Feedback Forum is a monthly feature designed to highlight key issues or potential policy changes and solicit immediate feedback from the membership.

The types of issues on which Feedback Forum will seek input are:

* Proposed policy and procedural changes. Periodically, the national office staff is asked to change, revise or eliminate a policy or procedure that may affect member institutions, conferences or the general public. If the suggested changes are legislative in nature and contained in the Manual, it would be necessary for them to be considered in accordance with the policies established by each division. There are instances, however, in which the changes being suggested are not legislative in nature; rather, they are procedural and are left to the discretion of the appropriate oversight committee and/or staff. In such cases, because the changes may affect member institutions, it would be advantageous for the staff to receive input from member schools as to how the oversight committee and/or national office should proceed.

* Proposed rule-making changes. NCAA committees and cabinets routinely seek feedback on key issues they are addressing. This feedback is sought through a variety of means (for example, circulation of agendas and supplements before meetings, direct mailings soliciting feedback). Though the staff will continue to solicit membership feedback in those ways, Feedback Forum will highlight key issues being discussed before important meetings in order for the appropriate committees to receive membership input to help guide their decisions.

This month's Feedback Forum features the Legislative Services Database (LSDBi), which was developed to assist those involved with intercollegiate athletics in becoming more interactive with the legislative process in all three divisions and more aware of infraction-case decisions, student-athlete reinstatement issues, Administrative Review Subcommittee (ARS) decisions and interpretations.

The LSDBi provides immediate access to the NCAA Manuals, and to interpretations, administrative-review cases, eligibility issues, and major and secondary infractions cases. The searchable database also is updated whenever legislation is adopted, which is important as all three divisions adopt or interpret legislation throughout the year.

As a result of enhancements made in 2002, the LSDBi also offers administrators a more efficient and interactive picture of legislative proposals before they become bylaws and allows members to submit proposals online. It tracks legislation for those who want to know where various proposals are in the process and provides a "bulletin board" for discussions before governance meetings or the NCAA Convention where legislative voting takes place. LSDBi users can view all the comments on various proposals and post their own.

In short, the new LSDBi is a one-stop shop for legislative issues. LSDBI users can submit, comment on and track legislation, in addition to searching for bylaws, interpretations of bylaws, ARS waiver precedent and past infractions cases.

The membership services staff, which helps maintain the LSDBi, is interested in receiving feedback from the membership regarding its use of the database and the recent enhancements. Please take a moment to provide your input on the following questions (you can access the questions online at www.ncaa.org/databases/lsdbifeedback.html).

(1) How often members use the database (for example, daily, monthly)?

(2) For what purpose (for example, legislative proposals, interpretations, case precedent)?

(3) How helpful is the current online user's guide?

(4) Are there improvements or additional features you would like to see made to the database?

(5) What is your position in intercollegiate athletics?

(6) How user-friendly do you find the system?

You also may submit input via e-mail to Bridget Niland or Lynn Holzman in NCAA membership services.