Division I transfer college athletes will earn Academic Progress Rate points for their previous teams if they are meeting Division I progress-toward-degree requirements when they change schools. The Division I Board of Directors on Wednesday ratified a decision made last week by the Division I Committee on Academics.
Previously, students had to earn a 2.6 grade-point average to earn an automatic adjustment for a lost retention point.
The APR is a team-based metric that awards points every term for student-athletes who remain academically eligible for competition and stay in school or graduate.
The change is the result of a Committee on Academics review of the APR, taking place during the ongoing two-year suspension of both APR penalties and public release of data. The board approved the pause in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Independent Accountability Resolution Process
The board also approved an immediate change to the Independent Accountability Resolution Process, made at the recommendation of the Independent Accountability Oversight Committee. The Complex Case Unit will accept the investigative work of the enforcement staff unless the unit can demonstrate a compelling reason why additional investigation is required.
Additionally, the board approved a request to allow case timelines to be developed and published for each case in the independent process. This change will provide transparency and improve credibility.
The oversight committee, which has expressed concerns about the delay in the resolution of cases referred to the independent process, determined that much of the delay is the result of efforts by the Complex Case Unit to "re-investigate" cases that the enforcement staff thoroughly investigated. Accepting the enforcement staff's results will speed the process significantly without compromising the goals of the Independent Accountability Resolution Process, committee members think.
The changes are effective immediately.
Gender equity review
Board members discussed the recent release of the gender equity report and reviewed the plan for governance examination of the report and its outcomes. Governance bodies, including the Division I Council and several standing committees, will begin work as soon as possible.
Regulatory review
The board considered the current regulatory environment and the Board of Governors' call for a constitutional convention to review changes to the Association's approach to governance. Members discussed the plan for moving forward and encouraged an inclusive process that looks forward instead of back and focuses on overarching principles for college sports as a whole.
New leadership
The board members elected Jere Morehead, president at Georgia, to be the next chair. Morehead will serve a two-year term.
