NCAA Recertification
Cornell University
Preliminary Report from the Self-Study
February 2008
What is recertification?

NCAA process to ensure integrity in all
aspects of the university’s athletics program
– Cornell’s initial NCAA certification granted in 1999

Core of the process is the university’s selfstudy, with expectation of broad university
participation
– Broad representation on subcommittees
– Feedback through series of public forums
– Self-study will be posted on web at
http://www.cornell.edu/NCAA/index.html
Cornell’s NCAA Recertification
Leadership

Self-study oversight provided by University
Steering Committee, comprised of faculty,
staff, students

Co-Chairs:
– Mary Opperman, Vice President for Human
Resources
– John Siliciano, Vice Provost and Professor of
Law
Three Areas of Study

Governance and Commitment to Rules Compliance:
Chair, Nelson Roth, Deputy University Counsel

Academic Integrity: Chair, Rosemary Avery, Chair, Policy
Analysis & Management, College of Human Ecology

Equity and Student-Athlete Well-Being: Chair, Dale
Grossman, Senior Lecturer, Applied Economics &
Management, College of Agriculture & Life Sciences
Self-Study Timeline
March 2007: Process began
 Subcommittees have prepared draft report
 Seeking campus input through public
forums
 Final report due May 1, 2008
 NCAA Peer Review Team Visit Nov. 4-6,
2008
 NCAA decision expected shortly thereafter

Governance & Commitment to
Rules Compliance Topics

Institutional Control, Presidential Authority
and Shared Responsibilities
– Responsibility for the conduct of the intercollegiate
athletics program, including actions of staff members
and representatives of athletics programs

Rules Compliance
– Assure staff, student-athletes, and other individuals
and groups representing intercollegiate athletics
interests comply with applicable NCAA rules and
regulations
Institutional Control – Key Findings

Subcommittee found Cornell in compliance
with all NCAA requirements
– Opportunities for Improvement
 Updating the Athletic Department compliance
manual (now completed)
 Scheduling timely compliance review (completed in
December 2007)
Rules Compliance – Key Findings

Subcommittee found Cornell in compliance
with all NCAA requirements
– Opportunity for Improvement
 A booster group’s bylaws lacked specific reference
to compliance (corrected in January 2008)
Academic Integrity Topics
 Academic Standards
– Design and maintain the intercollegiate
athletics program as a vital component of the
educational system and consider studentathletes an integral part of the student body
 Academic Support
– Protect and enhance the educational wellbeing of student-athletes and assure proper
emphasis on educational objectives
Academic Standards – Key Findings

Subcommittee found Cornell in compliance
with all NCAA requirements
– Note
 Recruited student-athletes are held to admission
standards set by colleges and subject to same
admission procedures as all students
 Student-athletes must achieve same standards as
all students to remain in academic good standing
(Cornell requirements more stringent than NCAA)
Academic Standards Findings, cont.
– Note
 Graduation rates (six-year)
– Student-athletes graduate at lower rate (88%) than
non-athletes (92%) overall
– Male student-athletes graduate at lower rate than
female student-athletes, reflecting performance of
males vs. females in student body
– Analysis by race inconclusive due to small cohort
Academic Support – Key Findings

Subcommittee found Cornell in compliance
with all NCAA requirements
– Note
 Proper balance between athletic and academic
expectations and opportunities
 Adequate support services available to studentathletes through referrals to university-wide
programs and programs offered by Athletics
 Academic advising properly assigned to colleges
Equity & Student-Athlete Well-Being
Topics

Gender Issues
– Fair and equitable treatment of both male and female
student-athletes and athletics department personnel

Minority Issues
– Fair and equitable treatment of all minority studentathletes and athletics department personnel

Student-Athlete Well-Being
– Protect and enhance the personal and educational
well-being of student-athletes
Gender Issues – Key Findings

Subcommittee found Cornell in compliance
with NCAA requirements
– Note
 Competition and practice facilities for all sports
deemed adequate
– Opportunities for Improvement
 Locker room, training, and/or meeting space needs
improvement in some cases: women’s crew,
women’s lacrosse, softball, volleyball
 Women’s boathouse renovation was not completed
as required in 1999 NCAA recertification
Gender Issues Findings, cont.
– Note
 Compensation for coaches of men’s and women’s
teams is determined using market data and other
factors, including experience, performance, and
retention
 Proportion of women athletes has grown beyond
the goal set in 1999 (now 46%) to bring
participation closer to proportion of women in
student body
– Cornell must plan for growth in women’s athletic
opportunities to keep pace with anticipated increase
in proportion of women students overall
Minority Issues – Key Findings

Subcommittee found Cornell in compliance
with NCAA requirements
– Note
 Diversity among student-athletes appears to lag
behind proportion of minority students overall
– Particular issue among Asian-American and Black
student-athlete cohorts
– However, student-athletes identifying themselves as
“other” race/ethnicity has grown from 12% to 25% in
last 3 years
– Recommend continued partnership with Admissions on
minority student recruitment
Minority Issues Findings, cont.
– Note
 Staff diversity in Athletics has improved and
reflects university and nationwide trends
– 10 percent of mid-management staff are minorities
– 2 minority head coaches (6% of total)
– 10% of assistant coaches are minorities
 Recruitment practices in athletics are sufficient
Student-Athlete Well-Being – Key
Findings

