2013 NCAA Convention

Educational Initiatives for the New Division I Initial-Eligibility Standards 

This session will focus on current and proposed educational outreach initiatives regarding the newly adopted initial-eligibility standards that will be effective August 1, 2016. Session attendees will hear from campus representatives and NCAA staff regarding the creation and implementation of comprehensive outreach strategies designed to amplify the impact and reach of educational efforts. Throughout the session, an overview of the new initial-eligibility standards will be provided.

Moderator: Theresa Becker, Associate Director of Athletics, Compliance, University of Kansas

Theresa Becker was named associate director of athletics for compliance at the University of Kansas in November 2005.  Before joining the Kansas athletics staff, Becker served as the assistant director of compliance for the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, a position she held since 1997.

As associate director of athletics for compliance, Becker has oversight of all activities related to the compliance office for the Kansas athletics department.  Upon her arrival to Kansas, she was charged with the challenge and responsibility to create and implement a comprehensive athletics compliance program for the institution.  Becker’s staff has responded with the development of a broad and extensive NCAA rules and regulations educational program for student-athletes, coaches, staff members, boosters, donors and alumni, as well as a comprehensive monitoring system to ensure institutional compliance with NCAA rules and regulations.

Becker participates in NCAA Regional Rules Seminars and Big 12 Conference director of compliance meetings on an annual basis.  She is a member of the National Association for Athletics Compliance (NAAC) and National Association of Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA).  She also serves on the NACWAA Legislative Committee.  Additionally, she works directly with the institution’s Athletics Advisory Committee on various projects and reviews.  Becker currently serves as chair of the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Committee.

Before entering athletics administration, Becker served as associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for the women’s basketball program at Nebraska, Lincoln.  Known for her thorough and relentless approach in recruiting prospective student-athletes, Becker’s signing classes were listed among the nation’s best on a regular basis.  She served as head women’s basketball coach at Iowa State University and also coached at Furman University and Bradley University.  Becker is originally from Festus, Missouri, and is a graduate of Southeast Missouri State University.

Speakers:

Eric Hart, Associate Athletics Director for Academic Services for Student-Athletes, Delaware State University

Eric D. Hart was named Delaware State University’s interim director of athletics January 4, 2012, and served in that capacity until August 2012.  Since joining the Delaware State family in July 2009, he has served as associate athletics director for academic services for student-athletes.

Under Hart’s leadership, Delaware State student-athletes have boasted the highest academic marks in school history.  Hart has helped guide six teams at Delaware State to achieve scores of 1000 on the NCAA Academic Progress Rate’s single-year score.

Before his arrival to Delaware State, he served as the associate director for academic services for student-athletes at Appalachian State University from 2006 until his departure in June 2009.  Hart served as an academic counselor at the University of Georgia from 2004 to 2006, working with men’s and women’s golf, softball, men’s basketball, equestrian, and men’s and women’s track and field.  He also worked as a graduate assistant for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville football program, and assisted in the marketing and game-day operations for football and men’s basketball.

A native of Stoneville, North Carolina, Hart was a student-athlete at Appalachian State and earned a B.S. in elementary education, a Master of Education in school counseling at the University of Georgia, and an Ed.S. in counseling from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.  He is a 2009 graduate of the NCAA Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Males and Females and will be a participant in the 2013 NCAA Pathway Program.

John Morris, Deputy Athletics Director, Colorado State University

John Morris joined the Colorado State staff in June 2012 as the athletics department’s first deputy director.  As deputy athletics director, Morris runs all day-to-day operations of the department.

Before joining Colorado State, Morris served as the senior associate athletics director for the University of Washington for eight years.  In Seattle, Morris managed several sports programs in addition to overseeing the athletics department’s NCAA rules compliance program and the student-athlete academic support unit.

Morris also spent two-and-a-half years as the assistant athletics director for compliance and student services at California State University, Sacramento, and three years with the NCAA.  In Sacramento, he supervised the operation of the compliance, athletics advising and life skills offices and oversaw the operation of four sports.  While with the NCAA, Morris spent two years as an associate director of membership services/coordinator of interpretations, and primary NCAA interpretations contact for various Division I conferences.

He began his professional career in intercollegiate athletics at Vanderbilt University, working as a compliance assistant during the 1997-98 academic year.  Before working in intercollegiate athletics, he was an attorney for the firm of Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed in Orlando, Florida.

Morris earned his bachelor’s degrees in French and political science from Vanderbilt in 1990, and his law degree from Vanderbilt’s School of Law in 1993.

Adrienne Ridgeway, Assistant Athletics Director for Academic Services, Marquette University

Adrienne Ridgeway is in her 10th year overall with Marquette University and is currently the assistant athletics director for academic services.

Ridgeway works closely with the men’s basketball team in planning academic schedules, monitoring the progress and status of student-athletes, coordinating the NCAA Eligibility Center process, assisting with the admissions process by evaluating high school and junior college transcripts and helping with new student orientation and personal academic counseling.

Ridgeway spent two years with the Milwaukee Public Schools as a speech-language pathologist, providing language and articulation treatment and evaluation to culturally diverse elementary school students.

Ridgeway was a track and field student-athlete for four years at Howard University in Washington, D.C., and received her Bachelor of Science in speech-language pathology in 2001.  Her minor was sports administration.  In 2003, she earned her master’s degree in speech-language pathology while working as a graduate assistant to the athletics director in the Howard athletics office.  In 2010, Ridgeway earned a Master of Education from Marquette and became an adjunct instructor in the university’s College of Education.