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 listserv. We encourage athletics directors to share this communication with their athletics department members. Please contact Adam Skaggs to include an item or share comments, and remember to check out the Division III governance homepage
for the latest news and information.
The 2020-21 attestation form to comply with the NCAA Board of Governors Policy on Campus Sexual Violence is now available on ncaa.org, via the NCAA Learning Portal in MyApps. All NCAA member schools must complete and upload their form no later than May 15. Schools that are unable to attest their compliance with the policy will not be eligible to host NCAA Championships during the next applicable academic year. For frequently asked questions, please see the Board of Governors Policy on Campus Sexual Violence FAQ.
Division III Week
The 10th annual celebration of Division III Week, scheduled for April 5-11, is a great opportunity to call attention to the unique student-athlete experience enjoyed at our member schools. Division III members are asked to highlight the activities and achievements of current student-athletes through scheduling an academic, athletics, co-curricular or extracurricular/community service activity. TheDivision III Week Communications Kitserves as a planning guide, and further information about Division III Week is available online. Please let us know in advance all planned Division III Week activities, either by submitting information via the online form
or sending it to d3identity@ncaa.org. Providing this information in advance will assist the NCAA national office’s promotion of the full array of planned activities. If you have questions, please contact Adam Skaggs.
2021 Division III SAAC Mental Health Social Media Campaign
The Division III Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is excited to announce the second annual Mental Health Social Media Campaign on May 3-6. This campaign is a platform for student-athletes, administrators, coaches, staff and support networks across the country to start the discussion, speak out on and break the stigma surrounding mental health. The goal of this campaign is to use social media to create a dialogue on mental health and to communicate the benefits of normalizing mental health. For more information, click here.
Division III Webinars
Webinars will be from 1:30 to 2 p.m. Eastern time on the following dates and topics:
April 6 — Mental Health Resources.
May 4 — Name, Image and Likeness.
All past webinar PowerPoints are on the Division III website.
Identity Initiative Purchasing Website
Division III schools and conference offices have a one-time $350credit for the Division III Identity Initiative purchasing website during 2020-21 that must be used no later than Aug. 15. The site includes banners, T-shirts and giveaways that can be co-branded. The link for the purchasing website is ncaadiii.sourceoneordering.com. You also can access the site through MyApps on ncaa.org. 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 then enter the password you created the first time you logged into the site (those logging in for the first time can create any password). Assistance with logging in, updating records to reflect a new athletics director’s email address, delegating log-in access to another staff member, resetting passwords and placing orders is available from Kristen Zeedyk at Source One Digital.
Is the end of the school year really coming up? What steps need to be taken as summer approaches? Consider tips for summer planning discussed in the March 27, 2015, webinar.
While 360 Proof primarily focuses on alcohol use, cannabis use can be an issue for students, too. With April (and 4/20) being a potentially high-risk time of the year, revisit the Sept. 18, 2019, webinar with Jason Kilmer on cannabis and impacts to student-athletes.
Next Webinar Feature
360 Proof offers a monthly webinar series to bring current prevention research to a Division III and NASPA Small College and University audience. The final session for 2020-21 is:
1 p.m. Eastern time April 14: “Beyond Compliance: Honest Conversations With Students About Alcohol & Sex,” Jen Jacobsen, Macalester, and Amaura Kemmerer, Northeastern.
All 360 Proof account holders will receive an invitation to attend these webinar sessions. Please contact Leah Karetiwith any questions about 360 Proof.
The Division III 2021-22 New FAR Orientation will be conducted in conjunction with the Faculty Athletics Representatives Association Annual Meeting on Sept. 29-Oct. 2 in Indianapolis. Faculty athletics representatives with less than two years of experience are invited to apply for the program, which focuses on understanding the Division III model of athletics, exploring the role of a Division III FAR, and enabling participants to get the most out of the FARA Annual Meeting. Also, participants will have the opportunity to build networks of new and experienced FARs and to establish goals for engagement in the role. Applications will be open in the Program Hub from May 15 to July 1, and the program grant covers all attendee expenses. If the FARA Annual Meeting moves to a virtual format, the orientation will do the same. Contact Leah Kareti with any questions.
New FAR Modules in DIII University
A new series of modules have been posted to DIII University, bringing to life the recommendations from the best practice guide, "The Highly Engaged FAR
". The modules explore the ways FARs can interact with key contacts to be most effective. In this course, FARs will hear from each of the key contacts recommended in the model for a highly engaged FAR, where speakers give real examples of the ideas shared in the guide. FARs will find new ways to interact with student-athletes, their athletics department, peer faculty and more. Access will open when the modules are assigned to FARs in mid-April.
