Natasha Oakes
Alex Smith
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Session outcomes.
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Learning objectives.
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Case studies.
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Resources.
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Leave with a better understanding of:
◦ Good academic standing;
◦ Progress-toward-degree requirements; and
◦ Progress-toward-degree legislated waivers and
exceptions.
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Distinguish between NCAA eligibility
requirements and good academic standing on
campus.
Identify credit-hour triggers.
Differentiate between applicable credit-hour and
GPA requirements.
Demonstrate ability to appropriately apply the
averaging and actual methods, including
recertification.
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Accurately calculate GPA for continuing and
transfer SAs.
Discuss applicable progress-toward-degree
exceptions and legislated waivers.
Identify helpful resources available to the
membership.
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To be eligible for intercollegiate athletics
competition:
◦ Maintain progress toward a baccalaureate or equivalent
degree.
◦ In general, the application progress-toward-degree
requirements is interpreted at each member institution
by the academic authorities who determine the meaning
of such for all students (subject to conference or
association legislation.
 Institution is determining if the legislation is being met.
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Defined by each member institution.
Could be more stringent than association
legislation.
To be interpreted by the academic officials
who determine the meaning for all students.
Bylaw 14.02.6
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Six credit-hour requirement.
◦ Complete six-semester or six-quarter hours.
◦ Preceding regular academic term while enrolled full
time.
 Must be transferable if coming from two-year or fouryear institution.
Bylaw 14.4.3.1.1
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Exceptions to the six-hour rule.
◦ Final academic year of degree program.
Bylaw 14.4.3.1.6.1
◦ Graduate student exception.
Bylaw 14.4.3.4-(d)
◦ Cooperative education and study abroad.
Bylaw 14.4.3.3.11
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24-hour requirement.
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Applies to the following SAs.
◦ Midyear transfer;
◦ Following completion of first academic year in
residence;
◦ Used one season of competition.
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How are the 24 hours calculated?
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Two methods.
◦ Actual.
◦ Averaging.
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Actual method.
◦ Complete 24-semester or 36-quarter hours.
 Since the beginning of the fall term; or
 Since the beginning of the institution’s preceding two
semesters or three quarters.
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Averaging method.
◦ Complete an average of 12-semester or 12-quarter
hours before each fall term.
◦ During each full-time term at the certifying
institution.
 Use of credits from a part-time term.
Bylaw 14.4.3.1.3
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75/25 rule.
◦ Must earn at least 75% of the minimum number of
semester or quarter hours during the regular
academic year.
◦ Must earn no more than 25% of the minimum
number of semester or quarter hours during the
summer.
Institution
Credits
Attempted
Credits
Earned
Participation
Fall 2009
DII
15
15
Competed
Spring 2010
DII
12
12
Competed
Fall 2010
DII
12
6
Competed
Spring 2011
DII
15
6
Competed
Summer 2011
DII
6
6
Term
Institution
Credits
Attempted
Credits
Earned
Participation
Fall 2009
DII
15
15
Competed
Spring 2010
DII
12
12
Competed
Fall 2010
DII
12
6
Competed
Spring 2011
DII
15
6
Competed
Summer 2011
DII
6
6
Fall 2011
DII
15
15
Term
Practiced
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Is there a way for Josie to “get well” for spring
2012?
◦ Averaging?
 Josie has a total of 60 hours for five full-time terms.
 60/5 = average of 12 per full-time term.
 STOP!!!...averaging method can only be used going
into the fall semester.
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What about the actual method?
Institution
Credits
Attempted
Credits
Earned
Participation
Spring 2011
DII
15
6
Competed
Summer 2011
DII
6
6
Fall 2011
DII
15
15
Term
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Total number of hours?
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Does she meet 75/25?
Practiced
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Hours earned or accepted for degree credit.
◦ During first two years of enrollment;
◦ Beginning of fifth semester/seventh quarter;
◦ Change of degree program.
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Advanced placement/credit by examination.
Bylaw 14.4.3.3.3
◦ NCAA Proposal No. 2012-4 – Credit hours earned prior
to initial full-time enrollment.