Subcommittee found university to be in
compliance with NCAA requirements
– Note
 Athletics’ Academic Support Services are wellintegrated with university programs
 All student-athletes have access to services
 Student-athletes are made aware of university
services in areas of career counseling, and personal
health and safety, including alcohol and other drugs
 Athletic training and sports medicine services are
equitably provided to all student-athletes according
to NCAA guidelines and meet all NCAA standards
Student-Athlete Well-Being
Findings, cont.
– Note
 Student-athletes have opportunity to provide
feedback about their athletic experience through
end-of-season evaluations and senior exit surveys
and interviews
 Athletics has an appropriate grievance and appeals
process in place for student-athletes
 Student-athlete rights and responsibilities are welldefined in Student-Athlete Handbook
 Student-athletes have opportunities to participate
in Athletics governance through the Student
Athlete Advisory Council
Next Steps

March 6, 2008
– Present draft report to Board of Trustees’ Committee on
Student Life

March 11, 2008
– Open Forum, 5-6 PM, Hall of Fame Room, Schoellkopf

May 1, 2008
– Final report due to NCAA

November 4-6, 2008
– Peer Review Team Visit

Decision by NCAA Committee on Athletics
Certification to follow
Stay Informed

Cornell’s NCAA recertification web site:
http://www.cornell.edu/NCAA/index.html
NCAA Recertification
Steering Committee






Mary Opperman, Vice President
for Human Resources, Co-Chair
John Siliciano, Vice Provost and
Professor of Law, Co-Chair
Carolyn Ainslie, Vice President for
Planning and Budget
Steven Attanasio, Student-athlete,
Rosemary Avery, Chair, Policy
Analysis and Management
Anita Brenner, Associate Athletic
Director, Senior Woman
Administrator
Tommy Bruce, Vice President for
University Communications







Carolyn Campbell-McGovern, Sr.
Associate Director, Ivy Group
Doris Davis, Associate Provost for
Admissions and Enrollment
Steve Erber, Associate Athletic
Director
Amy Foster, Director of Athletic
Compliance
Steve Golding, Executive Vice
President for Finance and
Administration
Dale Grossman, Senior Lecturer,
Applied Economics and
Management
Kent Hubbell, Dean of Students
NCAA Recertification
Steering Committee, cont.






Francis Kallfelz, Professor of
Clinical Sciences
Harry Katz, Dean, School of
Industrial and Labor Relations
Ed McLaughlin, Professor,
Applied Economics and
Management, Faculty Athletics
Representative
Susan Murphy, Vice President
for Student and Academic
Services
Andrew Noel, Director of
Athletics
Carolyn Chauncey Neuman,
Trustee and Alumna






Josh Perlin, Student
Nelson Roth, Deputy University
Counsel
David Skorton, President
Charles Wolcott, Dean of the
University Faculty
Kristin Walker, Manager of
Academic Support Services,
Institutional Planning and
Assessment
Chris Wlosinski, Assistant
Athletic Director
Governance & Commitment to
Rules Compliance Subcommittee

Chair: Nelson Roth, Deputy
University Counsel

Mary Beth Grant, Judicial
Administrator

Steven Attanasio, Student-athlete,
Class of 2008

Jere Haas, Professor, Nutritional
Science

Rick Banks, Director, Alumni
Affairs and Development Services


Lee Cartmill, Director of Finance
and Administration, CU Library
Tom Keane, Director of Financial
Aid for Scholarships and Policy
Analysis

Joe Lucia, Head Men’s Swimming
and Diving Coach

Heather Nichols, Admissions
Relations Director, Alumni Affairs
and Development


Mike Dickinson, University Auditor
Amy Foster, Director of
Compliance, Athletics
Academic Integrity Subcommittee

Chair: Rosemary Avery, Chair, Policy Analysis and Management,
College of Human Ecology

Richard Blood, Head Softball Coach

Doris Davis, Associate Provost for Admissions and Enrollment

David DeVries, Associate Dean, College of Arts and Sciences

Hilary Holland, Student-athlete, Class of 2009

Frank Rossi, Associate Professor of Horticulture, College of
Agriculture and Life Sciences

Chris Wlosinski, Assistant Athletic Director
Equity & Student-Athlete
Well-Being Subcommittee

Chair: Dale Grossman, Senior Lecturer,
Applied Economics and Management,
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Judy Hart, Director of Human Resource
Management, Student and Academic
Services

Lynette Chappell-Williams, Director, Office
of Workforce Diversity, Equity, and Life
Quality

Catherine Holmes, Associate Dean of
Students, Student Activities

Laura Lewis, Director, Undergraduate
Student Services, Industrial and Labor
Relations

Janice Nsor, Student-athlete, Class of 2009

Barry Strauss, Professor of History

Maria Terrell, Director of Teaching Assistant
Programs, Mathematics

Wendy Tarlow, Associate University Counsel

Dayna Smith, Head Women’s Basketball
Coach

Ray Dalton, Executive Director, Office of
Minority Educational Affairs

Pam Dollaway, Human Resource Manager,
Athletics and Physical Education



Betsy East, Assistant Dean, Student
Services, College of Engineering
Steve Erber, Associate Athletic Director
Marne Einarson, Senior Associate,
Institutional Research and Planning