Division II Progress Toward Degree

1. Division IIProgress Toward Degree Natasha Oakes Alex Smith

2. Agenda • Session outcomes. • Learning objectives. • Case studies. • Resources.

3. Session Outcomes • Leave with a better understanding of: • Good academic standing; • Progress-toward-degree requirements; and • Progress-toward-degree legislated waivers and exceptions.

4. Learning Objectives • Distinguish between NCAA eligibility requirements and good academic standing on campus. • Identify credit-hour triggers. • Differentiate between applicable credit-hour and GPA requirements. • Demonstrate ability to appropriately apply the averaging and actual methods, including recertification.

5. Learning Objectives (cont.) • Accurately calculate GPA for continuing and transfer SAs. • Discuss applicable progress-toward-degree exceptions and legislated waivers. • Identify helpful resources available to the membership.

6. NCAA Bylaw 14.4.1 • To be eligible for intercollegiate athletics competition: • Maintain progress toward a baccalaureate or equivalent degree. • In general, the application progress-toward-degree requirements is interpreted at each member institution by the academic authorities who determine the meaning of such for all students (subject to conference or association legislation. • Institution is determining if the legislation is being met.

7. Good Academic Standing • Defined by each member institution. • Could be more stringent than association legislation. • To be interpreted by the academic officials who determine the meaning for all students. Bylaw 14.02.6

8. Bylaw 14.4.3.1-(a) • Six credit-hour requirement. • Complete six-semester or six-quarter hours. • Preceding regular academic term while enrolled full time. • Must be transferable if coming from two-year or four-year institution. Bylaw 14.4.3.1.1

9. Bylaw 14.4.3.1-(a) (cont.) • Exceptions to the six-hour rule. • Final academic year of degree program. Bylaw 14.4.3.1.6.1 • Graduate student exception. Bylaw 14.4.3.4-(d) • Cooperative education and study abroad. Bylaw 14.4.3.3.11

10. Bylaw 14.4.3.1-(b) • 24-hour requirement. • Applies to the following SAs. • Midyear transfer; • Following completion of first academic year in residence; • Used one season of competition.

11. Bylaw 14.4.3.1-(b) (cont.) • How are the 24 hours calculated? • Two methods. • Actual. • Averaging.

12. Bylaw 14.4.3.1-(b) (cont.) • Actual method. • Complete 24-semester or 36-quarter hours. • Since the beginning of the fall term; or • Since the beginning of the institution’s preceding two semesters or three quarters.

13. Bylaw 14.4.3.1-(b) (cont.) • Averaging method. • Complete an average of 12-semester or 12-quarter hours before each fall term. • During each full-time term at the certifying institution. • Use of credits from a part-time term. Bylaw 14.4.3.1.3

14. Bylaw 14.4.3.1.4 • 75/25 rule. • Must earn at least 75% of the minimum number of semester or quarter hours during the regular academic year. • Must earn no more than 25% of the minimum number of semester or quarter hours during the summer.

15. Case Study No. 1 - Josie

16. Case Study No. 1 – Josie (cont.)

17. Josie (cont.) • Is there a way for Josie to “get well” for spring 2012? • Averaging? • Josie has a total of 60 hours for five full-time terms. • 60/5 = average of 12 per full-time term. • STOP!!!...averaging method can only be used going into the fall semester.

18. Josie (cont.) • What about the actual method? • Total number of hours? • Does she meet 75/25?

19. Bylaw 14.4.3.1.6 • Hours earned or accepted for degree credit. • During first two years of enrollment; • Beginning of fifth semester/seventh quarter; • Change of degree program.

20. Using Credits to Meet Progress Toward Degree • Advanced placement/credit by examination. Bylaw 14.4.3.3.3 • NCAA Proposal No. 2012-4 – Credit hours earned prior to initial full-time enrollment. • Correspondence and distance learning courses. Bylaw 14.4.3.3.4 • Can an SA take a full-time load of correspondence courses? • Yes, must be considered full time and degree seeking by institution.

21. Remedial, Tutorial and Noncredit Courses (Bylaw 14.4.3.3.5) • May be used if they meet the following: • Must be considered prerequisites; • Must be considered toward full-time status; • Noncredit courses may not exceed the maximum institutional limit; • Shall not take more than 12-semester or 18-quarter hours; and • Must be taken in first academic year of collegiate enrollment.

22. Remedial, Tutorial and Noncredit Courses (cont.) • Applicable interpretation. • Remedial, tutorial and noncredit courses taken the summer following initial enrollment may be used to meet progress-toward-degree requirements. Official Interpretation: September 1, 2010

23. Bylaw 14.4.3.3.6 • Incomplete grades. • Must follow institution’s regulations; • Counted only once after acceptable grade has been achieved; • Counted in term according to institutional policy; • If no policy, can be counted in either the term it was taken or when grade was achieved.

24. Bylaw 14.4.3.3.7 • Repeated courses. • Course repeated due to unsatisfactory grade may be used once after satisfactorily completed. • Credit for a course that may be taken several times is limited by institutional regulations. • May not exceed maximum institutional limits.

25. Case Study No. 2 - Don • Don passed Microeconomics with a D grade during the 2011 spring term, which is accepted in his major and is used to certify his eligibility for the 2011-12 academic year. • Don decides he would like to repeat the course during the 2011 fall term. This time he earns a B grade. It is institutional policy to replace his D grade with the B grade he earned.

