Division I Initial Eligibility

1. Division I Initial Eligibility Stephanie Castera Juliette Kenny Academic and membership affairs NCAA

2. What’s the plan of attack? • Session outcomes. • New initial-eligibility legislation. • Initial-eligibility waiver process. • Initial-eligibility waiver directive. • Case studies. • PSA review process. • Best practices. • Resources.

3. Session Outcomes • Leave with a better understanding of the initial-eligibility process; • Recognize potential hurdles to initial-eligibility certification; and • Learn about various initial-eligibility resources.

4. Let’s get started. New initial-eligibility legislation

5. New Initial-Eligibility Legislation • Adopted by the NCAA Division I Board of Directors in October 2011. • Effective August 2016. • One-year delay from the original effective date established in October 2011. • Establishes two separate standards. • Athletically related financial aid and practice; AND • Competition.

6. New Initial-Eligibility LegislationCompetition To compete during the first year of collegiate enrollment PSAs must… • Obtain corresponding core-course GPA and test score on new sliding scale. • New scale requires a core-course GPA approximately .500 GPA units higher than current scale. • Example: 2.500 core-course GPA requires 1000 SAT. • Obtain a minimum core-course GPA of 2.300 in the 16 core courses currently required. • Meet core-course progression requirements.

7. New Initial-Eligibility LegislationCore-Course Progression Requirements Successfully complete 10 core courses prior to their seventh semester (or equivalent) of high school. • Seven of the 10 core courses must be completed in English, math and natural/physical science. • Ten core courses (and corresponding grades) must be used to calculate the core-course GPA. • Are there any exceptions?

8. New Initial-Eligibility LegislationAthletics Aid & Practice • To receive athletics aid and practice PSAs must… • Meet the current qualifier standard for competition. • Successfully complete nine-semester hours or eight-quarter hours during each academic term in order to practice for the remainder of the academic year. • PSAs who meet the above will be considered “academic redshirts.”

9. New Initial-Eligibility LegislationComing Soon! • Educational outreach initiatives. • Changes to pertinent areas of current legislation regarding nonqualifiers, etc. • Further clarification. • Impact on education-impacting disability population. • Impact on international-student population.

10. Were there any other legislative developments in 2011-12? Recent Proposals & Interpretations

11. Proposals & InterpretationsNCAA Proposal No. 2011-67 • International equivalent of advanced placement (AP) exam. • Effective August 1, 2012. • If an international PSA completes a “similar proficiency exam,” the NCAA Eligibility Center will… • Determine if the exam is advanced or higher level. • Certify the PSA based on the number of AP hours accepted by the certifying institution.

12. Proposals & InterpretationsProposal No. I-2011-3 • Invalidation of academic credentials. • Effective immediately – incorporation. • If academic credentials are invalidated after initial-eligibility certification, the institution must… • Declare the involved SA immediately ineligible • Report a violation (provision of aid, practice, etc.). • Pursue student-athlete reinstatement .

13. Proposals & InterpretationsOfficial Interpretation: August 18, 2011 No time limitation for high school graduation. • The academic and membership affairs (AMA) staff confirmed there is no time limitation for high school graduation.

14. Proposals & InterpretationsOfficial Interpretation: July 7, 2011 Criteria for determining seasons of competition. • AMA staff determined that a PSA may advance his or her graduation date by one year if the PSA… • Is from a country with multiple tiers of secondary education; • Successfully completed the initial tier of secondary education in his or her home country within the timeframe prescribed for completion; and • Subsequently graduates from a secondary school in another country, including the U.S.

15. Questions? We’re Here for you. AMA Staff Waivers PSA Review NCAA Eligibility Center International Certification Domestic Certification and Core-Course Review Amateurism

16. Let’s switch gears. Initial-Eligibility Waiver Process

17. Initial-Eligibility Waiver ProcessOverview • Provides SAs relief from the legislated initial-eligibility standards in cases where such relief is warranted. • Places emphasis on an SA’s likelihood of academic success during the initial year of enrollment. • Considers the mitigating circumstances that may have resulted in an SA’s failure to satisfy minimum initial-eligibility requirements.

