Limited Resource InstitutionsAPP and Academic Certification

Best Practices

NCAA Regional Rules Seminar2014

Eric BreyQuintin Wright

Katy Yurk

Objectives

• Academic requirements over the academic year.

• Best practices in the certification of academic eligibility.

• Best practices for the NCAA Division I Academic Performance Program (APP).

Objectives

• Task.

• Team.

• Timeline.

• Takeaways.

Academic Requirements Over the Academic Year

APP and Certification Leadership

AcademicProcess

Ownership

Certifying Eligibility for Competition

Certification Thought Process

• Task.

• Team.

• Timeline.

• Takeaways.

• Accurate and timely certification of eligibility for practice and competition for initial and continuing SAs.

What is the Task at Hand?

How Do You Complete the Task?

• Collaboration! You are not alone!

• Team development and education.

• What process is used to determine progress toward degree?

• Who is the final certification official?

Who is on Your Team?

• Team Effort!

• Academic department or student service liaisons.

• Athletic academic support input.

• How is the registrar involved?

• Does admission need to be involved?

TEAM

U.

NCAA Staff

TEAM

Certification

NCAA Staff

What is the Timeline?What has to be done?

• Collect transcripts.

• Review transcripts against certification reports.

• Secure any course substitutions per institutional policy.

• Evaluate transfer credits.

• Confirm degree progress with college or department.

What Are the Takeaways?

• Establish relationships with members of team.

• Develop consistent process/checklist.

• Maintain documentation for each term.

APPData Collection

APP Data Collection • Graduation Success Rate.

• Academic Progress Rate.

GSR• Who is on the team?

• When is it due?• June 1.

• What is involved?• Defining freshman cohort.

• Confirming graduation.

• Confirm departing SAs that did not graduate left eligible (can be removed from the cohort).

TEAM

APR

NCAA StaffInstitutiona

l Research

APR• When is it due?• Six weeks after the start of classes with APR

data.

• What is involved?• Roll over data from one year to the next.

• Add new transfers and freshmen.

• Collect transcripts for all members of the cohort.

• Reference certification reports.

• Don’t forget medicals and exhausted eligibility SAs.

APR • Points awarded for eligibility/graduation and

retention.

• Totaled over most recent four years (cohort).

• Used in analysis for eligibility for postseason competition, APP penalties and public recognition of top academically performing teams.

APR Calculations

APR APR Calculation:

•Two available points each academic term.

• Eligibility point = SA meets academic eligibility standards as of the end of the academic term.

• Retention point = SA is enrolled full time as of the fifth week of classes of the next term.

Number of points earned Number of points possible x 1000 = APR

Access to Postseason Competition

Access to Postseason CompetitionThe NCAA Division I Board of Directors established a 930 multiyear APR benchmark for access to postseason competition:•Postseason includes all events conducted after last regular season contest or end of conference tournament (e.g., bowl games, NIT, WNIT, etc.).

•Conferences determine ability to compete in conference tournaments.

•Applies to individual competitors on teams not meeting standards.

•Waiver opportunities available.

Postseason Benchmarks• For postseason competition in 2015-16 and beyond:

• Need a multiyear APR of at least 930 OR, if subject to postseason restriction a second time, have a two-year average APR of 950 or higher in the two most recent years.

Additional filters available based on resources (e.g., bottom 15% as defined by NCAA Division I Committee on Academic Performance).

*Handout available at back of the room.

APP Penalties

930 Benchmark

• Institutions must have a multiyear APR of 930 to avoid penalties.

• APP penalties are separate from eligibility for postseason competition.

Level OneLevel One:

•Reduction by four hours/one day of practice per week in season.

• Results in 16 hours per week rather than 20 hours and five days per week rather than six days.

•Must be replaced by academic activities.

Level TwoLevel Two:•Reduction by four hours/one day of practice per week out of season.

• Results in four hours per week rather than eight hours and five days per week rather than six days.

• Must be replaced by academic activities.

•Cancellation of nonchampionship season or spring football.

•For sports without nonchampionship season, 10% reduction in contests and length of season.

•And Level-One Penalty.

Level Three - Menu of Penalties• Level-Three Penalties include:

• Level-One and Level-Two Penalties.

• Menu options may include:• Financial aid penalties (any amount, any type).• Practice penalties (reduction of four hours/week and up).• Contest reductions (10% up to full season).• Restricted and corresponding membership.• Coach-specific penalties, including game restrictions, recruiting

restrictions.• Restricted access to practice for incoming student-athletes that fall

below predetermined academic standards. • Multiyear postseason competition ban.

APP Penalty and Postseason Waivers

APP Penalty Waiver Directive

Guiding Principles:

• Based on team's academic performance.

• Review of historical-penalty factors.

• Reasonable expectation to improve to 930 within a reasonable period of time.

• APR Improvement Plan.

Postseason Ineligibility Waiver Directive

• The first-time team is ineligible for postseason competition, relief provided only for extraordinary mitigation.

• Subsequent requests based on less stringent standard.

APR Improvement Plans

APR Improvement Plans

APR Improvement Plans are meant to encourage immediate improvements in SA academic performance:

• Monitoring and analyzing each team's academic, retention and graduation performance.

• Identifying critical issues impacting a team’s academic performance.

• Developing initiatives to address the team's critical issues.

APR Improvement Plan Requirements

• Required for all teams under 930 multiyear APR.

• Must include element that assesses and evaluates team's academic admissions profiles and academic outcomes.

• Data analysis of team’s APR performance.

• Broad-based campus participation.

• Reviewed and approved by institution’s president or chancellor.

• Submitted via online database.

APP Resources

Questions?