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Correspondence and distance learning courses.
Bylaw 14.4.3.3.4
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Can an SA take a full-time load of
correspondence courses?
◦ Yes, must be considered full time and degree seeking by
institution.
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May be used if they meet the following:
◦ Must be considered prerequisites;
◦ Must be considered toward full-time status;
◦ Noncredit courses may not exceed the maximum
institutional limit;
◦ Shall not take more than 12-semester or 18-quarter
hours; and
◦ Must be taken in first academic year of collegiate
enrollment.
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Applicable interpretation.
◦ Remedial, tutorial and noncredit courses taken the
summer following initial enrollment may be used to
meet progress-toward-degree requirements.
Official Interpretation: September 1, 2010
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Incomplete grades.
◦ Must follow institution’s regulations;
◦ Counted only once after acceptable grade has been
achieved;
◦ Counted in term according to institutional policy;
◦ If no policy, can be counted in either the term it was
taken or when grade was achieved.
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Repeated courses.
◦ Course repeated due to unsatisfactory grade may
be used once after satisfactorily completed.
◦ Credit for a course that may be taken several times
is limited by institutional regulations.
◦ May not exceed maximum institutional limits.
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Don passed Microeconomics with a D grade
during the 2011 spring term, which is
accepted in his major and is used to certify
his eligibility for the 2011-12 academic year.
Don decides he would like to repeat the
course during the 2011 fall term. This time
he earns a B grade. It is institutional policy to
replace his D grade with the B grade he
earned.
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Does the replacing of the grade earned in
spring 2011 effect Don’s eligibility?
Is the institution able to use the repeated
course to certify Don’s eligibility for spring
2012?
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GPA requirements.
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24-semester/36-quarter hours = 1.800.
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48-semester/72-quarter hours – 1.900.
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72-semester/108-quarter hours = 2.000.
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GPA only needs to be checked prior to the fall
term.
If eligible at that point, the SA is eligible for
the academic year.
Does not matter if the SA reaches the next
hour requirement during the year.
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Taylor is going into her junior year at
Elizabeth University (EU). At the start of the
2011-12 academic year, she had 58semester hours with a 2.000 GPA.
EU requires that all students maintain a 2.000
GPA at the start of each semester.
Taylor’s GPA going into spring 2012 is 1.900.
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Is Taylor meeting GPA requirements set forth
in Bylaw 14.4.3.2?
24-semester/36-quarter hours = 1.800.
48-semester/72-quarter hours = 1.900.
72-semester/108-quarter hours = 2.000.
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What about EU’s policy regarding GPA?
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Missed term.
◦ May be used one time;
◦ Used with averaging method;
◦ Cannot have engaged in outside competition;
◦ Must have been eligible for enrollment;
◦ Must be meeting progress-toward-degree
requirements.
 Cannot use this exception in first year in residence at
certifying institution to be eligible in second year.
Bylaw 14.4.3.4-(a)
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Cooperative Education, Work Experience and
Study-Abroad Programs.
◦ Not be required to complete six-hour requirement
during any term or terms of enrollment in a
cooperative educational or work experience
program.
 Includes co-op, internship, practicum, studentteaching or an institutionally approved study-abroad
program.
Bylaw 14.4.3.3.11
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Midyear enrollee.
◦ Entering second semester or second or third
quarter.
◦ Used with actual method.
◦ Prorated at 12 hours.
Bylaw 14.4.3.4-(b)
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Nathaniel is a midyear transfer from
Hawthorne College who satisfied the onetime-transfer requirements to be immediately
eligible at your school for spring 2012.
How many hours does Nathaniel have to earn
to be eligible for the 2012-13 academic year?
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Bylaw 14.4.3.1-(b)
◦ 24-hour requirement.
◦ Applies to midyear transfer SAs.
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What exception can be used (if any)?
◦ Midyear enrollee.
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How does it apply?
◦ Prorate 12 hours for fall 2011.
◦ Must earn 12 hours prior to fall 2012, with at least
nine being earned in spring 2012.
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Nonrecruited, nonparticipant.
