Leadership Exchange - Summer 2010

SSAOs can best prepare their athletics programs
for success by broadening their knowledge and
understanding of the mission and philosophy of
their athletics departments and working to align the
departmental mission and philosophy with that
of the institution.

half of DII athletics directors who follow that reporting structure. In addition, most DIII members believe that chancellors and presidents need to increase their involvement in intercollegiate athletics.

Survey participants indicate that DIII athletics programs add value to their respective institutions, and the majority of campus leaders believe that DIII institutions should maintain current legislative standards for recruitment and eligibility, regardless of the continued growth that the division may experience. To maintain the high academic standards that currently exist at DIII institutions, administrators strongly believe that newly admitted student-athletes should fit the general academic profile of all incoming students. Additionally, admissions policies for student-athletes should be consistent with the general student body.

DIII survey respondents believe that financial aid decisions made by the admissions department should be completely independent from the athletics department. They also believe that leadership in athletics should be considered equally with leadership in other student activities in awarding financial aid. One of the core values of DIII institutions is the omission of athletics scholarships. By keeping athletics separate from the financial aid process, DIII administrators maintain the values of the division while also promoting the complete student-athlete experience. Surveyed DIII institutions agree with how financial aid is currently monitored and believe that institutions that violate financial aid policies are appropriately disciplined.

In regard to academic performance and eligibility, DIII members prefer that institutions set individual academic progress standards, allowing schools to customize the expectations for student-athletes to the standards of their institution. DIII members also agree that a year of eligibility should be defined by a season of participation rather than a season of competition, maintaining the current practice of prohibiting redshirting.

Institutions recently achieving DIII status sponsor fewer
sports ( 12. 7) than the average DIII athletic program ( 16).
While current DIII standards require members to sponsor a
minimum of 10 sports, survey results indicate that 75 percent
of DIII schools would prefer a higher minimum number
of sports. The rationale is that by raising the number of
required sports, the NCAA could better ensure the quality of
institutions seeking admittance to the DIII level. Given that
intercollegiate athletics are directly correlated to the quality
and diversity of students as well as gender equity, the
movement to increase the minimum number of sports is
gaining momentum.