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NCAA Announces Division I Certification Decisions

For Immediate Release

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Contact(s)

Jennifer Royer
Associate Director of Public and Media Relations
317/917-6117


INDIANAPOLIS---The NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics Certification announced decisions today concerning the status of seven Division I member institutions in the Association’s athletics certification process.

The purpose of athletics certification is to ensure integrity in the institution’s athletics program and to assist institutions in improving their athletics departments.  NCAA legislation mandating athletics certification was adopted in 1993.

The certification process, which involves a self-study led by an institution’s president or chancellor, includes a review of these primary components:  governance and commitment to rules compliance; academic integrity; gender/diversity issues and student-athlete well-being.

A designation of certified means that an institution operates its athletics program in substantial conformity with operating principles adopted by the Division I membership.

The following five institutions were certified:

In addition, the following Division I institutions have been certified with conditions:

The classification of certified with conditions means that the institution is considered to be operating its athletics program in substantial conformity with operating principles adopted by the NCAA's Division I membership.  However, issues identified during the course of the institution's self-study and the peer-review team's evaluation were considered serious enough by the Committee on Athletics Certification to cause it to withhold full certification until those issues have been corrected.  The NCAA does not divulge specific information related to an institution’s self-study or peer-review visit or the conditions set forth for certification.

All 335 active Division I members participate in the athletics certification process.

The Division I Committee on Athletics Certification preliminarily reviews an institution’s certification materials and provides a list of issues identified during the evaluation.   The university then hosts a visit by peer reviewers who file a report regarding the institution’s resolution of those issues before a final certification decision is rendered.   An institution’s failure to satisfactorily respond to the committee may negatively impact certification status.

The certification process is separate from the NCAA’s enforcement program, which investigates allegations of rules violations by member institutions.   A decision of certified does not exempt a college or university from concurrent or subsequent enforcement proceedings. 

The NCAA Committee on Infractions may ask the Committee on Athletics Certification to review an institution’s certification status as a result of the completed infractions case.

The members of the Committee on Athletics Certification are: Anthony Archbald, Princeton University; John Balog; Jacksonville University; Robert Bernardi, Nicholls State University; Ann Carr, Mississippi State University; Casey Comoroski, Missouri State University; Beatrice Crane Banford, Marshall University; Beth DeBauche, Ohio Valley Conference; Tom Douple, The Summit League; Amy Folan, University of Texas at Austin; Joanne Glasser (chair), Bradley University; Brian Linnane, Loyola College (Maryland); Barbara Luebke, University of Rhode Island; M. Dianne Murphy, Columbia University-Barnard College; Sheila Patterson, Cleveland State University; Donald Pope-Davis, University of Notre Dame; Allison Rich, Florida State University; Judy Van Horn, University of Michigan; and Sarah Wilhelmi, West Coast Conference.

 

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