18. Initial-Eligibility Waiver ProcessRequired Documentation • Completed waiver application via AMA Online. • All ACT/SAT scores. • Letters or statements from the institution and SA. • Evidence of the SA’s academic record. • Evidence of the mitigating circumstances. • SA’s final certification report. • Copies of all high school (or equivalent) transcripts. • Academic support plan (if applicable).

19. I need some direction. Initial-Eligibility Waiver Directive

20. Initial-EligibilityWaiver Directive • Approved by the NCAA Division I Academic Cabinet in February 2012. • Takes into account a data-based analysis of SA’s likelihood of academic success during his or her initial year of enrollment. • Research-based academic formula that considers SA’s core-course GPA, core-course units and standardized test score.

21. Initial-Eligibility Waiver DirectiveAcademic Criteria Considered • All ACT/SAT exams. • Performance in college courses completed prior to initial full-time enrollment. • Performance on institutional placement exams. • SA’s collegiate course schedule. • History and timing of completed core courses. • For international SAs from exam-based countries, year-to-year performance as indicated on official transcripts.

22. Initial-Eligibility Waiver DirectiveAcademic Criteria NOT Considered • Coursework that does not satisfy the legislated definition of a core course. • Coursework that was invalidated through the PSA review process. • College-level coursework completed as a full-time college student.

23. Initial-Eligibility Waiver DirectiveAcademic Support Plans • Required in all cases for which the core-course GPA is below 2.300. • Must demonstrate how the SA’s individual efforts, course-schedule planning and use of academic resources will position the SA to succeed academically during his or her first year. • Must be signed by the SA and an institutional representative with academic oversight for the SA.

24. Initial-Eligibility Waiver DirectiveMitigating Circumstances • Institutional misadvisement/lack of advisement. • High school misadvisement/lack of advisement. • Personal hardship. • Nonrecruited status. • Lost academic opportunity. • SA repeating year of high school. • International test score time limitation issue. • International academic curriculum/track issue. • Split-file situation. • Coursework completed prior to grade nine.

25. Initial-Eligibility Waiver Directive Common Staff Decisions • Approvals. • Conditional approvals. • Partial approvals for athletics aid and practice. • Partial approvals for athletics aid only. • Denials.

26. Give me an example. Please. Initial-Eligibility Waiver Case studies

27. Initial-Eligibility WaiverCase Study No. 1 • PSA Benjamin. • On-time graduate from Arizona. • 3.769 core-course GPA. • 105 ACT. • 15 core-course units. • Deficient one unit in English. • Nonrecruited. • Institution’s assertions. • Nonrecruited. • Academic record suggests likelihood of academic success.

28. Case Study No. 1 (cont.) • What conclusions might staff draw from the PSA’s overall academic record? • What nonacademic factors are favorable in the PSA’s case? • Based on the information provided, what might be an appropriate outcome?

29. Initial-Eligibility Waiver Case Study No 2 • PSA Maria. • On-time graduate from Georgia. • 2.633 core-course GPA. • 980 SAT. • 15 core-course units. • Deficient one core-course unit in math. • Recruited in September 2011. • Institution’s assertions. • High school changed course title from Algebra I to Integrated Algebra I but failed to update its list of NCAA-approved core courses. • Institution believed Integrated Algebra I could be used.

30. Case Study No. 2 (cont.) • How might staff analyze this waiver? • Can we say with a degree of certainty that, but for the mitigating circumstances, the SA clearly would have satisfied initial-eligibility requirements? • Based on the information provided, what might be an appropriate outcome?

31. Initial-Eligibility WaiverCase Study No. 3 • PSA James. • On-time graduate from Virginia. • 2.912 core-course GPA. • 1100 SAT. • 14.5 core-course units. • Deficient one and one-half core-course units in additional academic courses. • Recruited in May 2012. • Institution’s assertion. • Late recruitment/no opportunity to advise.

32. Case Study No. 3 (cont.) • What conclusions might staff draw from the PSA’s overall academic record? • Can we say with a degree of certainty that, but for the mitigating circumstances, the SA clearly would have satisfied initial-eligibility requirements? • Based on the information provided, what might be an appropriate outcome?

