Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Florida Atlantic Athletics Receives Certification
5/10/2006 12:00:00 AM | General
May 10, 2006
Boca Raton, FL - Florida Atlantic University's athletic review and certification by the NCAA has been completed and approved, announced Craig Angelos, FAU's Director of Athletics, Thursday.
Florida Atlantic was among 27 Division I universities to undergo the second cycle of athletics certification and was one of 19 that were certified without condition.
"We are very pleased that we successfully completed our certification process," Angelos said. "It was really a team effort, led by Tony Lombardo, which involved all aspects of our institution. I consider this another positive step in developing a first rate athletic department."
The certification process, which is chaired by Tony Lombardo, the Dean of Undergraduate Studies, is conducted by a committee comprised of university non-athletic department personnel.
FAU was one of the first groups to complete the original process, despite moving to Division I the same year as adoption (1993), and have now completed the second cycle or its second self study (2006). The second round of athletics certifications is being completed on a 10-year cycle. All 326 active Division I members participate in the certification process
The NCAA began the certification process in 1993 with the mission of ensuring integrity in the institution's athletic programs and in an effort to assist institutions in improving their athletics departments. The process involves a self-study and a review of the five following components: governance and commitment to rules compliance; academic integrity, equity and student-athlete well being.
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 certification process is separate from the NCAA's enforcement program, which investigates allegations of rules violations by NCAA member institutions. A decision of certified does not exempt an institution from concurrent or subsequent enforcement proceedings.
The NCAA Committee on Infractions may ask the Committee on Athletics Certification to review an institution's certification status as a result of the completed infractions case.
The members of the Committee on Athletics Certification are: McKinley Boston, New Mexico State University; Shonna Brown, Mid-American Conference; Rita Hatung Cheng, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Rich Ensor, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference; Kevin Hatcher, Colgate University; Pat Howey, University of North Carolina- Wilmington; Gerald M. Lage, Oklahoma State University; Leo Lambert (chair), Elon University; Fred Mims, University of Iowa; Gloria Nevarez West Coast Conference; Frank Pergolizzi, Southeastern Louisiana University; Mary Ann Rohleder, Indiana University-Bloomington; Greg Sankey, Southeastern Conference; and John Steinbrecher, Ohio Valley Conference.
Florida Atlantic University's athletics will compete in its final two Atlantic Sun Conference Championships after an 11-year relationship. A new chapter will begin in July as the department completes its full transition, including all 18 sports, into the Sun Belt Conference. Florida Atlantic's football team played a full Sun Belt schedule in 2005 and the men's and women's swim teams competed in the Sun Belt Championship with the women capturing the Sun Belt Title.
