NCAA Division III
MONTHLY UPDATE // ISSUE NO. 138 // APRIL 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 SAAC, conference commissioners and the NADIIIAA listserv.  We encourage athletics directors to share this communication with their athletics 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 and information.


HOT TOPICS

Division III Week
Join us next week, April 3-9, for the sixth annual celebration of Division III Week by calling attention to the unique student-athlete experience at your campus or conference.  Division III members are asked to highlight the activities and achievements of current student-athletes by scheduling an academic, athletics, co-curricular or extracurricular/community service activity.  The Division III Week Communications Kit serves 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 .  Join the social conversation by following us on Twitter (@NCAADIII) and using #d3week and #whyD3. For every institution and conference that posts a tweet, story, photo or video using the #d3week hashtag, the NCAA will donate $10 to Special Olympics.  Share the excitement with family and friends and don't forget to submit your footage to d3identity@ncaa.org for a chance to win the Division III Video Contest! For rules and details, click here.  Please contact Adam Skaggs with questions. 


Issues Forum
At the 2017 NCAA Convention, delegates participated in a Q&A session during the Division III Issues Forum.  As noted at the forum, staff is providing answers to questions the presenters did not have time to address.  If you have additional questions, related to the Sport Science Institute (SSI) strategic initiatives or the Independent Medical Care legislation, please contact John Parsons, Director of SSI.  For additional questions related to the Presidents Council update, contact Louise McCleary, Director of Division III.

HIGHLIGHTS

Hot Topics

CoSIDA Updates

FAR Updates

360 Proof Updates

SSI Updates

Diversity Spotlight

Special Olympics

AMA Updates

Educational Information

Championships Updates

The NCAA Record

Committee Updates

Key Dates

Interassociation Preseason Football Practice Guidelines Q&A

In January 2017, the SSI and the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports announced the release of updated Interassociation Consensus Best Practices and Recommendations Regarding Year-Round Football Practice Contact. The recommendations are the product of the Second Safety in College Football Summit, held in February 2016, and include recommendations affecting the upcoming 2017 season.  Click here for additional information and a Q&A document. 

NCAA Division III Webinars
Webinars will be offered on three dates to assist Division III administrators who wish to learn more about how to use NCAA online compliance forms and register prospective student-athletes for profiles on the NCAA Eligibility Center:

Tuesday, April 11 from 10 to 11 a.m. (EST); 
Thursday, April 27 from Noon to 1 p.m. (EST); and 
Wednesday, May 3 from 2 to 3 p.m. (EST).

If your institution wants to participate in a webinar, please email Judy Delp at  jdelp@ncaa.org no later than 5:00 p.m. Eastern time, two business days prior to the scheduled call.


LGBTQ Working Group
  

The Division III LGBTQ Working Group encourages Division III member institutions to access the NCAA Office of Inclusion's resource entitled Five Ways to Have an LGBTQ-Inclusive-Athletics Department.  This resource serves as a guide to ensure athletics departments are providing an environment that is inclusive of all student-athletes, especially those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or questioning.  Included in the resource are samples of policies and codes of conduct; additional resources for coaches, players and staff; and LGBTQ inclusion training best practices. 


The Division III LGBTQ Working Group, in cooperation with the Office of Inclusion, was established in the fall 2016.  The working group's charge is to examine the current and potential programming, resources, and recognition of the LGBTQ community and its allies in Division III, and increase the engagement and collaboration at the institutional, conference and national levels.  The first teleconference occurred in early February.  Click here for the working group's roster.


ACTION REQUEST: Seeking Sportsmanship Ambassadors

In advance of the fall rollout of the Division III sportsmanship and game environment project, we are asking each conference commissioner to nominate two individuals (one male and one female) to attend a day and a half Ambassador Engagement Session facilitated by the Disney Institute.  The mission of this "Ambassador Engagement Session" is to develop advocates within each conference who can serve as trainers and "super users" of our upcoming Division III game environment service standards.  If you are interested in being an ambassador, and you are willing to act as a trainer for the entire 2017-18 academic year, contact your commissioner.  The session will take place in Orlando, Florida on June 9-10.  The individuals nominated must be able to arrive in Orlando on the evening of Thursday, June 8 and will be able to depart on the evening of Saturday, June 10.  


