NCAA Division III
MONTHLY UPDATE // ISSUE NO. 128 // MAY 2016

This update is a tool to enhance communication between the NCAA national office and the Division III membership, with distribution to athletics directors, senior woman administrators, faculty athletics representatives, presidents, national SAAC, conference commissioners and the NADIIIAA list serve.  We encourage athletics directors to share this communication with their athletics department members.  Please contact Louise McCleary at lmccleary@ncaa.org to include an item or share comments, and remember to check out the Division III governance homepage for the latest news and information.


HOT TOPICS

2017 Convention Planning Survey -- ACTION NEEDED

Please complete the attached four-question survey to help the Convention Planning Subcommittee determine the 2017 Issues Forum roundtable and town hall topics.

Division III Graduation Rates Reporting is Now Open -- ACTION NEEDED

The data collection portal for the federal graduation rates and enrollment data opened March 8. The submission deadline is June 1.  Institutions can access the site through the NCAA's Single Source Sign-On (SSSO) system.  In addition to the required student body reporting, Division III members are strongly encouraged to provide the voluntary graduation success rate data for the 2009 student-athlete cohort.  Please contact Maria DeJulio or Eric Hartung with any questions.

HIGHLIGHTS

Hot Topics

CoSIDA Updates

FAR Updates

SSI Updates

Diversity Spotlight

Special Olympics

AMA Updates

Educational Information

PROP Updates

Committee Updates

Key Dates

Recipients Announced for Division III Diversity Grants

Twenty-six schools and conference offices will receive diversity grants for the upcoming cycles of the Ethnic Minorities and Women's Internship Grant (20 recipients) and the Strategic Alliance Matching Grant (six recipients). Committees select the grant recipients.  Successful grant applications encourage access, recruitment, selection and the long-term success of ethnic minorities and women in athletics administration and coaching. The full announcement, including the lists of recipients, can be found here.

Division III Week Recap

Sixty-nine percent of Division III member institutions and conferences (339 total) celebrated the fifth annual Division III Week, April 4-10.  This year's activities and events were held in conjunction with the Women's Basketball Joint National Championship, National Student-Athlete Day and many events featured the division's partnership with Special Olympics.  Division III raised $3,128 for Special Olympics North America by encouraging new "likes" on our Facebook page and new followers on Twitter.  In addition to social media engagement, NCAA staff donated to the campaign during a celebratory event at the national office in which the Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee participated in a panel discussion on the life of a Division III student-athlete. 

The sixth annual Division III Week will occur April 3-9, 2017. While planning for next year's event, remember to use resources and check for updates at the Division III Week website.

Sport Sponsorship and Demographic Form

The Sport Sponsorship and Demographic Form will open May 2.  The completed form, which is a membership requirement, must be submitted no later than August 1.  An e-mail that will include information on how to access the site will be sent to administrators and other campus personnel prior to the site opening.   If you have additional questions please contact Maria DeJulio, 913-397-7668.

ISSG Reminder

Constitution 6.3.1 requires all Division III institutions to conduct a comprehensive self-study and evaluation of their athletics programs at least once every five years.  The full Institutional Self-Study Guide (ISSG) and requirements for supporting documentation are now available for completion.  Click here for the user manual.  This information must be entered into the electronic ISSG by all institutions; fax, hard copy or email submissions of the ISSG will not be accepted.

You can access the ISSG via the MyApps link on NCAA.org (if access has been granted by the institution's single-source sign-on administrator).  Institutions that need technical assistance should send questions via email to Susan Roseman.

Click here to see which schools are required to complete this year's ISSG and supporting documentation by June 1, 2016.  Check out the NCAA Directory to see when your institution's next ISSG is due for completion.

Identity Initiative Purchasing Website

Have you used your $500 purchasing website credit? The Division III Identity Initiative purchasing website features co-branded giveaways, T-shirts, banners and promotional items.  A credit is available for each institution and conference through August 2016 for purchases from the site.  Access the site by entering the email address of your institution's director of athletics (or for conferences, the commissioner's email address) as the username, and the password you created. For assistance, please contact Nicole Eisenlohr at Source One Digital.

