NCAA Division III
MONTHLY UPDATE // ISSUE NO. 144 // OCTOBER 2017

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 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, conference commissioners and the National Association of Division III Athletic Administrators electronic mailing list.  We encourage athletics directors to share this communication with their department members.  Please contact Louise McCleary to include an item or share comments, and remember to check out the Division III governance homepage for the latest news.


HOT TOPICS

LGBTQ Survey

The Division III LGBTQ Working Group has recently distributed a series of surveys to better understand the current landscape and climate surrounding lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning issues on Division III campuses and conferences.  The working group will use the survey findings as it explores educational resources, visibility and recognition opportunities and communication best practices. 

Podcast with President Cureton

Northwestern-St. Paul President Al Cureton joined Jack Ford on the "College Sports Insider" podcast to discuss how Association-wide decisions are made by the NCAA's Board of Governors. Cureton also talks about why his institution has recently added new majors as well as new intercollegiate programs.  The podcast also covers Cureton's role on the Division III Presidents Council and the importance of presidents getting involved in the NCAA.  Click here to listen.

HIGHLIGHTS

Hot Topics

FAR Updates

360 Proof Updates

SSI Updates

Diversity Spotlight

Special Olympics

AMA Updates

Educational Information

Championships Updates

PROP Updates

The NCAA Record

Committee Updates

Key Dates

Facilitator Training - Gameday the DIII Way

There are limited spots available for administrators who want to become facilitators to deliver the new Gameday the DIII Way game environment and fan behavior training program.  The Disney Institute will facilitate the training from Nov. 30 to Dec. 1 in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Selected participants are expected to arrive on the evening of Nov. 29.  The NCAA will pay the costs for travel and participation.  Learn more about Gameday the DIII Way here. If you are interested in becoming a facilitator, please contact Jay Jones.

Facts and Figures

Click here to access the updated annual Division III statistics and fact sheets, including the 2017-18 budget.  

Annual Report

Division III recently released its 2016-17 Annual Report. This report highlights the major events, award recipients, team champions, and other notable achievements from the past academic year. A copy of the report can be found here.  

Woman of the Year

On Sunday, Oct. 22, the NCAA will select its 2017 NCAA Woman of the Year honoree.  Nine former student-athletes, three from each division, have been selected as finalists.   The Division III finalists are:

  1. Eliana Crawford, Kenyon College, swimming and diving;
  2. Lizzy Crist, Washington  University (St. Louis), soccer; and
  3. Jayme Perez, East Texas Baptist University, softball. 
The top 30 honorees reflect the pillars of the Woman of the Year Award: outstanding achievements in academics, athletics, community service and leadership.  Click here to see each Division III conference's Woman of the Year recipient and visit the Woman of the Year homepage to meet the nine finalists.


New NCAA Executive Vice President

Katrice Albert will serve as the NCAA's executive vice president of inclusion and human resources, a newly created senior position. Albert has a distinguished career in higher education, most recently as the vice president for equity and diversity of the University of Minnesota system. Albert will start in her new post Oct. 16, allowing for a two-week transition period before current executive vice president and chief inclusion officer Bernard Franklin retires Nov. 1. Read more.

2018 NCAA Convention

Registration for the 2018 NCAA Convention is now open.  NCAA members should register by Wednesday, Oct. 11, to get the lowest registration rate ($225).  This year's Convention will be held Jan. 17-20 in Indianapolis. The student registration fee is $25 and students (except those students serving on the national Student-Athlete Advisory Committee or selected through the Division III Student Immersion Program) must register for the Convention and lodging in the same manner as all other delegates.  Click here for a chart that provides a sampling of the programming the staff and Division III SAAC believe will be beneficial to Division III student attendees.