ACTION REQUEST: Graduation Rate Collection

The Academic Portal for the federal graduation rates and enrollment data is now open. 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 2010 student-athlete cohort.  Please contact Maria DeJulio or Eric Hartung with any questions.

New NCAA Public Service Announcements

Two new NCAA public service announcements debuted on Selection Sunday of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship and will air throughout the Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Championships. Titled "Opportunity" and "Kids," the PSAs tell the story of the NCAA's commitment to making college sports a pathway to opportunity.

Mental Health and Well-Being Efforts

To highlight the work to support student-athlete mental health being done on campuses across the nation, the NCAA partnered with T Brand Studio on a video and written package.  Click here to see it.   The NCAA also partnered with Sports Illustrated on a series of videos that delve into the $30 million concussion research partnership with the Department of Defense. 

Pillars of the NCAA

Need a refresher on all the good things the Association is doing for student-athletes? Take a deeper dive into the three Pathway to Opportunity pillars - Academics, Well-Being and Fairness - on ncaa.org. 

 

Identity Initiative Purchasing Website 

Looking for new promotional products for your school or conference?  Check out the Division III Identity Initiative purchasing website which features co-branded giveaways, t-shirts, banners and posters.  A $500 credit is available for each institution and conference through August 31, 2017, 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 Amy Byrnes at Source One Digital.


CoSIDA UPDATES

2017 CoSIDA Convention Registration

Register now for the 2017 CoSIDA Convention, taking place June 11-14 in Orlando in conjunction with NACDA and Affiliates Convention Week.  A day featuring Division III specific programming will occur on Monday, June 12.  Similar to past years, additional dollars were added to the Division III Conference Grant specifically for campus Athletics Communication Directors and Sports Information Directors to receive funding for this professional development opportunity.  Ask your conference commissioner for details.  Click here for the 2017 CoSIDA Convention webpage.


FACULTY ATHLETICS REPRESENTATIVE (FAR) UPDATES

2017 FAR Fellows Leadership Institute

The 2017 Institute will take place October 13-15 at the NCAA national office in Indianapolis.  Nominations will open in Program Hub on April 1, and close on May 31 at 5 p.m. EST, with selections announced June 15. Please contact Leah Kareti with any questions.  


360 PROOF UPDATES

360 Proof Webinar Schedule

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 2016-17 will take place April 12, 1 p.m. (ET): "Spectacular Failures" in Prevention, Dr. Dolores Cimini, University of Albany.  All 360 Proof account holders will receive an invitation to attend these webinar sessions.  Please contact Leah Kareti with any questions about 360 Proof.


360 Proof participants also have the opportunity to consult with an implementation expert in a one-on-one format. The next round of appointments will occur May 15-17 at the NCAA Regional Rules Seminar in Indianapolis. To schedule this consultation, send an email request to ExpertHelp@360proof.org and include:


1. Your name and institution.

2. Your phone number.

3. The topic you want to discuss.


Please contact Leah Kareti with any questions about 360 Proof.

SPORT SCIENCE INSTITUTE (SSI) UPDATES

Sexual Assault Awareness Month

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and the SSI offers resources such as the Sexual Violence Prevention Tool Kit and the Addressing Sexual Assault and Interpersonal Violence Guide to support athletics departments in creating and maintaining a safe campus environment. Click here to learn more about ways to get involved in Sexual Assault Awareness Month. 