CoSIDA UPDATES

2016 CoSIDA Convention Registration

Have you registered for the 2016 CoSIDA Convention, taking place June 12-15 in Dallas?  The third annual Division III Day will occur Monday, June 13.  Grant dollars are available via the Division III Conference Grant Program specifically for campus sports information directors to receive professional development opportunities.  Ask your commissioner for details.  Click here for the online registration.  For a full schedule of events, click here.

FACULTY ATHLETICS REPRESENTATIVE (FAR) UPDATES

Registration for the 2016 FAR Fellows Institute is now open in Program Hub. The nomination deadline is May 31.  The three-day professional development event will take place October 14-16 at the NCAA national office in Indianapolis.  The focus of the program is to enhance FAR leadership skills to more effectively carry out FAR responsibilities on campus, in the conference, and nationally.

Nominations from conference commissioners are given priority in the selection process, and additional nominations will be accepted from institutional presidents, directors of athletics and FARs (self-nominations).  Self-nominations are allowed to increase the number of nominations in the pool, while still acknowledging the importance of the FAR interfacing with the conference. Additional information is available here .  Please direct any questions to Leah Kareti.

SPORT SCIENCE INSTITUTE (SSI) UPDATES

Cardiac Health

On Friday, April 15, a joint press release by the NCAA and the American College of Cardiology, announced the publication of an Interassociation Consensus Statement on Cardiovascular Care of College Student-Athletes . The consensus statement, an outcome of the 2014 NCAA Cardiac Task Force and developed and endorsed by leading national medical and sports medicine organizations, will be co-published in three prestigious medical journals: Journal of the American College of Cardiology, British Journal of Sports Medicine and Journal of Athletic Training. The consensus statement provides recommendations for team physicians and athletic trainers for pre-participation evaluations, emergency action plans, regional referral centers and includes key talking points as well as a resource independent checklist . For more information on the interassociation statement, please visit the SSI website.

Concussion

Revised concussion guidelines will be issued this summer as a result of the second Safety in College Football Summit. The changes will be endorsed by prominent medical and coaching associations and will serve as an update to guidelines developed at the first Safety in College Football Summit in 2014.  Changes will be based on new data related to concussion, exposure to repetitive head impact during football practices and games, independent medical care, and catastrophic injuries.

DIVERSITY SPOTLIGHT INITIATIVE

The Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) and the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) are the recipients of the April Division III Diversity Spotlight Initiative.  The AMCC and PAC recently held a joint workshop to present information designed to encourage and assist ethnic minority and female participants in beginning their careers in intercollegiate athletics.  This initiative's goal was to create a professional pipeline by providing skills, direction, and feedback about careers in intercollegiate athletics.  Click here to read the full story. 

The Diversity Spotlight Initiative recognizes and promotes outstanding diversity related projects, programming and initiatives that are occurring on Division III campuses and in conference offices.  Each month, the program recognizes an institution or conference in regard to a diversity related event, program or initiative.   All recipients receive $500 toward their next diversity initiative.  To submit an initiative for consideration for May, please email Jaime Dicks, with a brief statement (no more than 500 words) as to why your institution or conference office deserves to be the spotlight recipient. Attach a photo if applicable. The nomination deadline is May 21.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS

Spotlight Poll

The NCAA Division III Special Olympics Spotlight Poll is a story-telling initiative located on ncaa.org/D3SpecialOlympics .  It features new stories each month that highlight a Division III and Special Olympics joint activity or event.  The story with the highest number of votes on the 25th day of each month is the winner. That institution or conference receives $500 to use for its next Special Olympics event. Both written and digital submissions are accepted.  Featured stories are selected based on inclusion of the student-athlete perspective and Division III messaging. To submit a story for consideration, please email d3specialolympics@ncaa.org.

April Winner

After 1,560 total votes, Salem State hosts Special Olympics basketball tournament won the April poll with 51% (796) of the votes! Salem State will receive $500 to use for its next Special Olympics event.