The next submission round for the NCAA Division III and D3SIDA recognition award runs through May 1. Click herefor more details. The award is a partnership between the Division III governance staff and the Division III College Sports Information Directors of America. The recognition program is part of the Division III Identity Initiative. It seeks to honor the best news releases, feature articles, videos, blogs and other materials produced by Division III campus and conference athletics communication offices to portray the Division III identity and student-athlete experience.
The University Athletic Association is the recipient of the March Division III Diversity Spotlight Initiative. The UAA created the UAA Staff Mosaic Committee, a committee of head coaches, assistant coaches, administrators and athletic trainers. The committee provides a place and format for coaches to talk to others who have many shared, and some unique, challenges as people of color in Division III and in the UAA. The committee recently had a presentation on the importance of mental health for coaches and staff. Click
here for more details.
The Diversity Spotlight Initiative recognizes and promotes outstanding diversity-related projects, programming and initiatives occurring on Division III campuses and in conference offices. All selected recipients receive $500 toward their next diversity initiative. To submit an initiative for consideration for May, emailLouise McCleary with a brief statement (no more than 500 words) as to why your school or conference office deserves to be the spotlight recipient. Attach a video or photo if applicable. The nomination deadline is April 21.
Diversity Tip of the Month
Click here for the 2020 Racial and Gender Report Card: College Sport released byThe Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida. The report details the record of the NCAA, including its member institutions, in gender and racial hiring practices.
Special Olympics Virtual College Championship Week will challenge schools to complete a series of virtual and socially distant activities the week of April 12-16. You can register through the link below.
If you need assistance in hosting a Special Olympics event, check out the Division III SAAC Virtual Event Flyer. If you want to connect with your local Special Olympics program in other ways, please email Scott George at sgeorge@specialolympics.orgfor information and assistance.
Spotlight Poll
The NCAA Division III Special Olympics Spotlight Poll is a story-telling initiative 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 school or conference receives $500 to use for its next Special Olympics event. Written and digital submissions both are accepted. Featured stories are selected based on inclusion of the student-athlete perspective and Division III messaging. To submit a story for consideration, email d3specialolympics@ncaa.org.
March Nominees
After a record 18,872 total votes, “CSAC Polar Pop” won the March Special Olympics Spotlight Poll by gathering 56% of the total votes. The Colonial States Athletic Conference will receive $500 to use for its next Special Olympics event.
April Nominees
There were no submissions for the April Special Olympics Spotlight Poll.
As you plan for the summer camp season, remember Bylaw 13.11.3.2. Institutions can host or conduct camps and clinics involving prospective student-athletes, provided the following conditions are met:
The events must be open to the general public.
The events do not offer free or reduced admission toprospective student-athletes.
Any awards or mementos given to attendees are included in the admissions fees.
No athletics department staff member is employed (salaried or volunteer) in any capacity if the events are established, sponsored or conducted by a recruiting and scouting service.
A camp or clinic is considered open to the general public provided participation is only limited by number, age, gender and grade level. If participation is limited by any other criteria including academic criteria (for example, grade-point average, standardized test score) the event is not considered open to the general public.
An institution may employ its student-athletes at events involving prospective student-athletes provided the student-athlete performs administrative duties in addition to coaching or officiating. This would allow student-athletes to demonstrate drills in addition to their other duties. Additionally, prospective student-athletes may be employed at an institution’s camp, clinic or event provided compensation is for work actually performed and they are paid at the going rate for that locality. Lastly, it is permissible for your institutional camps, clinics and other athletics events to provide evaluation results to a prospective student-athlete, but ONLY to the specific prospective student-athlete to whom the evaluation pertains.
Institutional Self-Study Guide
Institutions in the 2020-21 ISSG class. Institutions scheduled to submit the 2020-21 Institutional Self-Study Guide must now do so by May 31, 2022.
Institutions in the 2019-20 ISSG class. The Division III Membership Committee had previously extended the submission deadline of the 2019-20 ISSG class to May 31, 2021. That deadline remains unchanged.
For all institutions. If needed, institutions may apply for individual extensions through Requests/Self-Reports Online by creating a membership requirements waiver request for Bylaw 6.3.1 (Self-Study Guide). Please note that the NCAA staff is only permitted to process waiver requests that assert a change in athletics leadership during the previous 12 months. All other requests for an extension will be presented to the Division III Membership Committee for a decision.
Any institution needing further assistance may send questions to NCAA staff at ISSG@ncaa.org.
2021 Regional Rules Seminar
The annual NCAA Regional Rules Seminar will be held virtually June 7-9.
The Regional Rules Seminar provides an opportunity for the membership, affiliate members and others across all three divisions to discuss NCAA rules, policies and procedures; share best practices; and connect with peers. Participation in the virtual 2021 Regional Rules Seminar is open to all NCAA member schools, conference offices and affiliate members. Registration for the seminar is anticipated to be released April 15. Additional updates regarding the 2021 Regional Rules Seminar will be posted on our event webpage.
