The Division II Presidents Council and the Community Advisory Group believe it important that Division II legislation and bylaws support the division’s community engagement initiatives. More specifically, the Presidents Council and the Community Advisory Group believe that rules and regulations should not interfere with an institution’s legitimate community engagement initiative. In such cases, a “cone of silence” should exist that would establish grace from recruiting contact legislation and other specific bylaws so that the activity can involve the entire community, regardless of NCAA restrictions. The Presidents Council and Management Council agreed to sponsor legislative changes for the 2007 NCAA Convention designed to facilitate relations between schools and their communities.
A definition of a “community engagement activity” has been established to clearly articulate that a community engagement activity shall have as its primary purpose to enhance the community, rather than benefit the institution. The modifications to the legislation support opportunities for an institution’s personnel and student-athletes to participate in legitimate community engagement activities. Key points for the legislative proposal include:
Convention Proposal No. 5 (strategic positioning and community engagement initiatives) has been endorsed by the Division II Community Advisory Group and the Management Council. It is being sponsored by the Division II Presidents Council for membership consideration at the 2007 NCAA Convention.
Research data indicates that a priority for Division II should be to increase support in the local community. A component of the Division II strategic positioning platform relates to community engagement. Recruiting and awards and benefits regulations should not prohibit an institution, representatives of an institution's athletics interests, student-athletes and prospective student-athletes from participating in legitimate, organized and predetermined community engagement activities.
Most institutions in Division II already have strategic initiatives in place to engage the local community. Many schools have such duties and responsibilities in the job description of a full-time administrator. Since athletics serves as the “front porch” for community access to many Division II institutions, this proposal looks for ways to permit athletics to be fully integrated to these campus initiatives for community engagement.
Proposal No. 5 establishes an environment for strategic positioning and community engagement activities whereby the NCAA Manual will not need to be referenced to determine monitoring requirements, to identify individuals who must be excluded from the event, or to specify how a university’s student-athletes may participate.
Traditionally with such activities, it was necessary “to find a way” to make an activity permissible. This legislation is intended to provide the flexibility to engage in such activities without having to find a way to make it work. The proposal is supported by the Division II Faculty Athletics Representatives’ Association; the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, the Division II Conference Commissioners’ Association and the Division II Athletics Directors’ Association.
In summary, 2007 NCAA Convention Proposal No. 5 is viewed by the Division II Presidents Council as an important legislative change to assist Division II schools. This initiative helps the division enhance its identity at the local and regional levels by involving the athletics department’s student-athletes to help strengthen the bond between the institution and the community. Community engagement is an important feature of the Division II strategic positioning platform, and this change removes potential legislative or compliance barriers when staging community events that involve the athletics department.
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