May Nominees

• Amherst College hosts Special Olympics event
• McDaniel Hosts Tournament of Champions
•  Wisconsin Lacrosse participates in polar plunge

Click here to vote starting Sunday, May 1. The winner will be selected May 25, 2016.

ACADEMIC AND MEMBERSHIP AFFAIRS (AMA) UPDATES

Rule of the Month

Camps and Clinics:  Free or Reduced Admissions

Under the legislation in Bylaw 13.12.1.4, it is generally not permissible for an institution to provide free or reduced admission to attend the institution's camp or clinic to any prospective student-athlete. It is also impermissible for boosters or other representatives of the institution's athletic interests to provide a prospective student-athlete free or reduced admission.

In certain situations, however, providing free or reduced admission may be permitted.

  • An institution may provide free camp or clinic admission to a prospective student-athlete if the camp or clinic is free to all participants.
  • Discounted admissions are permitted when they are based on objective criteria that are not related to athletics ability, as long as the discounts are published and available on an equal basis to all who qualify. Some examples of objective criteria are early registration, online registration and bulk registration. An institution may have an institutional or athletics department policy that permits the children of institutional or athletics department staff to receive free or reduced admission to the institution's camps or clinics.
  • Free or reduced admission is allowed for children of instructors in the camp or clinic if it is available to children of all the camp or clinic instructors.

For more information, review staff interpretations from October 29, 2003 and August 27, 2009.   

Official Interpretations

Athletic Department Suspension and Athletic Eligibility (III) . Date Published: April 19, 2016. The Interpretations and Legislation Committee confirmed that a transfer student-athlete's suspension from athletic participation at the previous institution does not equate to athletic ineligibility for purposes of satisfying a transfer exception if the suspension is limited to a specific sport(s). [References: NCAA Division III Bylaws 14.5.4.1 (exceptions), 14.5.5.1 (general rule), 14.5.5.1.1 (exception) and an Official Interpretation (7/14/2006, Item No. 5a), which has been archived.]

Voluntary Out-of-Season Institutional Fundraising Events Involving Athletics Ability (III) . Date Published: April 22, 2016. The Division III Interpretations and Legislation Committee confirmed that student-athletes are not permitted to practice or compete under the guise of a fundraising event outside of the playing and practice season.  As such, coaching staff members may not assess or provide instruction to student-athletes as part of a permissible fundraising event that occurs outside of the playing season.  Additionally, a student-athlete may not compete as part of a team in the student-athlete's sport if the fundraising event is organized, administered by, or benefits the athletics department (in individual sports, such units as golf foursomes, doubles tennis teams and relay teams in track and field are not considered to be team competition).  Student-athletes are permitted, however, to participate in out-of-season fundraising events: (1) as an individual in an individual sport (e.g. Institutional 5K, golf outing); (2) that are administered outside of athletics and do not benefit the athletics department; or (3) in a sport other than the sport(s) in which the student-athlete participates at the institution. [References:  NCAA Division III Bylaws 17.02.1.1 (athletically related activities); 17.02.1.1.1 (exceptions) and 17.02.8 (intercollegiate competition)]

Varsity Coach Involvement with Institutional Club Team (III) .  Date Published: April 22, 2016. The Interpretations and Legislation Committee determined that a member institution's coach may not be involved in any capacity outside the declared playing and practice season with an institutional club team, in any sport, if the institutional club team includes a student-athlete from that coach's sport.  [References: NCAA Division III Bylaws 17.1.5 (out-of-season athletically related activities), 17.1.5.2.1 (involvement of coaching staff) and an Official Interpretation (12/12/1994, Item No. 14), which has been archived.]

