NCAA Division III
MONTHLY UPDATE // ISSUE NO. 142 // AUGUST 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 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

Key 2018 Governance Legislative Proposals

During its July meeting, the Division III Management Council voted to recommend sponsorship of two governance proposals.  The Presidents Council, during its early August meeting, will discuss if it wants to sponsor this legislation.  The first proposal relates to graduate transfers.  The proposed legislation would permit a student who has graduated from a Division III institution to participate in intercollegiate athletics at the Division III institution of his or her choice provided: (1) the student is enrolled and seeking a second baccalaureate or graduate degree; (2) the student has eligibility remaining (i.e., seasons of participation); and (3) the participation occurs within the applicable 10-semester/15-quarter period set forth in Bylaw 14.2.

The other governance proposal outlines football preseason guidelines for 2018 and beyond.  The legislation would amend the football preseason as follows: 
  • The first permissible practice date shall be 25 days before the first permissible Saturday contest date (regardless of the institution's actual first contest date).  Expenses may not be provided before this date.
  • A day off shall be provided during the first six days of preseason, which includes the five-day acclimatization period. 
  • A day off shall be provided during each remaining week of the preseason practice period (prior to the week of the first contest). 
  • On-field activity (a practice session and a walk-through session) shall be limited to a combined total of four hours in length per day with a practice session not to exceed three hours. 
  • Footballs may be used during walk-through sessions following the five-day acclimatization period.

HIGHLIGHTS

Hot Topics

ADR Updates

FAR Updates

360 Proof Updates

SSI Updates

Diversity Spotlight

Special Olympics

AMA Updates

Educational Information

PROP Updates

The NCAA Record

Committee Updates

Key Dates

The membership is encouraged to provide initial feedback on these proposals.  Feedback may be sent to any current member of the Management Council, Presidents Council or NCAA Division III governance staff.


Interview with Brit Katz, Management Council chair

Jack Ford, the longtime journalist ("60 Minutes Sports," "Good Morning America," NBC News), recently interviewed Brit Katz, Millsaps vice president of student life and dean of students, and chair of the Division III Management Council, in a podcast titled, "Coming Out in the South". Katz, an openly gay college administrator from Mississippi, reflects on the difficulties he faced growing up in the South, how he came to find acceptance in the world of higher education and how those experiences help him relate to college athletes and other students today.  Click here to listen to the podcast.  

Division III Compliance Forms

The 2017-18 Division III compliance forms can be found here. The forms are available in a fillable PDF format that enables users to type into the form. Institutions should make sure to save the document to a folder or desktop before completing the form, or the work will not be saved. 

Division III Student Immersion Program

For the third year, Division III will support 40 ethnic minority students to attend the 2018 NCAA Convention in Indianapolis on Jan. 17-20.  The application process will be available on Program Hub , titled "2018 Division III Student Immersion Program", beginning Aug. 15 and closing at 5 p.m. Eastern time Sept. 30.  Ethnic minority students, preferably juniors and seniors with a strong interest in a career in Division III athletics (coaching and/or administration) are encouraged to apply.  Final selections will be announced in early October.  At the Convention, the students will be exposed to Division III, its members and the governance process.  In addition to the scheduled Division III programming, there will be welcome and debrief meetings.  The goal is to build a pipeline of talented ethnic minority candidates who have an interest in Division III coaching and/or administration in an effort to ultimately diversify the division.  

2017 Student-Athlete Leadership Forum

The annual NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum, with more than 300 student-athletes, coaches, administrators and faculty in attendance, will take place Nov. 16-19, 2017, in Washington, D.C.  Click here for more information about eligibility, nomination process, deadlines and additional FAQs.  Student-athletes selected to attend the Leadership Forum will return to campus with invaluable leadership skills, the experience of exploring the relationship between personal values, core beliefs and behavioral styles, and a thorough understanding of the NCAA, the different divisional perspectives and the valuable role of Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC).

