The NCAA Division II is looking to make academic reforms similar to those made two years ago by Division I, Inside Higher Ed reported.
At the NCAA convention this week, a series of proposals are expected to be approved by the Division II Board of Directors that would increase academic standards needed for students to participate in athletics. Just over two years ago, NCAA president Mark Emmert announced the Division I BoD voted for similar academic reforms, which have officially taken effect this year.
Maritza Jones, director of Division II for the NCAA, told Inside Higher Ed has not made upped the academic standard for Division II athletes in the past several years.
"In general, the package is designed to move student-athletes toward graduation and focused on making sure that prospective student-athletes are ready for college," Jones said. "The difference is, now we have data to support our changes."
The proposal package may not be complete, however, as some faculty members believe one aspect is problematic for both students and colleges. One of the proposals raises the number of credits a student-athlete must take in his/her first two years to 24-27 semester hours. While it could hurt students looking to ease into college by taking smaller course loads, the proposal was aimed at encouraging athletes to pursue a degree.
"It is clear that the vast majority of faculty athletics representatives are concerned about initial eligibility standards as well as continuing eligibility requirements," Frank M. Webbe, president of the Faculty Athletics Representatives Association (FARA), told Inside Higher Ed.
Douglas A. Kristensen, chancellor of the University of Nebraska at Kearney and a member of the Division II Academic Requirements Task Force, addressed potential issues with financial aid that may arise as a result of the proposal.
"Maintaining a certain number of credit hours is the responsibility of a college student; we expect that of all our students," Kristensen said. "If you're just going to be a part-time student... that's not going to lead you to be a successful graduate in terms of being timely or at all."