FACULTY ATHLETICS REPRESENTATIVE (FAR) UPDATES

Registration for the 2017 Faculty Athletics Representatives Association (FARA) Annual Meeting, Nov. 2-4, in Atlanta is now open.  Please visit the FARA website to register and view the preliminary agenda .  Of particular interest is a presentation on the efforts of the Division III FAR Engagement Working Group, a review of the proposed Division III legislation with special emphasis on issues of concern to FARs, and concurrent sessions on student-athlete well-being. Contact your conference commissioner and ask if travel support is available.  Questions regarding the meeting can be directed to Michael Miranda.

Elections for positions on the FARA Executive Committee begin Oct. 1.  The Division III nominees include:

  • Secretary - Kurt Beron, University of Texas, Dallas
  • Division III Vice-president - Jo Hopp, University of Wisconsin, Stout
  • Divisional representatives:
    • Chuck Brown, Penn State-Behrend and Ellen Faszewski, Wheelock College. (One-year term)
    • Pedro de Araujo, Colorado College and Kay Graves, Fontbonne University. (Three-year term)

FARs will receive voting information in the FARA Voice, the newsletter of the Faculty Athletics Representatives Association.
360 PROOF UPDATES

Learning Collaborative

The first 360 Proof Learning Collaborative Webinar of the 2017-18 academic year featured nationally known researcher Dr. Melissa Lewis from the University of Washington, addressing the challenging topic of high-risk sexual behavior and alcohol use by college students. A newly incorporated element of the monthly webinar series, Exhibit A , provided participants with practical suggestions to promote healthy sexual decisions and was led by Jen Jacobsen, from Grinnell College. Throughout the year, members of the Learning Collaborative will be invited to share successes (and missteps) on their own campuses through the Exhibit A feature. 

The next session is scheduled for 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25, "No 180 Needed: Using 360 Proof and the NCAA Substance Abuse Prevention Toolkit."  Questions about 360 Proof or accessing the webinars?  Email: experthelp@360proof.org

Monthly Prevention Tip

If you're at a school where fall sports are big and involve tailgating, be mindful of messages sent to your students when this is done by alums, particularly if the sense is that there's no enforcement of policies.  Be mindful of messages sent to your students if they're the ones tailgating and there doesn't seem to be much enforcement.  The bottom line?  There are opportunities for enforcement and education. Watch the 360 Proof webinar featuring national expert Linda Major on strategies to address tailgating.   This can be found in 360 Proof's content library, originally posted March 6, 2016.

SPORT SCIENCE INSTITUTE (SSI) UPDATES

Catastrophic Sport Injury During Online Reporting Tool

This fall, the NCAA released an online reporting tool for member schools to submit data on catastrophic injuries sustained by student-athletes. This tool satisfies 2014 Association-wide legislation requiring schools to report annually on any catastrophic event occurring to an NCAA student-athlete at their school. In using the online tool, schools must report a catastrophic event that occurred during this annual cycle and they must report retroactively for a catastrophic event that occurred since the legislation became effective Aug. 1, 2014. For more information about catastrophic injury reporting, visit www.ncaa.org/injuryreporting

Interassociation Task Force on Sleep and Wellness

In May 2017, more than 40 members of an Interassociation Task Force on Sleep and Wellness convened in Indianapolis to review current data and discuss research related to the sleep of student-athletes. At the end of the two-day event, task force members developed an action plan to identify sleep-specific recommendations through a systematic and interactive consensus-building process. The results of this task force will be shared during sessions at the NCAA Convention on Jan. 17-20 in Indianapolis. Additionally, a tool kit, based on the recommendations of the task force, is tentatively slated for release to the membership in late spring 2018.

SSI to Host Task Force to Advance Mental Health Best Practice Strategies

This November, the SSI will host student-athletes, coaches and administrators from NCAA member schools for a two-day task force to identify strategies to support the implementation of the Mental Health Best Practices, released by the SSI in January 2016. Information and outcomes from the meeting will be shared following the conclusion of the event.