Institutions that are either required to, or would like to, satisfy the NCAA Constitution 3.2.4.16 once every three years attendance requirement at the Regional Rules Seminars must have at least one institutional representative attend all six live webinars to be conducted June 7-9. More Division III-specific information will be shared when it becomes available.
Visit the 2021 NCAA Inclusion Forum Registration Webpageto register for the virtual 2021 NCAA Inclusion Forum, planned for June 2-4. There is no registration fee for NCAA members, but space is limited. Register early to ensure your spot. The NCAA Inclusion Forum brings together higher education and intercollegiate athletics leaders and student-athletes passionate about improving the educational and professional environment for student-athletes, coaches and staff. Contact the office of inclusion at odi@ncaa.org with questions.
NCAA Honors Program
Nominations are now being accepted for the NCAA Honors program, which recognizes former college athletes who have brought distinction to themselves, their institutions and college sports. Nominations for the awards listed below are due by 5 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday, April 28, and can be made through the “Applications” tab on the NCAA Program Hub. To be eligible for the Silver Anniversary Award, nominees must have completed their athletics eligibility in the 1996-97 academic year.
The NCAA Leadership Collective serves as a tool to progress toward an environment of diverse representation in collegiate coaching and athletics administration. The Leadership Collective is an interactive and user-friendly platform, which highlights the vast professional accomplishments of ethnic minorities within college sports through customizable personal profiles.
Through the showcase of the achievements of its users, the NCAA Leadership Collective will help NCAA member school and athletics conference executives diversify their talent lists and be more inclusive when making personnel decisions. The resource can be used for hiring senior staff, making committee appointments, finding speakers and filling other related needs.
For more information about this initiative, including the link to apply to create a profile in the platform, visit here. We encourage you to either apply for access to the NCAA Leadership Collective, or share information about the platform with members of your personal and professional networks.
NCAA Offering DISC Assessments at no Cost for Division III
DISC assessments are an important resource that some schools and conference offices use to help their student-athletes, coaches and administrators learn more about their behavioral styles and how their individual styles come together in a team environment.
NCAA leadership development has arranged for DISC assessments to be offered at no cost for Division III members. Institutions can request up to 70 student-athlete assessments and up to 30 coach or administrator assessments per academic year.
If you are interested in hosting a virtual DISC workshop for your department or conference office, please visithere for detailed instructions and facilitator information. The process for obtaining assessments and executing a workshop is outlined on this page.
Click here for a the most recently updated chart detailing the NCAA future playing rules changes with a financial impact. Questions should be directed to Rachel Seewald.
Several committees conducted virtual meetings in March.
Championships Committee, March 16 Membership Committee, March 18 Strategic Planning and Finance Committee, March 23
Convention Planning Subcommittee, March 26
Championships Committee, March 31
KEY DATES APRIL THROUGH JUNE 2021
2021
Dates
Meeting/Championships
Location
April 10-11
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee
Virtual
April 12-13
Management Council
Virtual
April 15
Membership Committee
Virtual
April 20
Championships Committee
Virtual
April 20
Minority Opportunities and Interest Committee
Virtual
April 21
Interpretations and Legislation Committee
Virtual
April 21
Committee on Women's Athletics
Virtual
April 22
MOIC and CWA Joint meeting
Virtual
April 23-24
Men's Volleyball Championship
Salem, VA
April 28
Presidents Council
Virtual
May 6
BOG Committee to Promote Cultural Diversity and Equity
Virtual
May 10-13
Men's Golf Championships
Wheeling, WV
May 10-13
Women's Golf Championships
Lansing, MI
May 17
Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee
Virtual
May 19
Interpretations and Legislation Committee
Virtual
May 20
Membership Committee
Virtual
May 23
Men's and Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships
Greensboro, NC
May 24-29
Men's and Women's Tennis Championships
Chattanooga, TN
May 27- June 1
Softball Championship
Salem, NC
May 28-29
Women's Lacrosse Championship
TBD
May 28-29
Rowing Championship
Sarasota, FL
May 29
Men's Lacrosse Championship
East Hartford, CT
June 2-4
Inclusion Forum
Virtual
June 3-8
Baseball Championship
Cedar Rapids, IA
June 7-9
Regional Rules Seminar
Virtual
June 8
FAR Advisory Group
Virtual
June 14-15
Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports
Virtual
June 16
Interpretations and Legislation Committee
Virtual
June 21-22
Championships Committee
Virtual
This email was sent to NCAA Division III presidents and chancellors that serve on Division III committees, athletics direct reports, directors of athletics, faculty athletics representatives, senior woman administrators, sports information directors, directors of compliance, commissioners, assistant/associate commissioners, national SAAC, provisional, reclassifying and exploratory members based on contact information in the NCAA Directory.
National Collegiate Athletic Association, 700 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204 US