DIVERSITY SPOTLIGHT INITIATIVE

The College of Wooster is the recipient of the March Division III Diversity Spotlight Initiative. Members of the College of Wooster athletics community, including staff and representatives from all 23 varsity sports, joined in The College of Wooster annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Throughout the day, the college hosted over 15 justice dialogues and 18 service projects, including four hosted by the athletics department. The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) co-sponsored one of the on-campus campaigns called Flex for Good.  This campaign allowed students to use their remaining FLEX dollars to purchase and donate healthy snacks and hygiene items. The Flex for Good campaign collected over 2,280 items which were distributed among eight local schools and agencies. Click here to learn more about the event and see photos of the service projects.

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 regarding a diversity related event, program or initiative.   All recipients receive $500 towards their next diversity initiative.  To submit an initiative for consideration for April, please email Reed Fogle or Julian Jones, 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 April 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.


March Winner 

After 1,438 total votes, Mariners Host Special Olympics Basketball Jamboree won the March Special Olympics Spotlight poll by garnering 65 percent (948) of the total votes! Mitchell College will receive $500 to use for its next Special Olympics event.


April Nominees 

Here are the stories for the April Special Olympics poll:


Averett Athletics host Special Olympics Regional Basketball Tournament

Cairn Highlanders Host Special Olympics Soccer Scrimmages

Smith Athletics Hosts Special Olympics Basketball Tournament


Click here to vote starting Saturday, April 1. The winner will be selected April 25, 2017.


ACADEMIC AND MEMBERSHIP AFFAIRS (AMA)

Rule of the Month 

Prospective Student-Athlete Participation in Institutional Fundraising. Per Bylaw 12.5.1.1.6.1, a prospective student-athlete may not be involved in institutional fundraisers unless he or she has graduated from high school and has forwarded the paid acceptance of the institution's written offer of admission and/or financial aid. The institution is also permitted to designate funds earned by the prospective student-athlete through his or her participation in a fundraiser as described in Bylaw 12.1.1.1.2 (designation of earned fundraising money -- student-athletes).  Prospective student-athletes who meet the legislation may be involved only in institutional fundraisers, and not in general promotional activities; incoming students are not allowed to participate in general institutional promotions until they become student-athletes. Although a prospective student-athlete who meets this requirement is allowed to participate in the institution's fundraising activities, whether a prospective student-athlete may participate is at the institution's discretion. As a reminder--an institution is prohibited from requiring prospective student-athletes to participate.


Regional Rules Seminars

Constitution 3.2.4.15 requires all NCAA Division III institutions to attend the Regional Rules Seminar at least once in every three years. Click here to see which schools are required to attend in 2017.


Registration for the 2017 NCAA Regional Rules Seminars is now open.  Seminars will be conducted May 15-17 in Indianapolis and June 5-7 in San Diego.  The Regional Rules Seminar registration link, daily schedule, grid and session descriptions will be available on the Regional Rules Seminar web page.    


Official Interpretations

Recruiting Activities While Serving in a Sports Club Team Capacity (III) .  Date Issued: February 17, 2017. Date Published: March 16, 2017. Type: Official Interpretation. Item Ref: 2-a. The Interpretations and Legislation Committee (ILC) confirmed that an institutional coach may engage in recruiting activities on behalf of the institution while attending a competition or other event in his or her capacity as a sports club coach.  The coach must follow all applicable recruiting legislation and may not represent the sport club while contacting a prospective student-athlete on behalf of the institution.   [References: NCAA Division III Bylaws 13.11.3.4 (sport club teams) and 13.14.1 (institutional control).]


Camps and Clinics - Types of Events (III). Date Issued : February 17, 2017. Date Published: March 16, 2017. Type: Official Interpretation. Item Ref: 2-b. The ILC confirmed it is permissible for an institution to host or conduct any type of event, including combine events, involving prospective student-athletes as long as participation in the event is open to the general public and prospective student-athletes do not receive free or reduced admission. However, an institution may host or conduct an event and provide free admission to prospective student-athletes, provided the event is free to all participants. [References:  NCAA Division III Bylaw 13.11.3.2 (sports camps and clinics and other athletics events).]


