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What is the
NCAA?
The National Collegiate Athletic
Association (NCAA) is the governing body that oversees intercollegiate
athletics in the United States. Founded in 1906 (as the
"Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States"), the NCAA
now counts approximately 1200 American colleges, universities
conferences and organizations as members and maintains a professional
staff of more than 350. Through governance procedures that
engage all member institutions, the NCAA sets policies covering
intercollegiate competition, athletics management, student
recruitment, academic standards, equity, ethics, and other matters.
What does “recertification” mean?
Beginning in 1993, the NCAA instituted a process
of “certifying” the intercollegiate athletics program at all
institutions that, like UConn, participate at the Division I level.
In many important respects, NCAA certification is analogous to
institutional accreditation such as is awarded by the New England
Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). The NCAA
certification process requires that institutions engage in a
comprehensive self-study conducted by a committee representative of
the institution as a whole. (Division of Athletics personnel may
participate, but the committee should be chaired by an individual
outside of the division and most of its members should come from other
parts of the University.)
The self-study should assess the institution’s
compliance with the major “operating principles” (listed below).
Specific information must be provided in response to 70 “self-study
items” that relate to these principles.
What is the recertification process?
UConn completed its first self-study and
certification process in 1998. Except for a few relatively minor
administrative items, the University was found to be in substantial
compliance with NCAA standards. The discrepancies were
promptly addressed. In 2002 the University completed an interim
report updating the status of our compliance.
NCAA calls for recertification at 10-year
intervals. UConn will engage in a comprehensive self-study to be completed by a University Steering Committee and Subcommittees that have been approved by the Office of the President. Following approval by the President
and Board of Trustees, the self-study will be presented to the NCAA. Following a favorable decision to recertify by the NCAA, the University would be scheduled for recertification review in 2018.
The NCAA “Division I Committee on Athletics
Certification” will then select and assign a “peer-review team” to review
the self-study, visit the University, and meet with the President,
members of the Division of Athletics, faculty, students, and others.
Generally the teams consist of 2-5 individuals, including the
president of another institution.
The peer-review team will verify the completeness
and accuracy of the self-study report and, significantly, will verify
that the entire campus community has had opportunity for input.
The team will provide a written report to the NCAA Division I
Committee on Athletics Certification.
The Committee will consider the peer-review
team's findings and place the University in one of three
“certification categories”: certified, certified with
conditions, or not certified. The Committee may, at its
discretion, call for interim campus visits by a peer-review team or
additional written communication.
Certification, if approved, is generally for a
ten-year period.
What are the NCAA’s “operating
principles”?
The principles fall in three areas:
1. Governance
and Commitment to Rules Compliance
1.1 Institutional Control,
Presidential Authority and Shared Responsibilities. The
Association's principle
of institutional control vests in the institution the responsibility
for
the conduct of its athletics
program, including the actions of its staff members and
representatives of its athletic
interests. In fulfilling this principle the institution shall
demonstrate that:
a. The institution's governing board
provides oversight and broad policy formulation
for
intercollegiate athletics in a manner consistent with other units of
the institution.
b. The chief executive officer is assigned
ultimate responsibility and authority for the
operation and
personnel of the athletics program.
c. Appropriate campus constituencies have
the opportunity, under the purview of the
chief executive
officer, to provide input into the formulation of policies relating to
the
conduct of the
athletics program and to review periodically the implementation of
such
policies.
1.2 Rules Compliance.
Membership in the Association places the responsibility on each
institution to
assure that its staff, student-athletes, and other individuals and
groups
representing the
institution's athletics interests comply with the applicable
Association
rules and
regulations.
a. It has in place a set of written
policies and procedures that assign specific
responsibilities in the areas of rules compliance, including
assignment of direct
accountability for rules compliance to the individual the chief
executive officer
assigns
overall responsibility for the athletics program.
b. In critical and sensitive areas,
institutional compliance procedures provide
for the
regular participation of persons outside of the athletics department.
c. Rules compliance is the subject of
an ongoing educational effort.
d. A clear and unambiguous commitment
to rules compliance is a central
element in
all personnel matters for individuals involved in the intercollegiate
athletics
program.
e. At lease once every four years,
its rules-compliance program is the subject
of
evaluation by an authority outside of the athletics department.
2.1
Academic Standards. The Association's fundamental principles
indicate
that an
intercollegiate athletics program shall be designed and maintained
as a
vital component of the institution's educational system, and student-
athletes shall be considered an integral part of the student body.
Consistent
with
this philosophy, the institution shall demonstrate that:
a. The institution admits only
student-athletes who have reasonable
expectations of obtaining academic degrees.