Conference Membership Requirements for Retention of the Automatic Qualification via the Grace Period (III) . Date Published: April 22, 2016. The Interpretations and Legislation Committee confirmed that provisional and reclassifying members neither count toward the four institutions necessary to retain the automatic qualification via the grace period nor toward the seven institutions necessary to retain the automatic qualification at the expiration of the grace period.  [References:  NCAA Division III Bylaws 3.3.1.2.4 (grace period) and 31.3.3.1.3 (grace period)]

Conference Membership Requirements for Establishing a New Automatic Qualification (III) . Date Published: April 22, 2016. The Interpretations and Legislation Committee confirmed that a conference must have a minimum of seven active Division III member institutions (as opposed to provisional or reclassifying institutions) participating in a specific sport to be eligible for an automatic qualification for the NCAA championship in that sport. Therefore, while a conference may count provisional or reclassifying members toward the requisite number of conference members necessary to begin the two-year waiting period, the conference would not  be eligible for the automatic qualification until the two-year waiting period has been satisfied and those members have been granted active member status.  [References: NCAA Division III Bylaws 31.3.3.1.1 (additional requirements-multisport conference) and 31.3.3.1.2 (additional requirements-single-sport conferences)]

Student-Athlete Reinstatement (SAR) Update

The student-athlete reinstatement staff will partner with the NCAA enforcement staff for a one-hour Regional Rules session in Orlando and Dallas. The session will be held Tuesday at 1 p.m. at both locations and will provide attendees with a fundamental overview of Division III student-athlete reinstatement process involving violations, waivers and appeals and an overview of current Division III enforcement-related issues. 

Request Self-Reports Online (RSRO) Enhancements Now Available

Enhancements to RSRO are now available.  A few highlights include:

  • A reporting tab that allows users to create custom reports;
  • An ability to pay secondary violations through RSRO;
  • A warning message has been added to cases where a de minimis bylaw is being referenced; and
  • The ability for institutions to view case cover sheets while on the case management screen that display the decision and case summary.

A complete list of enhancements will be available on the resources tab in RSRO in early April. For questions, please email rsro@ncaa.org.

Division I Coaches Certification Exam

For those Division III institutions that sponsor Division I sports, the 2016-17 Division I Coaches Certification (Recruiting) Exam will be available in mid-May. Technical questions about the Division I exam should be sent to DeAnna Stephens

Academic Portal Update (Division III)

Work continues on the development of the Academic Portal, which is intended to serve as a single point of entry and process for all NCAA institutions on academic related requirements.  The development of this portal will not impact the way that institutions develop and submit voluntary academic information, such as NCAA Division III Academic Success Rate data, until spring 2017.  A communication plan has been developed that will ensure the membership, committees and other constituent groups are informed of and provided regular updates on this initiative.  Please email academicportal@ncaa.org with any questions, comments or concerns.

EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION

NCAA Graduate Student Research Grant Program

The NCAA Research Committee invites research proposals within the general topic areas of student-athlete psychosocial well-being and college athletics participation. Research grants are available for current graduate students enrolled at NCAA-member institutions and are intended to support the student while conducting research to be used for a doctoral dissertation, master's thesis or external publication. Awards for these one-time research grants are set at a maximum of $7,500. For more information, please visit the grant program website to download the current Call for Proposals (CFP), review FAQs, read the abstracts from previously funded projects, and see examples of funded proposals.  The application deadline is August 12, 2016.

National Office Student-Athlete Day Celebration

More than 150 local college athletes, Indianapolis Public School children, NCAA staff and athletics administrators took part in the 8th annual National Student-Athlete Day celebration, an outreach initiative hosted by the NCAA education and community engagement group. Indiana-based Division III schools represented included Anderson University and Earlham College. Click here for the recap.

PROP UPDATE

Listed below are key facility reminders for 2016-17 and 2017-18 related to playing rules in several sports.

Men's Basketball

Divisions II and III member institutions are reminded that effective with the 2016-17 season, the Restricted-Area Arc from men's basketball must be 4 feet (instead of 3 feet) from the face of the backboard.  [Note: The 4 foot arc was effective with the 2015-16 season for Division I men's basketball.  The rule for Division I, II and III women's basketball stipulates that the arc remain at 3 feet.]

Men's and Women's Ice Hockey

Effective with the 2016-17 season, NCAA institutions must have a goal anchoring system in place for competition. Note: The Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Rules Committee are reviewing situations where institutions do not own or control the facility (e.g., off-campus or municipal facilities). The committee plans to address this at the June 2016 annual meeting. Any questions may be directed to Ty Halpin.

