INDIANAPOLIS --- A diverse representation of Division II student-athletes, athletics administrators and coaches will convene at the ninth Division II Leadership Academy in Charlotte, North Carolina on February 16-18. The Academy is designed to give participants the tools necessary to develop leadership skills, become more familiar with divisional, national and institutional issues as well as generate ways to implement positive change on their respective campuses.

Academy participants will be introduced to the division’s strategic positioning platform efforts, which define the attributes that distinguish Division II schools, as well as the community engagement initiatives currently underway for the division.

Student-athletes selected to attend the Academy have exhibited impressive leadership qualities at their institutions.  The goal of the weekend-long Academy is to provide an educational experience that will nurture the leadership abilities of the participants and enable them to continue to make a significant difference on their campuses.

The mission of the Division II Leadership Academy is to engage participants in leadership education to enhance self-awareness and facilitate partnerships that will affect progress on campuses, within conferences, throughout Division II, and beyond the collegiate realm.

"The NCAA Division II Leadership Academy is one of the most important educational and learning opportunities offered by the national office for the Division II membership,” said Mike Racy, NCAA vice president of Division II governance.  “The Leadership Academy is an event that celebrates the special attributes that exist in Division II, and provides student-athletes, coaches, faculty and administrators with tools to provide leadership at the local level."

Throughout the Leadership Academy, participants will reflect on their own leadership abilities and become more aware of the roles they play on their campuses as well as in the greater community.  A significant part of the agenda will focus on the Division II model athletics program guidelines, governance structure and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. 

The culmination of the weekend includes a keynote during the opening business session by Charles Ambrose, chair of the NCAA Division II Presidents Council and president of Pfeiffer University. The Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee has a long-standing commitment to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and a wish recipient will be at the Academy to share their experience with the participants.

Leadership Academies are held twice each academic year with each Division II institution placed in one of five regions. Each institution must send one male and one female student-athlete, as well as one coach or administrator. Thirty-five institutions from the Mid-Atlantic Region will participate in this week’s Leadership Academy.

The 35 institutions are: Anderson University (South Carolina); Barton College; Belmont Abbey College; Bowie State University; Carson-Newman College; Coker College; Concord University; Converse College; Davis and Elkins College; Erskine College; Fairmont State University; Fayetteville State University; Glenville State College; Johnson C. Smith University; Lees-McRae College; Lincoln Memorial University; Mars Hill College; Mount Olive College; Newberry College; Pfeiffer University; Queens University of Charlotte; Salem International University; Shaw University; St. Andrews Presbyterian College; St. Paul's College; Tusculum College; University of Charleston (West Virginia); University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown; University of the District of Columbia; Virginia State University; Virginia Union University; West Virginia State University; West Virginia Wesleyan College; Wheeling Jesuit University; and Wingate University.

Upcoming Division II Leadership Academies include the West Region in September 2007 and Northeast Region in February 2008.  Additional information may be found at www.ncaa.org/leadership .