CONFERENCE AND MEMBER INSTITUTION EDUCATIONAL TOOLS AND OPPORTUNITIES.

Video Series Detailing 2012 Convention Proposals.

The academic and membership affairs staff is creating a three-part educational video series designed to assist the membership in understanding the legislative content of the 2012 Convention proposals prior to voting. The video series details specific information regarding the proposals that will be voted on, and provides a tutorial on how to read and understand Division III proposals and properly use all of the resources available in preparation for the 2012 Convention. The release dates of the videos will be as follows:

Convention Video I: December 2, 2011

Convention Video II: December 9, 2011

Convention Video III: December 16, 2011 

The video series can be found on the Division III home page by clicking on the “2012 Convention proposal videos” link in the Hot Topics box. The videos are also accessible to your institution by logging on to LSDBi, and taking the following actions:

1)         Click on the “Resources” tab (upper right of the page).

2)         Look for the “Education Materials/Information” section (middle bottom of page).

3)         Click on the “AMA Education On Demand Videos” link (the first link in that section). 

These links will also be available for viewing the Post-Convention Update video in the weeks after the Convention.

Legislative Relief (SLR/CLR) Phone Waivers – 317/917-6144.

Question No. 1:  What is a phone waiver? 

Answer:    A SLR/CLR phone waiver is a waiver request granted by legislative relief waiver staff over the telephone.  Applicant institutions or conferences may contact the legislative relief waiver voice mail at 317/917-6144 with an urgent/unforeseen circumstance involving a potential SLR/CLR waiver request and may receive relief from a legislative relief staff member of the SLR/CLR waiver team via the phone waiver process.  Please note that an applicant institution or conference may be advised that a phone waiver may not be granted; however, that does not preclude the applicant institution or conference from requesting relief for the same circumstance through the full waiver process. 

Question No. 2:  What is the purpose of a SLR/CLR phone waiver?

Answer: The SLR/CLR phone waiver process is intended to alleviate some of the burden/stress applicant institutions or conferences face when dealing with an urgent, unforeseen and/or extraordinary circumstance on campus or involving a student-athlete.  The legislative relief waiver staff recognizes that in such circumstances, it may not be possible for applicant institutions or conferences to submit a complete SLR/CLR waiver, including appropriate signatures, based on the limited timeframe prior to the desired event action.  The goal of the phone waiver process is to provide flexibility for institutions dealing with an unforeseen circumstance in the most time-efficient manner possible.

 Question No. 3:  What SLR/CLR waiver requests may be granted over the phone? 

Answer: It is impossible for our legislative relief waiver staff to list every circumstance or bylaw that could be processed as a phone waiver.  However, the staff will consider the following factors when issuing phone waivers:  (1) The complexity of the request (e.g., transfers involving in-season competition, appeals of amateur certification conditions, 10-day waivers, cases involving potential legal issues and blanket waivers should not be processed as a phone waiver); (2) SLR/CLR case precedent; (3) The unforeseen nature of the request; and (4) The timeline in which a decision is necessary.  Examples of truly extraordinary/unforeseen circumstances include but are not limited to:  Death, severe/life-threatening injury or illness, inclement weather and catastrophic events.  Requests involving in-season/pending competition, regardless of the urgency of the competition, shall not be processed via the phone waiver process.

Question No. 4:  Does a phone waiver eliminate the need for a waiver to be submitted?

Answer: No.  A phone waiver does not eliminate the need for applicant institution or conference to submit a SLR/CLR waiver.  If relief is provided over the phone, an institution or conference must still follow-up by submitting a formal SLR/CLR waiver request through the AMA Online process with appropriate signatures within two weeks of the request being granted.

Question No. 5:  What if my situation cannot be handled via the phone waiver process? 

AMA EDUCATION ON DEMAND.

Academic and membership affairs staff continues to bring you educational videos through AMA Education on Demand.  These videos can be accessed by clicking on the Resource tab within LSDBi.  The AMA Education on Demand videos are located in the Education Materials/Information menu.  Videos are categorized by division and subject matter.  New to the AMA Education on Demand site this month is a 2012 NCAA Convention video series reviewing Legislative Proposals.  

NCAA DIRECTORY.

To ensure you are receiving information from the national office in a timely manner, review your contact information via the NCAA Directory.  You can find your membership listing via the NCAA Directory online on the membership side of NCAA.org.  Hover over Contact and select the fourth link called NCAA Directory. You can view the details of the personnel listings by clicking the individual names.  If you need to make changes, please use the Change Request link at the top right hand corner of the page. The Change Request link in the NCAA Directory is the preferred method of updating membership information throughout the year.  The contact information is accessed daily in order to disseminate information to appropriate contacts for all services provided by the national office.  By listing all these contacts on the directory page, it allows the user to request a personnel update at any time throughout the year for any of the contacts listed.  Further, providing updates periodically allows the national office staff the opportunity to be more prompt in responding to such requests.  For example, if a head coach leaves your institution you should provide the national office the update as soon as a replacement or interim has been named.

ISSG REMINDER.

NCAA Constitution 6.3.1 requires all NCAA Division III institutions to conduct a comprehensive self-study and evaluation of their athletics programs at least once every five years.  The questionnaire and supporting documentation are to be entered into the electronic Self-Study Program released earlier this year.  The Self-Study Program is behind the Single-Source Sign-On System and can be accessed via the My Application Link on the membership side of NCAA.org (if access has been granted by the Single-Source Sign-On Administrator).  Membership has access to the date the next ISSG is due for their respective institution via the online directory found on the membership side of NCAA.org. 

