approved the Division II program for the 2000 NCAA Convention. The chief executive officers luncheon will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, January 9, and will feature a report on Division II financial affairs, an update on Division II diversity issues and an update on the Division II strategic plan. The Division II issues forum, from 1:30-3:30 p.m. January 9, will focus on the health and safety of Division II student-athletes and amateurism issues in Division II. The Division II business session January 10 will feature an update on Division II deregulation, a budget report, a strategic plan report, a discussion on Division II championship issues and an open forum (in addition to voting on Division II legislation).

  • Granted the Division II amateurism project team an extension until January 2001.

  • Noted that an Association-wide vote on Constitution 2.6 (principle of nondiscrimination) will be conducted January 8 during the opening business session of the 2000 Convention.

  • Approved a recommendation from the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Committee to permit part-time enrollment for recipients of NCAA postgraduate scholarships, commencing with the 1999-00 academic year.

  • Altered the calendar for Division II deregulation so that legislation affecting Bylaw 14 will be considered in January 2002. Deregulation legislation relating to Bylaws 12 and 16 now will be considered in January 2004.

  • Granted active membership to Anderson College (South Carolina) and Oklahoma Panhandle State University, effective September 1.

  • Approved the appointment of David C. Brooks, faculty athletics representative at West Liberty State College, to the Division II Academic Requirements Committee and Ralph W. McFillen, commissioner of the Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletics Association, to the Division II Nominating Committee.

  • Agreed to sponsor legislation stating that the minimum sponsorship for an emerging sport must have been achieved for one year (rather than two) in order for a women's championship to be established in that sport. The Management Council had recommended leaving the requirement at two years.

  • Asked the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee to explore alternatives to a recommendation that would have allowed conferences to permit student-athletes to complete their SAAC terms even though they have graduated. Divisions I and III both have agreed to permit the practice, but both the Division II Management and Presidents Councils were troubled that some SAAC representatives would not be enrolled student-athletes if the proposal were approved.

  • Reviewed the pros and cons of four initial-eligibility models developed by the Division II Academic Requirements Committee.

    Division II Management Council

    July 26-27/Hilton Head, South Carolina

  • Received a report from a project team created to establish bylaws for the sport of equestrian. The Management Council concluded that more information is needed before any equestrian bylaws can be developed.

  • Heard a presentation from Chad Starkey of Northeastern University about changes pertaining to the certification of athletic trainers. Questions relating to the health and safety of Division II student-athletes will be discussed during the Division II issues forum at the January Convention.

    Diversity grant timetableThe following is the timetable for implementing the Division II Strategic Alliance Matching Grant Program:

    1999

    September 1 -- Application information sent to Division II membership.

    2000

    Early February -- Applications from Division II conferences or schools are due.

    Late February -- Selection Committee meets to determine awardees.

    March 1 -- Institutions and conferences that applied are notified if additional information is needed for the application.

    March 15 -- Additional information is due.

    April 3 -- Selection Committee finalizes the awardees.

    May -- Notification to institutions and conferences selected to receive a grant.

    July/August -- Funds distributed to institutions and conferences.