Oct. 16, 2009
Media Contact: James Greif, jgreif@gmu.edu 703-993-9118
FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason University President Dr. Alan G. Merten announced today that the university will begin an 18-month, campus-wide effort to study its athletics program that will enable Mason to maintain its certification by the NCAA Committee on Athletics Certification. Specific areas the self-study will cover are academic integrity, governance and commitment to rules compliance, as well as a commitment to gender/diversity and student-athlete well-being. All Division I athletics programs must undergo certification every 10 years.
The steering committee responsible for the study will be chaired by Martin Ford, acting dean of the College of Education and Human Development and includes President Merten and various members of the faculty and staff, athletics department personnel and the community. A member of the NCAA membership services staff recently conducted a one-day video orientation with the Steering Committee and its subcommittees.
George Mason University completed its first certification self-study in 1994. At the 1997 convention, the Division I membership voted to change the frequency of athletics certification from once every five years to once every 10 years. Thus, the current self-study will be the third in the certification process for George Mason. The last certification was completed in 2001. Both of the Mason’s previous certifications were found without conditions.
While academic accreditation is common in colleges and universities, this program focuses solely on certification of athletics programs. Following a pilot project, the Division I membership overwhelmingly supported the program and its standards at the 1993 NCAA Convention.
The certification program's purpose is to help ensure integrity in the institution's athletics operations. It opens up athletics to the rest of the university community and to the public. Institutions will benefit by increasing campus-wide awareness and knowledge of the athletics program, confirming its strengths and developing plans to improve areas of concern.
Within each area to be studied by the committee, the program has standards, called operating principles, which were adopted by the association to place a “measuring stick” by which all Division I members are evaluated.
Once the university has concluded its self-study, an external team of reviewers will conduct a two-day minimum evaluation visit on campus. Those reviewers will be peers from other colleges, universities or conference offices. That team will report to the NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics Certification, another independent group. The committee will then determine the institution's certification status and announce the decision publicly. For institutions that fail to conduct a comprehensive self-study or to correct problems, tough sanctions can be imposed.
The three options of certification status are: (a) certified; (b) certified with conditions; and (c) not certified. While universities/colleges will have an opportunity to correct deficient areas, those universities/colleges that do not take corrective actions may be ruled ineligible for NCAA championships.
The NCAA is a membership organization of colleges and universities that participate in intercollegiate athletics. The primary purpose of the Association is to maintain intercollegiate athletics as an integral part of the educational program and the athlete as an integral part of the student body. Activities of the NCAA membership include formulating rules of play for NCAA sports, conducting national championships, adopting and enforcing standards of eligibility, and studying all phases of intercollegiate athletics.
About George Mason University
Named the #1 national university to watch in the 2009 rankings of U.S. News & World Report, George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with global distinction in a range of academic fields. Located in Northern Virginia near Washington, D.C., Mason provides students access to diverse cultural experiences and the most sought-after internships and employers in the country. Mason offers strong undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering and information technology, organizational psychology, health care and visual and performing arts. With Mason professors conducting groundbreaking research in areas such as climate change, public policy and the biosciences, George Mason University is a leading example of the modern, public university.
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