Men's Lacrosse

Starting with the 2017 season, all Division II and III institutions must have a visible shot clock available for competition. It is recommended that two clocks be utilized at either end of the field; however, one clock may be used at midfield to satisfy the rule. Note: This rule was passed at the August 2014 Men's Lacrosse Rules Committee annual meeting.

Women's Lacrosse

For Divisions II and III institutions, a visible 90-second possession clock must be in place by the 2018 season. It is recommended that two visible clocks be utilized at either end of the field; however, one visible clock at mid-field will satisfy the requirement of this rule.

Men's and Women's Soccer

By 2016, any new field construction or renovation must have a halfway line and center circle that are visibly marked.

Softball

By 2017, an institutional field with a 4-foot fence must be a minimum of 210 feet in left and right fields and 230 in center field, and it is highly recommended that a municipal field with a 4-foot fence used by the institution be at those same distances.

Men's Volleyball

Effective for the 2017 season, a restraining line must be placed on the playing surface (permanently or with tape) five feet from the sideline on the bench side of the court for each team. The line will begin at the end of the bench and extend a minimum of eight feet. Student-athletes and bench personnel not seated at the bench are required to remain behind the restraining line during play.

COMMITTEE UPDATES

Several committees conducted an in-person meeting in April. 

National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, April 10-11
Committee on Women's Athletics, April 14-16
Minority Opportunities and Interest Committee, April 15-16
Management Council, April 18-19
Presidents Council, April 27-28

KEY DATES FOR MAY THROUGH JULY


2016
Dates Meeting/Championships Location 
May 2   Men's and Women's Golf Selections   Indianapolis, Indiana
May8Men's and Women's Lacrosse Selections Indianapolis, Indiana
May 8Men's and Women's Tennis SelectionsIndianapolis, Indiana
May 8 Softball SelectionsIndianapolis, Indiana
May 9Women's Rowing SelectionsIndianapolis, Indiana
May 10-13 Men's Golf ChampionshipRochester, New York
May 10-13Women's Golf ChampionshipHouston, Texas
May 15 Baseball SelectionsIndianapolis, Indiana
May 17-18Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement MeetingIndianapolis, Indiana
May 22Men's and Women's Outdoor Track SelectionsIndianapolis, Indiana
May 23-28Men's and Women's Tennis Championships Kalamazoo, Michigan
May 26-29Men's and Women's Outdoor Track ChampionshipsWaverly, Iowa
May 26-31 Softball ChampionshipSalem, Virginia
May 27-28Women's Rowing ChampionshipSacramento, California
May 27-31Baseball ChampionshipAppleton, Wisconsin
May 28-29Women's Lacrosse Championship Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
May 29Men's Lacrosse ChampionshipPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
June 1-2 Championships Committee MeetingIndianapolis, Indiana
June 6-7Baseball Committee MeetingIndianapolis, Indiana
June 6-8Men's and Women's Ice Hockey Committee MeetingIndianapolis, Indiana
June 8-10Men's Volleyball Committee Meeting Indianapolis, Indiana
June 13-14Women's Lacrosse Committee MeetingIndianapolis, Indiana
June 13 Division III Day at CoSIDA ConventionDallas, Texas
June 13-15Regional Rules SeminarDallas, Texas
June 15-17Men's and Women's Track and Field Committee MeetingIndianapolis, Indiana
June 15-17Competitive Safeguards & Medical Aspects of Sports Committee Meeting Dallas, Texas
June 16NADIIIAA Summer ForumDallas, Texas
June 22-23Softball Committee Meeting Indianapolis, Indiana
June 23-24Membership Committee MeetingIndianapolis, Indiana
June 27-29 Men's Golf Committee MeetingIndianapolis, Indiana
June 28-30Women's Golf Committee MeetingIndianapolis, Indiana
July 12-14Men's and Women's Tennis MeetingIndianapolis, Indiana
July 16-17Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Meeting Indianapolis, Indiana
July 18-19Management Council MeetingIndianapolis, Indiana


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