26. Don (cont.) • Does the replacing of the grade earned in spring 2011 effect Don’s eligibility? • Is the institution able to use the repeated course to certify Don’s eligibility for spring 2012?

27. Bylaw 14.4.3.2 • GPA requirements. • 24-semester/36-quarter hours = 1.800. • 48-semester/72-quarter hours – 1.900. • 72-semester/108-quarter hours = 2.000.

28. Bylaw 14.4.3.2 (cont.) • GPA only needs to be checked prior to the fall term. • If eligible at that point, the SA is eligible for the academic year. • Does not matter if the SA reaches the next hour requirement during the year.

29. Case Study No. 3 - Taylor • Taylor is going into her junior year at Elizabeth University (EU). At the start of the 2011-12 academic year, she had 58-semester hours with a 2.000 GPA. • EU requires that all students maintain a 2.000 GPA at the start of each semester. • Taylor’s GPA going into spring 2012 is 1.900.

30. Taylor (cont.) • Is Taylor meeting GPA requirements set forth in Bylaw 14.4.3.2? • What about EU’s policy regarding GPA?

31. Exceptions to Progress-Toward-Degree Rules • Missed term. • May be used one time; • Used with averaging method; • Cannot have engaged in outside competition; • Must have been eligible for enrollment; • Must be meeting progress-toward-degree requirements. • Cannot use this exception in first year in residence at certifying institution to be eligible in second year. Bylaw 14.4.3.4-(a)

32. Exceptions to Progress-Toward-Degree Rules (cont.) • Cooperative Education, Work Experience and Study-Abroad Programs. • Not be required to complete six-hour requirement during any term or terms of enrollment in a cooperative educational or work experience program. • Includes co-op, internship, practicum, student-teaching or an institutionally approved study-abroad program. Bylaw 14.4.3.3.11

33. Exceptions to Progress-Toward-Degree Rules (cont.) • Midyear enrollee. • Entering second semester or second or third quarter. • Used with actual method. • Prorated at 12 hours. Bylaw 14.4.3.4-(b)

34. Case Study No. 4 - Nathaniel • Nathaniel is a midyear transfer from Hawthorne College who satisfied the one-time-transfer requirements to be immediately eligible at your school for spring 2012. • How many hours does Nathaniel have to earn to be eligible for the 2012-13 academic year?

35. Nathaniel (cont.) • Bylaw 14.4.3.1-(b) • 24-hour requirement. • Applies to midyear transfer SAs. • What exception can be used (if any)? • Midyear enrollee. • How does it apply? • Prorate 12 hours for fall 2011. • Must earn 12 hours prior to fall 2012, with at least nine being earned in spring 2012.

36. Exceptions to Progress-Toward-Degree Rules (cont.) • Nonrecruited, nonparticipant. • Must have been in residence for one year; • Not recruited per Bylaw 13.02.10.1; • No athletically related financial aid received; • Never practiced or competed. • Limited preseason tryout. Bylaw 14.4.3.4-(c)

37. Exceptions to Progress-Toward-Degree Rules (cont.) • Two-year nonparticipation or minimal participation. • Two years of no countable athletically related activity since last participation; • 14 consecutive calendar day period; • Organized noncollegiate amateur competition while not enrolled; • Must be after initial full-time enrollment in college. Bylaw 14.4.3.4-(e)

38. Not Meeting Progress-Toward-Degree Requirements? • Ineligible for competition. • Ability to “get well.” • What about practice during the year of residency?

39. Waiver Options • Administered by conference. • Medical absence. Bylaw 14.4.3.5-(a) • International competition. Bylaw 14.4.3.5-(b)

40. Waiver Options (cont.) • Administered by NCAA national office. • Progress-toward-degree waivers. Bylaw 14.4.3.8 • Less than full-time enrollment waivers. Bylaw 14.1.8.1.8

41. AMA Online • Online waiver portal to file all AMA waivers. • Launched February 2011. • ALL waivers must be filed via online portal, including documentation. • Waivers will not be accepted via the portal until all required documentation and signatures are submitted.

42. AMA Online (cont.)

43. AMA Online (cont.)

44. Submitting a Waiver • What is the mitigation? • How does it tie to the deficiency? • Complete waiver request. • Appropriate documentation.

45. Resources • NCAA Division II Manual. • Bylaw 14.4.3. • Bylaw 14.1.8. • Legislative Services Database for the Internet. • Academic and membership affairs.

46. On the horizon… • Review of academic requirements. • Areas for additional progress-toward-degree discussions and potential concept development. • Identified during the February 2102 meeting of the NCAA Division II Academic Requirements Task Force. • Timeline for review. • Opportunity for feedback.

47. Progress-Toward-Degree Review • Initial progress-toward-degree discussions reiterated the Division II core value of SA progression toward and achievement of a baccalaureate degree. • Identified specific progress-toward-degree areas that may enhance graduation based on initial data review for additional research and future meeting discussions. • Currently no consensus regarding the viability of any of these areas.

48. Progress-Toward-Degree Review (cont.) • Areas identified include: • Requiring nine credit hours per term of full-time attendance; • Requiring a term-by-term GPA minimum; • Review of the averaging method as an alternative to the actual method for credit-hour certification; • Review of percentage-of-degree requirement models; and • Review of a four-year graduation model.

49. Timeline for Review

50. Timeline for Review (cont.)