Constituent meetings for the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) recertification process are scheduled this week.
The NCAA founded in 1910 to regulate college sports. In the 1990s, the NCAA defined standards by which institutions might certify their status as NCAA members in good standing. The University of Wyoming was among the first group of institutions to seek NCAA certification. UW's initial certification was granted in 1993 and recertification was granted in 2000. The University of Wyoming seeks to be among the first members of the NCAA to achieve certification for a third time in 2010.
The recertification process, as defined by the NCAA, is both thorough and inclusive. In 2008, UW President Tom Buchanan initiated the university's NCAA recertification process by appointing a UW Recertification Steering Committee, which included members of the UW administration, faculty, staff, student body, athletics coaching staff, athletic teams and the local community. The Steering Committee oversaw the work of three subcommittees, also comprised of faculty, staff, administrators, coaches, students and student-athletes. As mandated by the NCAA, these subcommittees are Governance and Commitment to Rules Compliance, Academic Integrity, and Gender/Diversity Issues and Student-Athlete Well-Being.
The goal of UW's self study is to identify strengths and challenges within the Department of Athletics and the units and individuals that support its efforts, and identifying effective ways to address challenges and enhancing strengths. With the drafts of the subcommittee reports now written, the UW NCAA Recertification Steering Committee seeks input from across the university and outside the university on the results of this review.
The list of constituent meetings, found below, will provide opportunities for a broad set of perspectives on the review of the UW Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.
NCAA Reacreditation Constituent Meetings:
Tuesday, April 21, Academic Deans and Directors Council, 10 a.m., Old Main Board Room; 6 p.m., Student Athlete Advisory Counci,l Fieldhouse North Conference Room; 7 p.m., ASUW, Wyoming Uninon Senate Chambers.
Saturday, April 25, Cowboy Joe Club Board of Directors, 10 a.m., Holiday Inn Gold Room.
Monday, April 27, Faculty Senate, 3:10 p.m., Wyoming Union Family Room.
Wednesday, April 29, Athletic Planning Committee, 4 p.m., Old Main Board Room.
Thursday, April 30, Staff Senate, noon, Old Main Board Room.
May 1 or 2, Alumni Board of Directors, Jackson Hole.
UW NCAA Recertification Steering Committee and Subcommittees:
Governance and Commitment to Rules Compliance Subcommittee: Chair: Sara Axelson, vice president for student affairs (saxelson@uwyo.edu); Athletics Department liaison: Phillip Wille (pwille@uwyo.edu).
Academic Integrity Subcommittee: Chair: Mary Burman, dean, School of Nursing (mburman@uwyo.edu); Athletics Department lLiaison: Matthew Whisenant (mwhise@uwyo.edu).
Gender/Diversity Issues and Student-Athlete Well-Being Subcommittee: Chair: Nell Russell, associate vice president and Office of Diversity (nell@uwyo.edu); Athletics Department liaison: Molly Moore (mmoore30@uwyo.edu).
Steering Committee: Chair, Maggi Murdock, associate provost for academic affairs (murdock@uwyo.edu).
Posted on Saturday, April 18, 2009