2017 SWA Program Cohort

The Division III governance staff congratulates the senior woman administrators (SWAs) who were selected to attend the 2017 SWA Program on Oct. 7-10 in Dallas, Texas in coordination with the Women Leaders in College Sports (formerly NACWAA) Convention.  

FUNDING AVAILABLE: Identity Initiative Purchasing Website

August is the last month to use the $500 credit provided to current active and provisional member schools and conferences during 2016-17 to use on the Division III Identity Initiative Purchasing Website. The site offers materials like co-branded banners, backdrops, unique signage, T-shirts and other products to promote your affiliation with Division III, as well as items to help activate our partnership with Special Olympics.  Schools and conferences can use the credit by Aug. 31 to buy anything on the purchasing website. The link is https://ncaadiii.sourceoneordering.com/ . 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).  While approximately two-thirds of Division III schools have not yet used this year's credit, the summer months are a great time to place orders. Assistance with logging in to the site, updating records to reflect a new director of athletics' email address, delegating log-in access to another staff member, resetting passwords and placing orders is available from Amy Byrnes at Source One Digital. 


ATHLETICS DIRECT REPORT (ADR) UPDATES

Applications are now being accepted for the third annual Athletics Direct Report (ADR) Institute.  This event will take place Jan. 17-18, 2018, at the NCAA Convention in Indianapolis.  The purpose of the program is to engage Division III ADRs in best practices to oversee and manage athletics departments and to improve the relationships between ADRs and their presidents, athletics directors and conference commissioners.   The two-day program includes both networking opportunities and interactive discussions with ADR peers and other expert presenters.  Event details are available here. ADR participants will receive a registration fee waiver to the NCAA Convention to continue their professional development. The Institute also provides travel, meals and lodging for all participants. Applications are being accepted via Program Hub from June 15 through Aug. 31 and may be completed by conference commissioners, institutional presidents or chancellors, athletics directors, and athletics direct reports. Each multi-sport conference is guaranteed one participant per year.  Please contact Leah Kareti with any questions.

FACULTY ATHLETICS REPRESENTATIVES (FAR) UDPATES

2017 FAR Fellows Institute Class

The Division III governance staff congratulates the faculty athletics representatives (FARs) who were selected to attend the 2017 FAR Fellows Institute on Oct. 13-15 in Indianapolis.

360 PROOF UPDATES

Did you know that 360 Proof offers posters and other materials to promote its intervention tool, the Personalized Feedback Index, to students?   To access these tools, visit 360proof.org and click "Join Now" to start your own 360 Proof account.  Please contact Leah Kareti with any questions, or to schedule an orientation. 

SPORT SCIENCE INSTITUTE (SSI) UPDATES

Updated NCAA Drug-Testing Program Resource

The Sport Science Institute (SSI) has released the 2017-18 NCAA Drug-Testing Program Protocol, a resource for athletics administrators and drug-testing site coordinators that provides information about the 2017-18 drug-testing process. To download the 2017-18 NCAA Drug-Testing Program Protocol, click here. For additional resources about the NCAA Drug-Testing Program, visit ncaa.org/drugtesting

Substance Abuse Prevention Tool Kit

The SSI has released a Substance Abuse Prevention Tool Kit that provides recommended approaches and evidence-based resources for athletics administrators to address alcohol, marijuana and prescription drug abuse.  Within the tool kit, member schools will find checklists and strategies that support campus collaborations and that promote engagement with those campus colleagues who have primary responsibilities for student wellness and substance abuse prevention. To download the Substance Abuse Prevention Tool Kit, click here.

Health Promotion Resource for Freshman Student-Athletes

This summer, the SSI will launch "myPlaybook: The Freshman Experience", an online educational curriculum designed specifically for freshmen to promote student-athlete well-being through healthy behavioral strategies. This free, web-based resource will provide a curriculum of interactive educational modules that support the student-athlete wellness efforts of member schools. The curriculum includes a core module for alcohol, banned and recreational drugs, as well as supplemental modules for mental health, sexual violence prevention and time management. Additional modules on sleep wellness, hazing prevention and sport nutrition are expected to be released in the spring of 2018. To learn more about myPlaybook: The Freshman Experience, click here.