STRATEGIC ALLIANCE MATCHING GRANT AND ETHNIC MINORITY AND WOMEN’S INTERSHIP GRANT.

Grant applications and any supplemental materials for both the NCAA Division III Strategic Alliance Matching and Ethnic Minority and Women’s Internship Grants are due not later than Friday, January 20, 2012, 5 p.m. Eastern time. Please feel free to contact Courtney Lovely, coordinator of Student-Athlete Affairs at 317/917-6560 or email at clovely@ncaa.org with any questions or concerns

The NCAA Forum is entering a new era. This year’s event will not only engage participants on Title IX and women in sports topics, but will now expand to include broader inclusion presentations and best practice discussions on race/ethnicity, LGBT and disability. The Forum also brings together our affiliate organization partners and legal advisors, and provides an opportunity to exchange ideas with campus and conference leaders.

Location:  New Orleans - during Jazz Fest   Dates:    April 29 -May 1, 2012

Agenda topics include:

• Five general session presentations on current topics related to women, race/ethnic minorities, disabilities, LGBT communities and international student-athlete participation.
• Title IX overview discussing the law, EADA, audits, sexual harassment, retaliation cases, equitable pay and personnel policies.
• Developing policy on inclusion, hiring practices, staff and student-athlete behavior and LGBT accommodation.
• CEO engagement for a successful Inclusion Initiative, Being an Ally, Building successful Employee Resource Groups.
• Division I presidential retreat initiatives, certification and financial aid changes.
• Mentoring and retaining coaches.
• And many more in development…

For more information:  https://www.planningpoint.net/Events/EQUITYANDINCLUSION

SAAC SPOTLIGHT.

The National Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) recognizes successful conference and institutional SAACs at its meetings in July, November and January.  The SAAC Spotlight features institutions and conferences demonstrating “best practices” that enhance the campus and conference SAAC and illustrate NCAA Division III attributes.

The committee would like to recognize all of those institutions and conferences participating in the Special Olympics Partnership.  Thank you for supporting this initiative and demonstrating the power of Division III student-athletes working together for a common purpose.  For more information about the partnership and to share your stories please visit www.ncaa.org/D3SpecialOlympics.

During its July and November meetings, the committee selected Concordia University (Texas), Salisbury University, the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference to spotlight.

Campus:

Concordia University (Texas)

The Concordia University (Texas) SAAC partnered with Special Olympics Texas to create a program it titles "Athletes for Athletes” in support of the Division III and Special Olympics partnership.  Concordia SAAC has used the Athletes for Athletes platform to sponsor several events throughout the fall to engage student-athletes and foster mutual learning opportunities with Special Olympics athletes.

In September, SAAC invited a Special Olympics athlete to speak at half time of the men’s soccer contest about how involvement with Special Olympics as impacted her life.  In October, SAAC in conjunction with entire Concordia athletics department planned, organized, staffed, and facilitated the Special Olympics Texas Flag Football Competition.  Also in October, SAAC used the Athletes for Athletes platform to sponsor an event at a volleyball contest.  Special Olympics athletes were invited to the volleyball game, sat in the student section with all of the Concordia students, were recognized at the beginning of the game, and were invited onto the court after the second set to participate in a serve out activity.  In November, approximately 50 Concordia student-athletes volunteered at a local Special Olympics bowling competition.  The student-athletes helped to operate the competition as well as support the Special Olympics athletes during their bowling.  Concordia SAAC’s next Athletes for Athletes event is planned for a December men’s and women’s basketball game.  Finally, in conjunction with the Athletes for Athletes program, Special Olympics Texas public service announcements are played at all athletic events.

Salisbury University

The Salisbury University SAAC supported the “Lax for Leukemia” event that was held in conjunction with the last regular season men’s lacrosse contest in the spring of 2011 by assisting the men’s and women’s lacrosse student-athletes with their efforts to raise money to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society which is dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services.  The student-athletes collected donations and held a silent auction at the game.  In addition the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society was at the game to provide information about the disease and register individuals to serve as bone marrow donors.  The men’s lacrosse student-athletes were motivated to sponsor the event to further support a teammate who had been diagnosed with leukemia.  The event raised over $14,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the National Marrow Donor Program.

Conference:

Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

The Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) SAAC has partnered with Special Olympics Wisconsin since 2009.  Since that time, WIAC student-athletes have participated in numerous activities with Special Olympics athletes both on their campuses and as a conference.  Following the announcements of the formal Division III and Special Olympics Partnership, last winter approximately 232 student-athletes participated in the Polar Plunges to raise money for Special Olympics Wisconsin.  In addition to the student-athletes, plungers included WIAC commissioner Gary Karner and University Wisconsin-Stout director of athletics Duey Naatz.

Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference

The Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) SAAC has developed into a model for its campuses by rededicating itself to focus leadership and service to the community.  Over the past four years, the IIAC SAAC has sent student-athletes to the annual NCAA Convention, created their own biannual Leadership Forum, and served their communities through various SAAC led activities.  Some of these activities have included “Take a Kid to a Game Day”, an All Sports Camp, and annual blood drives.   During its biannual Leadership Forum in February 2012, the IIAC SAAC is sponsoring a bowling event with Special Olympics athletes in support of the Division III and Special Olympics Partnership.

2011 NCAA FALL CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS!

Congratulations to the following 2011 Division III fall championship winners:

Sport                                                                      Champion

Men's Cross Country                                North Central College
Women's Cross Country                         Washington Unviersity (Missouri)
Field Hockey                                              The College of New Jersey
Women's Volleyball                                  Wittenberg University