◦ Must have been in residence for one year;
◦ Not recruited per Bylaw 13.02.10.1;
◦ No athletically related financial aid received;
◦ Never practiced or competed.
 Limited preseason tryout.
Bylaw 14.4.3.4-(c)
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Two-year nonparticipation or minimal
participation.
◦ Two years of no countable athletically related
activity since last participation;
◦ 14 consecutive calendar day period;
◦ Organized noncollegiate amateur competition while
not enrolled;
◦ Must be after initial full-time enrollment in college.
Bylaw 14.4.3.4-(e)
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Ineligible for competition.
◦ Ability to “get well.”
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What about practice during the year of
residency?
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Administered by conference.
◦ Medical absence.
Bylaw 14.4.3.5-(a)
◦ International competition.
Bylaw 14.4.3.5-(b)
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Administered by NCAA national office.
◦ Progress-toward-degree waivers.
Bylaw 14.4.3.8
◦ Less than full-time enrollment waivers.
Bylaw 14.1.8.1.8
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Online waiver portal to file all AMA waivers.
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Launched February 2011.
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ALL waivers must be filed via online portal,
including documentation.
Waivers will not be accepted via the portal
until all required documentation and
signatures are submitted.
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What is the mitigation?
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How does it tie to the deficiency?
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Complete waiver request.
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Appropriate documentation.
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NCAA Division II Manual.
◦ Bylaw 14.4.3.
◦ Bylaw 14.1.8.
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Legislative Services Database for the Internet.
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Academic and membership affairs.
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Review of academic requirements.
◦ Areas for additional progress-toward-degree
discussions and potential concept development.
 Identified during the February 2102 meeting of the
NCAA Division II Academic Requirements Task Force.
◦ Timeline for review.
◦ Opportunity for feedback.
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Initial progress-toward-degree discussions
reiterated the Division II core value of SA
progression toward and achievement of a
baccalaureate degree.
Identified specific progress-toward-degree areas
that may enhance graduation based on initial
data review for additional research and future
meeting discussions.
◦ Currently no consensus regarding the viability of
any of these areas.
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Areas identified include:
◦ Requiring nine credit hours per term of full-time
attendance;
◦ Requiring a term-by-term GPA minimum;
◦ Review of the averaging method as an alternative to
the actual method for credit-hour certification;
◦ Review of percentage-of-degree requirement
models; and
◦ Review of a four-year graduation model.
February 2011
• Initial review of current initial-eligibility
requirements and data collected through
the
Academic Performance Census.
July 2011
• Initial review of NCAA Division I two-year transfer
proposals.
September 2011
• Continued discussion regarding initial-eligibility
requirements and initial discussions on progresstoward-degree requirements and Division II two-year
transfer requirements.
November 2011
• Faculty Athletics Representatives Association
(FARA) – introduced to the NCAA Division II
Academic Requirements Committee’s review of the
academic requirements.
January 2012 (NCAA Convention) • NCAA Division II Presidents Council/
Management Council Joint Meeting—introduced
to the Academic Requirements Committee’s
review of academic requirements.
February 2012
• First meeting with Academic Requirements Task
Force.
• Continued discussion regarding initial-eligibility,
progress-toward-degree and two-year transfer
requirements.
• Initial recommendations developed.
March 2012 through December 2012 • Continual review and discussions by the Academic
Requirements Committee and other governance
groups.
• Continual review and feedback by the Division II
membership, including but not limited to the Athletic
Directors Association, Conference Commissioners
Association, FARA and coaches associations.
January 2013 (NCAA Convention) • Educational session regarding potential
legislative changes to academic requirements.
• NCAA Division II Chancellors and
Presidents Summit to review and discuss
potential legislative changes to academic
requirements.
February and July 2013
• Committee
meeting
and
summer
teleconference to finalize legislative proposals –
may add additional in-person meeting if
necessary.
January 2014 (NCAA Convention)
• Legislative proposals considered by Division
II membership.
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Feedback and questions regarding the
currently identified areas for additional review
are welcome and may be sent to
diiacademicreview@ncaa.org