Updated NCAA Concussion Safety Fact Sheets

This summer, the SSI will release updated concussion safety fact sheets for student-athletes and coaches. These revised educational resources will consider emerging data from the NCAA-DoD CARE Consortium study and are the result of input from medical, scientific and health education experts and the Divisions I, II and III NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committees. Upon release, electronic and print copies of the fact sheets will be shared with Division III member schools.

Mental Health Task Force

This fall, the SSI will host the Task Force to Advance Mental Health Best Practices Strategies. This meeting is a follow-up to the original NCAA Mental Health Task Force and will meet to identify strategies and resources that support the implementation of the Mental Health Best Practices. The Task Force will identify arising mental health issues, models of mental health care and measures of effectiveness of the best practices. Additional information and outcomes of the task force will be shared following the event. 

DIVERSITY SPOTLIGHT INITIATIVE

The Diversity Spotlight Initiative resumes in September.  Each month, the 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 September, please email Jori Jasper , 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 video or photo if applicable. The nomination deadline is Aug. 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.

July Winner

Calvin Athletics and SAAC Help with Special Olympics Spring Games won the July Special Olympics Spotlight poll by gathering 87 percent (67) of the total votes! Calvin College will receive $500 to use for its next Special Olympics event. To submit a story for consideration, please email d3specialolympics@ncaa.org. 

August Nominees

Here are the stories for the August Special Olympics poll:

• PLU Men's Soccer Volunteers at Special Olympics
• Elmira College Student-Athletes Volunteer at Special Olympics
•  Hamilton Basketball Pitches in Around the Community

Click here to vote starting Tuesday, Aug. 1. The winner will be selected Aug. 25, 2017.

ACADEMIC AND MEMBERSHIP AFFAIRS (AMA)

Annual Required Forms and Actions Resource

An updated chart of major Division III annual required forms and actions is available here. The document also includes helpful information on the location and due dates of each requirement, who is responsible for completion of the requirements, and contact information for NCAA staff associated with various requirements. 

Division III Rules Test

The 2017-18 NCAA Division III Rules Test will be available to the membership Aug. 1, 2017. Simultaneously, the 2016-17 test will no longer available. The 2017-18 test is administered online and may be accessed through the MyApps page on ncaa.org. Administering the test online allows users and the NCAA national office the ability to view incorrect answers and use these results to gauge educational needs. The 2016-17 NCAA Division III Rules Test PowerPoint will also be available on Aug. 1 and may be accessed using the same link as the rules test. The PowerPoint may be used as a resource to supplement educational needs.  As a reminder, all head coaches and any athletics administrators with compliance responsibilities must take the rules test annually. Institutions must file a secondary violation for failure to adhere to this annual requirement. Questions relating to the rules test should be directed to Tonya King-Aguster.

Getting in the Game

The 2017-18 updates to the Division III: Getting in the Game educational tool (www.ncaagetinthegame.org) are now available.  Getting in the Game is a video guide designed to provide institutions with general compliance education for athletics administrators and a helpful walkthrough for student-athletes to navigate the process of completing annual NCAA compliance forms.  The site also provides links to the Division III homepage and other helpful resources.

New Division III Interpretations

Independent Medical Care - Athletics Director Serving as a Coach (III) . The Division III Interpretations and Legislation Committee confirmed that a director of athletics who is also a coach may not serve as the sole supervisor nor have sole hiring/firing authority over an institution's primary athletics health care provider.  Therefore, a director of athletics who is also a coach may serve as a supervisor for the primary health care provider, provided the supervisory responsibilities are shared with another institutional staff member who is not a coach. It would also be permissible for a director of athletics who is a coach to maintain supervisory responsibilities over the primary health care provider, if an institution creates an appeal or oversight mechanism, external to the athletics department, to evaluate the merits of any negative employment decisions. Finally, an institution could permissibly create an administrative 'firewall' to ensure that decision-making by primary athletics care providers is always autonomous and unchallengeable.  [References:  NCAA Division III Bylaws 3.2.4 (conditions and obligations of membership); 3.2.4.19 (Independent Medical Care) and 3.2.4.20 (athletics health care administrator).]

