A UM committee is wrapping up a campuswide study of athletics programs
as part of the NCAA Division I athletics certification program.
A draft of the 375-page self-study report is on reserve in the J.D.
Williams Library through March 31 to encourage public review and
comment.
The final report is to be submitted to the NCAA about May 1. After
reviewing the report, an NCAA peer review team plans to visit the
campus Oct. 21-23. Several months later, UM should be notified of the
NCAA’s certification status.
NCAA’s Division I certification program helps ensure integrity in members’ athletics operations by throwing them open to the rest of the university community and to the public. Institutions involved in the program benefit by increasing campuswide awareness and knowledge of their athletics programs, confirming their strengths and developing plans to improve areas of concern.
Areas studied are academic integrity, governance and commitment to rules compliance, and equity and student athlete well-being. Within each area, the program has set standards, or operating principles, upon which all Division I members are evaluated.
To conduct the self-study, committees of faculty, staff, students, alumni and athletics personnel have since September gathered information from existing records, interviews and other sources. The steering committee responsible for the study includes Chancellor Robert Khayat and is chaired by Acting Provost Morris Stocks.
NCAA’s certification program “engages representatives from a wide spectrum of the campus in a full review of the athletics department,” Stocks said. “Many misperceptions and myths are laid to rest in the process.”
Individuals with comments or questions after reading the report should contact Stocks by e-mail , phone (915-5773) or letter (Provost’s Office, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS 38677); or by letter to the Chancel-lor’s Office at the same address.
Following its visit, the peer review team reports to the NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics Certification, which determines UM’s certification status and announces it publicly. The three options of certification status are certified, certified with conditions and not certified.
Institutions have an opportunity to correct deficiencies. Those that don’t may be ruled ineligible for NCAA championships.