NCAA Peer Review Team Visits,
Completes Next Step in Certification

From JSU Sports Information

JACKSONVILLE-- Jacksonville State University President Dr. William A. Meehan announced the NCAA peer team completed their on-campus visit on Tuesday, April 21 and the University will receive the report by the peer review team before a final certification decision is rendered in July.

Those reviewers included peers from other institutions and the team will report to the NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics Certification. The committee interviewed 55 members of the Institution, including student-athletes, faculty and staff.

“We had a very successful visit and the team was complimentary of our staff and student-athletes,” said Dr. Meehan on Tuesday. “The peer team was especially impressed with our student-athletes and their knowledge and appreciated their openness during the entire process.”

The university just completed a two-year, campus-wide effort to study its athletics program as part of the NCAA Division I athletics certification program. Specific areas the study covered were academic integrity, governance and commitment to rules compliance, as well as a commitment to equity and student-athlete well-being.

Jacksonville State University completed its first certification process in 1999. The Division I membership is required to go through the certification process every 10 years and the current self-study is the second in the certification process for JSU.

"I would like to thank the hard work of the committee during this two-year process, especially the subcommittee chairpersons," said Dr. Meehan. "I would especially like to thank Mr. Clint Carlson for serving as chairman and his leadership during this review.

"I anticipate a very positive completion of this process when the NCAA announces their results in July," added Dr. Meehan.

Within each area studied by the committee, the program has standards, called operating principles, which was adopted by the Association to place a "measuring stick" by which all Division I members are evaluated.

The three options of certification status are: (a) certified; (b) certified with conditions; and (c) not certified. While universities/colleges will have an opportunity to correct deficient areas, those universities/colleges that do not take corrective actions may be ruled ineligible for NCAA championships.

The NCAA is a membership organization of colleges and universities that participate in intercollegiate athletics. The primary purpose of the Association is to maintain intercollegiate athletics as an integral part of the educational program and the athlete as an integral part of the student body. Activities of the NCAA membership include formulating rules of play for NCAA sports, conducting national championships, adopting and enforcing standards of eligibility, and studying all phases of intercollegiate athletics.

 

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