Following is part of a series that previews Division I proposals for the 2008-09 legislative cycle. This article focuses on proposals related to eligibility.
To address the advancing technology in the higher education landscape, several proposals in the 2008-09 legislative cycle focus on the use of nontraditional coursework – including Internet courses – to meet NCAA eligibility standards.
A proposal sponsored by the former Academics/Eligibility/Compliance Cabinet would allow student-athletes to use nontraditional courses to satisfy full-time enrollment requirements in specific instances.
Proposal No. 2008-32, which resulted from an extensive review of the topic by the AEC Cabinet’s continuing-eligibility subcommittee, would modernize eligibility rules to allow for nontraditional coursework by student-athletes (defined as distance-learning, correspondence, extension, Internet courses, independent study and any course earned outside the typical face-to-face classroom environment). To be considered for eligibility purposes, the course would have to be considered a regular course open to all students, conducted during the regular term, use a conventional, consistent grading scale and be acceptable for degree credit.
Another proposal modifying the nontraditional coursework policies, No. 2008-35, would allow nontraditional courses from any four-year institution to be used to meet credit-hour and progress-toward-degree requirements if they are accepted by the institution from which a student-athlete is seeking a degree and they meet the same standards listed in proposal No. 2008-32.
Another measure, also sponsored by the AEC Cabinet, would limit prospects with diagnosed education-impacting disabilities to completing three core-courses after high school graduation.
Current policy allows the completion of an unlimited number of core courses after high school graduation for such students. Proposal No. 2008-34 is intended to make reasonable accommodations for individuals with education-impacting disabilities but still set limits.
Earlier this month, the Academic Cabinet supported the concepts in each of the proposals.
Other proposals of note in Bylaw 14:
• 2008-33, which would charge women’s volleyball student-athletes who don’t enroll full time in college within a year of high school graduation with a season of competition and require them to complete an academic year in residence upon matriculation before regaining eligibility.
• 2008-36, which would allow student-athletes earning credits while using an international-competition waiver to apply those credits to the 24/26-hour, progress-toward-degree and percentage-of-degree requirements.
• 2008-37, which would eliminate the church-mission exception to the transfer-residence requirement.