Contact Restrictions During Competition-Only Events (III) .  Date Issued: February 17, 2017. Date Published: March 16, 2017. Type: Official Interpretation. Item Ref: 2-c.  The ILC confirmed an athletics department staff member may contact a prospective student-athlete during any event that has additional components and is not primarily competition. Therefore, if the event is not primarily competition, recruiting contact may occur at any time during the event.  Additionally, if the event is primarily competition, recruiting contact may not be made with a prospective student-athlete until the prospective student-athlete has been released for that day by the appropriate authority. Athletics staff members are permitted to have on-campus contact with a prospective student-athlete prior to a competition-only event, provided the prospective student-athlete is not scheduled to compete on that day on the institution's campus. [References:  NCAA Division III Bylaws 13.1.4.2 (practice or competition site) and 13.11.3.2 (sports camps and clinics and other athletics events.]


Financial Aid Award from Outside Organization with Multiple Donors of Aid (III) .  Date Issued: February 17, 2017. Date Published: March 16, 2017. Type: Official Interpretation. Item Ref: 2-d. The ILC confirmed that a donating organization does not become a representative of athletics interests of all its members. An organization, independent of its individual members, must be reviewed on a case by case basis to determine if the organization is a representative of a particular institution's athletics interests. [References:  NCAA Division III Bylaws 13.02.9 (representatives of athletics interests) and 15.2.3.5 (athletics leadership, ability, participation or performance as a major criterion).]


SAR Update

The length of time it takes to process a student-athlete reinstatement (SAR) request varies greatly based on the complexity of the case. Often a reinstatement request that involves serious and/or complex violations of NCAA regulations will require follow-up. Once all information is submitted via RSRO and the facts of the case are complete, it takes approximately a week for the reinstatement staff to render an initial decision that is communicated to the institution through RSRO. The reinstatement staff is very aware of competition dates and strives to render decisions prior to the student-athlete's next date of competition, whenever possible.


EDUCATIONAL INFORMATION

NCAA Inclusion Forum

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. Sessions engage on a broad range of topics related to policy, research and best practices that support racial and ethnic minorities, women, international student-athletes, LGBTQ and athletes with disabilities. The 2017 Inclusion Forum will be held April 21 to 23 in Providence, Rhode Island at the Omni Providence Hotel.  Day passes are still available. Registration and the latest agenda can be found here.


Sportsmanship Awards

The NCAA Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct (CSEC) is seeking nominations for the NCAA Student-Athlete Sportsmanship Awards and the Bob Frederick Award. The Student-Athlete Sportsmanship Awards honor individuals who have distinguished themselves through demonstrated acts of sportsmanship and ethical behavior. From the nominees, the CSEC will select six divisional honorees, one male and one female from each division. Team nominations can also be submitted and selected for each division. 


The NCAA Bob Frederick Sportsmanship Award honors a coach, administrator or staff member (past or present) who possesses a demonstrated history of sportsmanship. This individual will have displayed the utmost respect for NCAA intercollegiate athletics and all who participate by leading by example and promoting positive fan involvement in and out of the competition setting. As Bob Frederick was, the recipient of this award will be known by his or her dedication to preserving the integrity of intercollegiate athletics. Different from the NCAA Student-Athlete Sportsmanship Award, the award is not presented based on gender or division specific.  


Nominations for the 2016-17 Student-Athlete Sportsmanship and Bob Frederick Awards must be submitted through the NCAA Program Hub.   Click here for more information and the nomination criteria for the sportsmanship awards.


Honors Awards

The NCAA Honors Celebration awards recognize current and former student-athletes who have brought distinction to themselves, their schools and intercollegiate athletics. The awards will be presented at the Honors Celebration during the 2018 NCAA Convention in Indianapolis. Submit your nominations for the following awards by 5 p.m. Eastern time Friday, May 5, through the 'Applications' tab on NCAA Program Hub.

