The NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics Certification announced that Canisius College met its requirements for athletics certification. Canisius is one of 26 Division I institutions to receive certification.
A designation of certified means that an institution operates its athletics program in substantial conformity with operating principles adopted by the Division I membership. All 335 active Division I members participate in the athletics certification process.
The purpose of athletics certification is to ensure integrity in the institution’s athletics program and to assist institutions in the improvement of their athletics departments. NCAA legislation mandating athletics certification was adopted in 1993.
“This decision by the NCAA affirms both the quality and depth of the commitment that Canisius College has to its intercollegiate athletic program,” said Director of Athletics Bill Maher. “After a thorough self-study process, we can confidently say that our program is focused on providing the student-athletes at Canisius with the best possible experience, and that our commitment to the principles of the NCAA remains strong.”
The certification process, which involves a self-study led by an institution’s president or chancellor, includes a review of these primary components: governance and commitment to rules compliance; academic integrity; and gender/diversity issues and student-athlete well-being. Each member institution completes a self-study at least once every 10 years.
The Division I Committee on Athletics Certification preliminarily reviews an institution’s certification materials and provides a list of issues identified during the evaluation. The university then hosts a visit by peer reviewers who file a report regarding the institution’s resolution of those issues before a final certification decision is rendered. An institution’s failure to satisfactorily respond to the committee may negatively impact certification status.
The members of the Committee on Athletics Certification are: Anthony Archbald, Princeton University; John Balog, Jacksonville University; Robert Bernardi, Nicholls State University; Henry Brooks, University of Maryland, Eastern Shore; Ann Carr, Mississippi State University; Roger Caves, San Diego State University; Casey Comoroski, Missouri State University; Beth DeBauche, Ohio Valley Conference; Tom Douple, The Summit League; John M. Dunn, Western Michigan University; Amy Folan, University of Texas at Austin; Joanne Glasser (chair), Bradley University; Angela Johnson “A.J.” Grube, Western Carolina University; Barbara Luebke, University of Rhode Island; Sheila Patterson, Cleveland State University; William Perry, Eastern Illinois University; Judy Van Horn, University of South Carolina; and Sarah Wilhelmi, West Coast Conference.
Submitted by: Public Relations