33. Initial-Eligibility WaiverCase Study No. 4 • PSA Lucas is an on-time graduate from France. • Lucas’ academic record. • 1.890 core-course GPA. • 920 SAT . • French Baccalaureate (category one document). • Deficient 0.110 on the sliding scale. • Institution’s reasons for deficiency. • French exam is weighted. • PSA judged on one exam. • PSA was not aware of initial-eligibility requirements when he took the exam.

34. Case Study No. 4 (cont.) • How might the staff analyze this waiver? • What conclusions might staff draw from the PSA’s overall academic record? • Is there any mitigation for the deficiency? • Based on the information provided, what might be an appropriate outcome?

35. Initial-Eligibility WaiverCase Study No. 5 • PSA Noah is an on-time graduate from New Hampshire. • Noah’s academic record. • 2.200 core-course GPA. • 72 ACT. • 13 core-course units. • Deficient .175 on the sliding scale. • Deficient one-half core-course unit in English and one and one-half core-course units in math. • Institution’s reasons for deficiency. • Misadvisement. • PSA was advised to complete two core-course units via an online credit-recovery program. • Credit-recovery courses were invalidated through the PSA review process.

36. Case Study No. 5 (cont.) 36 • How might the staff analyze this waiver? • Will “misadvisement” be viewed favorably by the staff given the circumstances? • Based on the information provided, what might be an appropriate outcome?

37. Let’s rewind. PSA review Process

38. PSA Review Overview • Purpose is to determine the validity of a PSA’s academic credentials. • PSA review triggers encompass the entire academic record.

39. PSA ReviewCommon Triggers • More than one nontraditional course taken post-sixth semester. • Course completed in a narrow timeframe. • GPA increase of .500 or greater post-sixth semester. • Concurrent enrollment in sequential courses.

40. PSA ReviewCommon Triggers (cont.) • Disproportionate amount of credits earned post-sixth semester. • Core course taken via credit-recovery program. • Attended two or more high schools in senior year. • Multiple high school attendance overall. • Test score abnormality.

41. PSA ReviewGuiding Principles • Course must include instruction by the course instructor. • Must be qualified to teach in the subject area. • Must be qualified to teach at appropriate course level. • Must be considered an instructor by the school. • Physical presence vs. access. • Course must be completed in its entirety. • If the course is not completed in its entirety, the grade must reflect incomplete portions of the course.

42. PSA ReviewGuiding Principles (cont.) • Course must be completed within appropriate timeframe. • Demonstration of “mastery” is not sufficient. • Timeframe triggers: • 15 days for one-half unit. • 30 days for one-full credit. • Completion of the course must be supported by examples of completed assessments/assignments. • Must be presented for each course under review.

43. PSA ReviewGuiding Principles (cont.) • Instructor must attest to the student interactions. • Strong evidence = instructor’s log. • Course must be completed in accordance with school policy (e.g., sequential courses should be completed in order).

44. It’s that time of year again. Yes, already. Initial-Eligibility Best Practices

45. Initial-EligibilityBest Practices • Encourage early registration with the NCAA Eligibility Center. • Emphasize the importance of meeting initial-eligibility standards during unofficial and official visits. • Conduct preliminary evaluations of academic records. • Remind high schools to update their list of NCAA-approved core courses. • Advise PSAs to retain coursework completed for nontraditional courses.

46. Initial-EligibilityBest Practices (cont.) • Identify potential red flags. • Nontraditional or vocational coursework. • Significant increase in grade-point average post-sixth. • Delayed or early graduation. • Duplicative or repeated coursework. • Reclassification. • Multiple high school attendance.

47. I need help. Initial-eligibility Resources

48. Initial-EligibilityResources • NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete • NCAA Eligibility Center Brochure • NCAA Eligibility Center Quick Reference Sheet • NCAA Guide to International Academic Standards for Athletics Eligibility • AMA Online Waiver Application Instructions • Initial-Eligibility Waiver Directive • AMA and NCAA Eligibility Center Staff

49. I have a question. We have Some Answers

50. Thank You! The End