Nominations for the Today's Top 10 Awards will be accepted from late May to early August for student-athletes who ended their athletics eligibility in the 2016-17 academic year. 


Questions about the awards? Contact Sharon Tufano, NCAA committee coordinator, at 317-917-6939. 


Woman of the Year

The 2017 Woman of the Year application is now open via the NCAA Program Hub . The school nominations close on Monday, June 12, at 5 p.m. Eastern time.  Click here for the School  Nomination Tutorial, and here to learn more about the nomination and award process.  The NCAA Woman of the Year program honors the academic achievements, athletics excellence, community service and leadership of graduating female student-athletes from all three divisions. To be eligible, a nominee must have competed and earned a varsity letter in an NCAA-sponsored sport, must have completed eligibility in her primary sport, and must have earned her undergraduate degree by summer 2017.  All 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, October 22, 2017.  Questions about Woman of the Year? Contact Jess Duff, assistant coordinator for inclusion, at 317-917-6137. 

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.  For the remainder of 2017, 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. To learn more about the DiSC resource, click here.

 



CHAMPIONSHIPS  UPDATES

Championships Bid Timeline  

The NCAA championships staff recently announced the site selection timeline with the announcement of hosts and sites for 83 of the 90 championships each year over four academic years, spanning 2018-19 through 2021-22.  


The timeline is as follows:

  • January 4 - Bid materials shared with sport committees.
  • February 16 - Finalists recommendations due from committees (for internal use only).
  • March 1 - Final recommendation due from sport committees.
  • April 18 - Site selection announcement.

NCAA championships staff will be supplying updated communications throughout the timeline.  If you have questions, please contact Liz Suscha.  


THE NCAA RECORD

See the latest appointments, promotions and retirements in the NCAA Record.

COMMITTEE UPDATES

Two committees conducted in-person meetings in March.  


Administrative Committee Meeting, March 1

Strategic Planning and Finance Committee, March 21


KEY DATES FOR APRIL THROUGH JUNE

2017
Dates Meeting/Championships Location 
April 3-9     Division III Week Celebration
April 10-11 Management Council Meeting  Indianapolis, Indiana
April 19-20 Minority Opportunity Interest Committee Meeting Providence, Rhode Island
April 20-21 Committee on Women's Athletics Meeting Providence, Rhode Island
April 23-24 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Meeting Indianapolis, Indiana
April 25-26 Presidents Council Meeting Indianapolis, Indiana
April 26-28 NCAA/NACWAA Women's Leadership Symposium Kansas City, Missouri
April 28-30 Men's Volleyball Championship Springfield, Massachusetts
April 29-May 1 Walters Byers Committee Meeting  Indianapolis, Indiana 
May 2-3 Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee Meeting Indianapolis, Indiana
May 3-5 Postgraduate Scholarship Committee Meeting Indianapolis, Indiana
May 9-12 Women's Golf Championship Houston, Texas
May 15-17 Regional Rules Seminar Indianapolis, Indiana
May 16-19 Men's Golf Championship Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida
May 22-27 Men and Women Tennis Championships Chattanooga, Tennessee
May 25-27 Men and Women Outdoor Track and Field Championships Geneva, Ohio
May 25-30 Softball Championship Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
May 26-28 Rowing Championship West Windsor, New Jersey
May 26-31 Baseball Championship Appleton, Wisconsin
May 27-28 Women's Lacrosse Championship Salem, Virginia
May 28 Men's Lacrosse Championship Foxboro, Massachusetts
June 5-7  Regional Rules Seminar  San Diego, California 
June 7-9  Competitive Safeguards & Medical Aspects of Sport Meeting  Indianapolis, Indiana 
June 14  Conference Rules Seminar - New England  Worcester, Massachusetts 
June 19-20  Championships Committee Meeting  Indianapolis, Indiana 
June 20-21  Membership Committee Meeting  Indianapolis, Indiana 
June 21-22  Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner Meeting  Indianapolis, Indiana 


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