(1) If the academic profile of entering student-athletes, as a
whole or for
any student-athlete subgroup, is significantly lower than that of
other student-
athlete or comparable student-body groups, the contrasts shall be
analyzed
and explained by appropriate institutional authorities.
(2) If the graduation rate of student-athletes, as a whole or
for any student-
athlete subgroup, is significantly lower than that of other
student-athletes
or comparable student-body groups, this disparity shall be analyzed,
explained
and addressed (through specific plans for improvement) by appropriate
institutional authorities.
b. Academic standards and
policies applicable to student-athletes are consistent
with
those adopted by the institution for the student body in general or
the
NCAA's
standards, whichever are higher.
c. The responsibility for
admission certification of academic standing and
evaluation of academic performance of student-athletes is vested in
the
same
agencies that have authority in these matters for students generally;
and
d. Written policies related to
scheduling are established in all sports to minimize
student-athletes' conflicts with class time and/or final examination
periods due
to
participation in intercollegiate athletics, consistent with the
provisions of
Constitution 3.2.4.13.
2.2
Academic Support. Members of the Association have the
responsibility
to
conduct intercollegiate athletics programs in a manner designed to
protect
and enhance the educational well-being of student-athletes and to
assure
proper emphasis on educational objectives. Consistent with this
responsibility, the institution shall demonstrate that:
a. Adequate academic support
services are available for student-athletes.
b. Student-athletes are
encouraged and assisted in reaching attainable
academic goals of their own choosing.
c. When it is determined that
individual student-athletes have special
academic needs, these needs are addressed.
d. The support services are reviewed
and approved periodically by
academic authorities outside the department of intercollegiate
athletics; and
e. There is a commitment to the
fair treatment of student-athletes, particularly
in
their academic role as students.
3.
Equity and Student-Athlete Well-Being
3.1 Gender Issues.
Consistent with NCAA Constitution 2.1, it is the
responsibility of each
institution to implement the Association's principle of gender
equity. In accordance
with this fundamental principle, the institution shall:
a. Have implemented its approved gender-equity plan
from the previous self-
study. If modified or not
carried out fully, the institution shall provide an
explanation from appropriate
institutional authorities.
b. Demonstrate that it is committed to, and has
progressed toward, fair and
equitable treatment of both
male and female student-athletes and athletics
department personnel.
c. Formally adopt a written plan for the future
for the intercollegiate athletics
program that ensures the
institution maintains a program, or continues progress
toward a program, which
is equitable for both genders. The plan shall include
measurable goals the
institution intends to achieve, steps the institution
will take to achieve
those goals, persons responsible and timetables.
3.2 Minority Issues.
It is a principle of the Association to promote respect for
and sensitivity to the
dignity of every person and to refrain from discrimination
prohibited by federal and
state law. Consistent with this fundamental philosophy,
the institution shall:
a. Have implemented its approved
minority-opportunities plan from the previous self-
study. If modified
or if not carried out fully, the institution shall provide an
explanation from
appropriate institutional authorities.
b. Demonstrate that it is committed to, and has
progressed toward, fair and
equitable treatment of
all minority student-athletes and athletics department
personnel.
c. Formally adopt a written plan for the future
for the intercollegiate athletics
program that ensures the
institution maintains a program, or continues
toward a program,
which expands opportunities and support for minority
student-athletes and
athletic personnel. The plan shall include measurable
goals, persons
responsible and timetable.
3.3 Student-Athlete
Well-Being. Conducting the intercollegiate athletics program
in a manner
designated to protect and enhance the physical and educational
well-being of
student-athletes is a basic principal of the Association.
Consistent with
this fundamental principle, the institution shall:
a. Provide evidence that the well-being of
student-athletes and the fairness
of their treatment
is monitored, evaluated and addressed on a continuing
basis.
b. Have established grievance or appeal
procedures available to student-
athletes in
appropriate areas.
c. Provide evidence that the institution
has in place programs that protect the
health of and
provide a safe environment for each of its student-athletes.
Who conducted UConn’s NCAA
Recertification self-study?
The Self-Study was conducted by a Steering
Committee and three Subcommittees that were focused on the three major
content areas:
Steering Committee
Governance & Commitment to Rules
Compliance
Subcommittee
Academic Integrity
Subcommittee
Equity & Student-Athlete Well-Being
Subcommittee
A copy of the recertification self-study is posted on this site. Any general issues or questions can be directed to Dr. Ronald Schurin, the Chairman of the University Steering Committee at Ronald.Schurin@uconn.edu.
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