University President Stephen Sundborg, SJ announced today that Seattle University has begun a year-long, campus-wide effort to review its athletics program as part of the NCAA Division I Athletics Certification program, a requirement of all current Division I members and a requisite step in the reclassification process as SU formally completes its move from Division II to Division I. Specific areas the self-study will cover are governance and commitment to rules compliance, academic integrity, and gender/diversity and student-athlete well-being.
The athletics certification program's purpose is to help ensure integrity in the institution's athletics operations. The process will benefit the university by increasing campus-wide awareness and knowledge of the athletics program, confirming its strengths and developing plans for improvement, as needed.
The committee responsible for the study will include President Sundborg, Steering Committee chair and Dean of the Albers School of Business and Economics, Joseph Phillips, and an array of faculty, staff, and students from across the university, as well as Athletics Department personnel.
The certification process officially began in late August with a half-day video-teleconference led by NCAA staff, at which time the steering committee and the subcommittees received its official instruction. The work of the subcommittees is now underway.
Within each area to be studied by the steering committee, the university will employ a set of membership standards known as operating principles. These seven principles, including governance, academic integrity, and gender and diversity, were adopted by the Association to establish benchmarks by which all Division I members are evaluated.
After Seattle University concludes its self-study report in April of 2011, an external team of reviewers will conduct a four-day evaluation visit on campus during the fall of 2011. The reviewers will be peers from other like-colleges, universities or conference offices. The peer-review team will report to the NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics Certification. The Committee on Athletics Certification will then determine whether the institution has successfully completed the athletics certification process.
For more information regarding Seattle University NCAA Athletics Certification, please visit the university's official athletics certification website.