The Syracuse University NCAA Certification Self-Study report reviewing areas of governance, commitment to rules compliance, academic integrity, and equity and student-athlete welfare, is complete. The next step for the University is a peer review, which includes a visit to the Syracuse campus on September 18-20, 2006.
The reviewers will be peers from other colleges, universities or conference offices. The review team will report to the NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics Certification, another independent group. The committee will then determine SU's certification status and announce the decision publicly.
The three options of certification status are: (a) certified; (b) certified with conditions; and (c) not certified. Per the NCAA, universities/colleges are given an opportunity to correct deficient areas, but those that do not take corrective actions may be ruled ineligible for NCAA championships.
The yearlong, campus-wide effort to study its athletics program as part of the NCAA Division I athletics certification program began in October, 2005. The NCAA athletics certification process occurs once every 10 years. SU successfully completed the process in 1998.
While academic accreditation is common in colleges and universities, this program focuses solely on certification of athletics programs. Its purpose is to ensure integrity in athletics and to examine how the activities of the athletics program relate to the mission and purpose of the institution. In addition, the certification program is designed to determine if the athletics program meets the standards, called "operating principles," upon which the NCAA Committee on Athletic Certification evaluates all Division I schools.
Chancellor Nancy Cantor selected the Office of Athletic Compliance to coordinate the University's certification process. David H. Bennett, Meredith Professor of History in The College of Arts and Sciences and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, is the chairperson of the self-study steering committee. Chairpersons of the respective subcommittees are: Susan Donovan, dean of admissions (Academic Integrity); Michael Wasylenko, senior associate dean in the Maxwell School (Governance and Commitment to Rules Compliance); Anastasia Urtz, dean of students (Equity and Student-Athlete Welfare).
University faculty and staff who comprised the membership of the steering committee and subcommittees examined the Department of Athletics and provided constructive commentary on its operations. Throughout the process, the entire University community received periodic updates of the work of the steering committee and subcommittees, and had opportunity to ask questions at open forums during the Spring 2006 semester. The University benefited by increasing campus-wide awareness and knowledge of the athletics program, confirming its strengths and developing plans for improvement.
The NCAA is a membership organization of colleges and universities that participate in intercollegiate athletics. The primary purpose of the association is to maintain intercollegiate athletics as an integral part of the educational program and the athlete as an integral part of the student body. Activities of the NCAA membership include formulating rules of play for NCAA sports, conducting national championships, adopting and enforcing standards of eligibility, and studying all phases of intercollegiate athletics.