NCAA certification

Teams release self-study drafts

Teams released on Feb. 21 the first draft of a self-study, which is part of the NCAA certification process. The teams sought public input on those findings during a Feb. 28 forum. (PDF minutes from the forum.) The self-study draft is available in three parts (all PDF files) below:

• Governance and Commitment to Rules Compliance
• Academic Integrity
• Gender/Diversity Issues and Student-Athlete Well-Being

Feb. 28 forum set for comments on NCAA certification process

A six-month study of Iowa State's athletics program is nearing completion, and the study teams are nearly ready to release and seek public input on their findings. The public is invited to attend a Feb. 28 forum on the self-study (5:30-7:30 p.m., Campanile Room, Memorial Union). Participants will get an overview of the study results -- focused on academic progress, NCAA rules compliance, gender/diversity issues and student-athlete wellness -- and have opportunities to ask questions and offer comments.

What is NCAA certification?

Division I NCAA programs must re-certify every 10 years in a process that resembles an accreditation review for academic programs. Athletics certification is designed to ensure the NCAA's fundamental commitment to integrity in intercollegiate athletics. (Iowa State's last certification was in 2002.)

The 18-month process begins with a self-study of the athletics program and is followed by a campus visit by an external review team. The ultimate goal is NCAA certification, an acknowledgment that Iowa State's athletics program is run with integrity and meets the standards and core values of the NCAA.

Steps to certification

ISU's self-study, which began in September 2010, will culminate in a NCAA certification decision that will be announced in April 2012. See the 11-step process to certification.