Scrimmage, Exhibition, or Joint Practice Exemptions - Contest and Date of Competition Sports (III).  The Division III Interpretations and Legislation Committee confirmed that the two annual exempted exhibitions, scrimmages or joint practices shall be applied as a contest (single game) or date of competition (any contest(s) on a single date). The contest or date of competition classification is dependent on whether a sport calculates its maximum limits via contests or date of competitions.  [References:  NCAA Division III Bylaws 17.02.2 (contest), 17.02.5 (date of competition) and 17.1.4.5.1 (annual exemptions).]  

2018 NCAA Convention Division III IPOPL

The 2018 NCAA Convention Division III Initial Publication of Proposed Legislation (IPOPL) will be available through the NCAA website Aug. 15, 2017 . The IPOPL presents all proposed amendments to NCAA legislation that were properly submitted from the Division III membership in accordance with the July 15 deadline in the NCAA legislative calendar. The IPOPL may contain proposals that are sponsored by only one-member conference or 10-member institutions. If a proposal is not properly co-sponsored by Sept. 1, 2017, the proposal will be automatically withdrawn. Sponsors of the proposals are permitted to refine and change amendments in any manner germane to the proposal as presented until Sept. 15. Such changes may either increase or decrease the modification set forth in the original proposal. 

No new proposals may be submitted by the membership for the 2018 Convention after the July 15 deadline has passed. Member institutions and conferences that wish to offer and suggest revisions to an amendment are encouraged to contact the designated primary contact person as listed with each proposal. Such contacts should be made as early as possible and before the Sept. 15 deadline to ensure time for appropriate consideration by the sponsors. 

The IPOPL is not mailed to Division III institutions. The online version of the IPOPL continues to contain all the information of the former hard-copy version and can be printed from your computer in the traditional format. The IPOPL is produced directly from LSDBi each time it is downloaded. Therefore, the content of the publication may change each time it is accessed from the NCAA webpage. As modifications or corrections are made to proposals during the sponsor modification period, updates will be made to LSDBi and those changes will be reflected in this document. The 2017 NCAA Convention Division III Second Publication of Proposed Legislation (SPOPL), which will include proposals sponsored by the Division III governance structure, will be available online to the membership Sept. 23. The 2018 NCAA Convention Division III Official Notice, which will include final versions of proposed legislation, will continue to be available to Convention attendees in both printed and online formats. The Official Notice will be available Nov. 15.

Please contact Chris Brown if you have any questions regarding the online versions of either the IPOPL or SPOPL. 

NCAA Division III Manuals

Institutions will be receiving the 2017-18 NCAA Division III Operating Manuals shortly after Aug. 1. A full version of the Manual can still be obtained online via the Legislative Services Database for the Internet (LSDBi) and a PDF may be downloaded at ncaapublications.com on Aug. 1, 2017.  Did you know you can custom generate a manual to fit your needs?  This is one of the most popular features of LSDBi.  Users can create a custom manual containing only the bylaws that are of most value to you.  Click here for handy instructions. 

LSBDi How-To Video Access

The video that provides users with a review of LSDBi and how to use its functions is now available directly on the Resources tab in LSDBi under the "Educational Materials/Information" section.

SAR Update

As we approach the start of the 2017-18 academic year, the NCAA student-athlete reinstatement staff reminds institutions to submit all reinstatement and waiver requests through the RSRO system as soon as possible. If the request is urgent (pending competition within the next 10 calendar days), the institution should request expedited review in RSRO. Reinstatement requests will be prioritized based on the next date of competition, the order in which the case was received and the timing of when the violation was discovered. After necessary information is received and a case is complete, the reinstatement staff generally requires 48 hours to complete a thorough review of the information presented before rendering a decision. Thus, if a case file is not complete until less than 48 hours before competition, the reinstatement staff may not be able to render a decision before the competition. All requests should be submitted to the staff in a timely fashion once the violation is discovered to ensure a complete review can be conducted before the student-athlete's next competition.

EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION

Leadership Academy Workshop

The NCAA Leadership Academy Workshop educates and trains athletics administrators on the ins and outs of developing effective, comprehensive leadership curriculum for student-athletes and department staff. Participants in the workshop learn how to structure activities, facilitate discussions and structure effective sessions.  Over two sessions, participants also will explore the ideal frame works for a leadership academy, discuss the best practices for implementation, learn evaluation methods, and investigate the best strategies to obtain buy-in from key stakeholders and the campus community.  The application process opens Aug. 14.  If interested, click here to apply.

NCAA Postgraduate Internship Program

The NCAA Postgraduate Internship Program annually provides on-the-job learning experiences at the national office in Indianapolis to college graduates who are passionate in their pursuit of a career in college sports administration. The 2017-18 internship application opens Aug. 14 and the deadline is Sept. 22, 2017.  To apply or access more information about the program and eligibility, click here .  This year-long program gives insight to the inner workings of college sports from the national perspective. Interns over the past 25 years have taken their experience and institutional knowledge onto campuses and into conference offices as full-time administrators. NCAA postgraduate interns are salaried with benefits and they receive comprehensive training, mentor assignments and networking opportunities throughout the internship. Six former Division III student-athletes were selected for the NCAA internship program in the past two classes. The start date for the 2018-19 NCAA intern class will be June 11, 2018. Please email internship@ncaa.org with any questions. 

Woman of the Year

The NCAA Woman of the Year award honors graduating female student-athletes who have distinguished themselves throughout their collegiate careers in the areas of academic achievement, athletics excellence, service and leadership. This year, NCAA conferences nominated 145 female student-athletes - the second most in program history. Of the 145 nominations, 53 are from Division III.  The Top 30 Woman of the Year honorees will be recognized, and the 2017 Woman of the Year announced, at an awards dinner at the Westin Indianapolis Sunday, Oct. 22, 2017.

PROP UPDATES

Officiating Background Check Pilot Program

The NCAA will enter the third year of a three-year background check pilot program during the 2017-18 academic year. The following sports have been added to the pilot program in all three divisions: football, women's volleyball and men's and women's basketball. Only those officials who consent to and satisfy the background check will be considered for selection to work the NCAA championships. The background checks conducted during the pilot program include a check of the national sex offenders' registry and a criminal record search. 

Beginning with men's and women's basketball in September, tentative plans are for conference offices to have access to the results of the background checks for officials in these two sports. Details will be distributed to all conference commissioners within the next couple of weeks and an educational webinar will be offered in early August.

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 recently conducted in-person meetings in July.

 

Postgraduate Scholarship Committee, July 12-14

National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, July 15-16 

Playing and Practice Seasons Subcommittee, July 16

Management Council, July 17-18

Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct, July 24-25  

KEY DATES FOR AUGUST THROUGH OCTOBER

2016
Dates Meeting/Championships Location 
Aug. 8   Presidents Advisory Group Meeting Indianapolis, Indiana 
Aug. 9 Presidents Council Meeting Indianapolis, Indiana 
Sept. 10-11 Division III Commissioners Association and NADIIIAA Executive Committees MeetingIndianapolis, Indiana
Sept. 11 Nominating Committee Meeting Indianapolis, Indiana 
Sept. 18-19 Championships Committee Meeting Indianapolis, Indiana 
Sept. 21-22 Interpretations and Legislation Committee MeetingIndianapolis, Indiana
Sept. 28-29Research Committee MeetingIndianapolis, Indiana
Oct. 11-13
Olympic Sports Liaison Committee Meeting
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Oct. 13-15FAR Fellows InstituteIndianapolis, Indiana
Oct. 16-17 Management Council Meeting
Indianapolis, Indiana 
Oct. 24-25 
Presidents Council Meeting 
Los Angeles, California


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