Concussion Safety Resources for Student-Athletes and Coaches

The SSI released a concussion safety video for student-athletes, as well as revised fact sheets for student-athletes and coaches that promote concussion safety. The resources consider emerging data from the NCAA-U.S. Department of Defense CARE Consortium study, and are the result of input from medical, scientific and health education experts and Divisions I, II and III NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committees and coaches. To access these resources, click here.

Register First-Year Student-Athletes for New Well-Being Resource

myPlaybook: The Freshman Experience, an online educational curriculum designed specifically for freshman student-athletes to promote well-being through healthy behavioral strategies, is available to member schools. This free, web-based resource will provide a curriculum of interactive educational modules that support the student-athlete wellness efforts of member schools. Modules for alcohol and other drug prevention, mental health and sexual violence prevention are currently available while additional modules for time management, hazing prevention, sleep wellness and sport nutrition will be available this spring. To register first-year students at your school for myPlaybook: The Freshman Experience and start planning your school's educational curriculum, click here.

DIVERSITY SPOTLIGHT INITIATIVE

The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) is the recipient of the September Division III Diversity Spotlight Initiative. The conference hosted an inaugural Women's Leaders Symposium in early August for more than 70 female administrators and coaches.  The symposium, held at the NCAA national office, provided education, professional development and networking opportunities.   Presenters included NCAA President Mark Emmert who provided the welcome, as well as other NCAA staff, current athletics directors and presidents.  Commissioner Chris Ragsdale and a planning team worked for months to provide this first-ever opportunity for the women in the conference.  Click here for a photo gallery.

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.  All selected recipients receive $500 toward their next diversity initiative.  To submit an initiative for consideration for October, please email Jori Jasper , with a brief statement (no more than 500 words) about why your institution or conference office deserves to be the spotlight recipient. Attach a video or photo if applicable. The nomination deadline is Oct. 21.

SPECIAL OLYMPICS

2016-17 Contributions

Eighty-three (83) institutions and 11 conference offices reported Division III Special Olympics activities during the 2016-17 year involving approximately 11,600 Division III student-athletes and 10,650 Special Olympic athletes.  The division dedicated just over 27,000 volunteer hours and raised a total of $32,042 because of these activities. The division also donated an additional $61,700 to Special Olympics generated from Division III Week initiatives ($3,610) and championship and enforcement fines ($58,090).  The total amount donated to Special Olympics from fiscal year 2016-17 was $93,742.

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.

September Winner

After 1,786 total votes, Wartburg hosts annual unified sports day won the September Special Olympics Spotlight poll by gathering 45 percent (804) of the total votes! Wartburg College will receive $500 to use for its next Special Olympics event. To submit a story for consideration, email d3specialolympics@ncaa.org.

October Nominees

Here are the stories for the October Special Olympics poll:

• La Verne softball hosts Special Olympics softball clinic
• Salem College soccer hosts clinic for Forsyth County Special Olympics team
• Houghton SAAC hosts Special Olympics

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

ACADEMIC AND MEMBERSHIP AFFAIRS (AMA) UPDATES

Rule of the Month

The academic and membership affairs staff have created a "staying compliant" resource for Division III institutions. This resource is intended to facilitate communication between the intercollegiate athletics department and all campus constituencies with a role in the institution's athletics compliance process. View the new resource here.

2018 NCAA Convention Legislation Chart

For a chart detailing the 2018 legislative proposals, including sponsor(s), intent and effective date, click here.

Second Publication of Proposed Legislation (SPOPL)

Information related to the 2018 NCAA Convention Division III Second Publication of Proposed Legislation (SPOPL) is now available on the NCAA website.

Legislative Timeline

The legislative timeline for the remainder of the 2017-18 legislative cycle is summarized below.

Nov. 1 : Deadline for amendments-to-amendments and all resolutions. All amendments-to-amendments (which do not increase the modification of the original amendment/proposal) and all resolutions must be received in the national office not later than 5 p.m. Eastern time Nov. 1. No amendments-to-amendments sponsored by the membership may be submitted after this date. The Presidents Council is authorized to submit further amendments-to-amendments at the Convention if it deems such action necessary, provided it is approved by two-thirds of the Council and copies are distributed before or during the Business Session.   

Nov. 15: The Official Notice will be available for distribution to the entire membership through a hard-copy mailing. The Official Notice includes all membership-sponsored legislation (as modified by a sponsor modification submitted by the Sept. 15 deadline), all Presidents-Council sponsored legislation, all properly submitted amendments-to-amendments and resolutions (submitted by the Nov. 1 deadline) and all position statements issued by the Division III Councils.

Jan. 17-20, 2018: NCAA Convention: All delegates receive the NCAA Convention program when they register at the Convention. The Convention program contains the most up-to-date meeting schedule and other helpful Convention information. Changes of an editorial nature to the proposed legislation (as it appears in the Official Notice) will be noted for the membership on the Convention floor at the beginning of the Convention business session and will be distributed in a handout (if necessary).

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.  Click here to see which schools are required to complete this year's Institutional Self-Study Guide (ISSG) and supporting documentation by June 1, 2018.

The 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 system by all institutions; fax, hard copy or email submissions of the ISSG will not be accepted. 

The ISSG can be accessed via the My Apps link on NCAA.org (if access has been granted by the institution's single-source sign-on administrator).  Institutions that need technical assistance are asked to send questions via email to Tonya King-Aguster

CSSG Reminder

Constitution 3.3.4.6 requires all Division III member conferences to conduct a comprehensive self-study and evaluation of their athletics programs at least once every five years. All member conferences are required to complete this year's Conference Self-Study Guide (CSSG) and supporting documentation by June 1, 2018.  The CSSG can be accessed via the My Apps link ("Self-Study Guide") on NCAA.org. Conferences that need technical assistance are asked to send questions via email to Tonya King-Aguster.

Regional Rules Seminars

Constitution 3.2.4.15 (Convention and Regional Rules Seminar attendance) requires all Division III institutions to attend the NCAA Regional Rules Seminar (RRS) at least once every three years.  The three-year window for attendance includes attendance at the 2016, 2017 and 2018 RRS.  Any institution that did not send a representative in 2016 or 2017 should plan to attend the 2018 Regional Rules Seminars.  Registration will be available in spring 2018. Before the seminars, attendees are encouraged to review the LSDBi and RSRO training videos to prepare for on-site learning objectives. 

The 2017-18 RRS dates and locations: June 4-6, 2018, Atlanta; and June 25-27, 2018, San Antonio.  Institutions that are members of the conferences hosting the 2018 Division III Conference Rules Seminar (York, PA) are permitted to count their attendance at that seminar to fulfill the once-in-three-year requirement.

Click here to see which schools are required to attend the 2018 Regional Rules Seminars.

EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION

DiSC Assessments Available

Use of the DiSC is strongly encouraged on member campuses. Participants gain personalized feedback on their specific leadership style, and student-athletes, coaches and administrators gain valuable understanding of everyone's unique behavioral style. Applying this knowledge can develop effective team dynamics, leadership, and communication among the group. 

In 2017-18, each Division III school interested in utilizing the DiSC resource will be provided assessments for up to 50 student-athletes, as well as 30 coaches or administrators, at no cost. Funding is limited and requests will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here to learn more about the DiSC resource.

Division III Diversity Grants

The annual call for proposals for the Division III diversity grants is now open in the NCAA Program Hub. Eligible schools and conferences are encouraged to start planning their submission as soon as possible. The deadline to submit proposals is 5 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018.    

The Ethnic Minorities and Women's Internship Grant helps fund full-time, entry-level athletics administrative positions for two academic years. For each of the two years of grant funding, the NCAA provides recipients with $23,660 toward the hired intern's salary and $3,000 in professional development funding. Recipients must also contribute $3,700, at minimum, as an in-kind gift to the hired intern for each academic year.       

The Strategic Alliance Matching Grant helps fund full-time, mid- to senior-level positions in athletics administration during a five-year commitment. The NCAA contributes funding toward a portion of the position's salary and benefits for the first three years and professional development and technology funding. Schools and conferences are required to contribute matching dollars during the first three years, as well as fully fund the position for an additional two years.  

Visit the Division III diversity grants webpage for more information, including grant guidelines, selection committee information and a list of recent recipients. Contact Ali Teopas with questions. 

2018 NCAA Emerging Leaders Seminar Application

The Emerging Leaders Seminar is a professional development opportunity at the NCAA national office for more than 200 current graduate assistants and interns from member schools, conference offices and affiliate organizations.  The application is now available on Program Hub.  The deadline is Friday, Oct. 27, at noon Eastern time.  The 2018 seminar will take place Jan. 24-26 in Indianapolis. The NCAA will cover the cost of lodging, meals and all program materials.  Click here and listen to former seminar participants discuss how their experiences influenced their careers in college sports.

CHAMPIONSHIPS UPDATES

Championships Managers

For a list of the 2017-18, championships sport managers, click here.

PLAYING RULES OVERSIGHT PANEL (PROP) UPDATES

ArbiterSports Update

As you may have heard, the NCAA recently sold its majority share of ArbiterSports to Serent Capital, a San Francisco-based private equity firm. Click here to learn more about this development.

In addition, earlier this summer the NCAA signed a five-year agreement with ArbiterSports to continue providing the same services as in the past. As such, the Association does not anticipate any changes in this regard; however, we did want to make you aware of this change in ownership. 

Football Halftime Length

The NCAA Football Rules Committee will consider requests to extend halftimes that exceed the 20-minute halftime rule. Click here for more information. 

THE NCAA RECORD

For the latest hires, promotions, retirements and to find out who is going where in college athletics check out the NCAA Record which includes regularly updated transactions.  To inform the NCAA of any new hires, retirements, promotions and death notices, please email transactions@ncaa.org.

COMMITTEE UPDATES

Several committees conducted in-person meetings in September. 


NADIIIAA and D3CA Leadership, September 10-11
Nominating Committee, September 11
Championships Committee, September 11-13
Committee on Women's Athletics, September 18-19
Minority Opportunities Interest Committee, September 18-19
Interpretations and Legislation Committee, September 21-22

KEY DATES FOR OCTOBER THROUGH DECEMBER

2017
Dates Meeting/Championships Location 
Oct. 11-13   Olympic Sports Liaison Committee Meeting Colorado Springs, CO
Oct. 13-15 FAR Fellows Institute Indianapolis, IN 
Oct. 16-17 Management Council Meeting Indianapolis, IN
Oct. 22 Woman of the Year Dinner Indianapolis, IN
Oct. 24-25 Presidents Council Meeting Los Angeles, CA
Nov. 12-13 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Meeting Indianapolis, IN
Nov. 13-14 Financial Aid Committee Meeting Indianapolis, IN
Nov. 16-18Women's Volleyball ChampionshipGrand Rapids, MI
Nov. 18 Men's and Women's Cross Country ChampionshipElsah, IL
Nov. 17-19Field Hockey Championship Louisville, KY
Nov. 28-29Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement MeetingIndianapolis, IN
Dec. 1-2Men's Soccer ChampionshipGreensboro, NC
Dec. 1-2 Women's Soccer ChampionshipGreensboro, NC
Dec. 10-12Competitive Safeguards & Medical Aspects of Sport Meeting Indianapolis, IN
Dec. 15Football ChampionshipSalem, Virginia



This email was sent to all Division III chancellors and presidents currently serving on NCAA committees, Division III athletics directors, faculty athletics representatives, senior woman administrators, athletics direct reports, sports information directors, senior compliance administrators, commissioners, assistant commissioners, provisional/reclassifying and exploratory members, national SAAC, NCAA Division III governance staff members, and NCAA staff members working with Division III.

ld-bot
National Collegiate Athletic Association, 700 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204 US


Update your preferences | View in browser | View privacy policy