The University of Mississippi Athletics
NCAA Certifies Ole Miss
Aug. 26, 1999
OXFORD, Miss. - The National Collegiate Athletics Association's Committee on Athletics Certification announced today that The University of Mississippi has been certified as part of the NCAA Division I athletics certification program.
"We are very pleased," said Ole Miss Chancellor Robert Khayat. "This is an important milestone for us. It not only validates the integrity of our athletics programs but also this University's commitment to academic and financial integrity, rules compliance, and racial and gender equity."
Although accreditation of academic programs is common in colleges and universities, NCAA's Division I certification program focuses on athletics and academic programs. It was adopted by NCAA Division I members in 1993, when they overwhelmingly supported the program and its standards. The purpose is to ensure integrity in all NCAA institutions' athletics operations.
"We're extremely proud that Ole Miss has been certified by the NCAA Committee on Athletics Certification," said John Shafer, the University's athletics director. "We thank Chancellor Khayat, Dr. Ken Roberts and Dr. Robert Weems for their leadership during this very important process. We also wish to thank the many faculty, staff and student athletes who contributed their time and energies to this effort."
The effort began in early 1998, when Khayat appointed a steering committee and subcommittees of faculty, staff, students, alumni and athletic department personnel to conduct Ole Miss' year-long self-study effort. School of Pharmacy Dean Kenneth B. Roberts served as the steering committee's chair.
Chairing the subcommittees were Dr. Robert Weems (governance), faculty representative to the NCAA and professor of law, Dr. Gloria Kellum (equity), vice chancellor for University Relations, Dr. Faye Gilbert (academic integrity), associate professor of marketing, and Johnny Williams (fiscal integrity), vice chancellor for finance and administration.
Within each area studied by the committees, the certification program has set standards, called operating principles, which place a "measuring stick" upon which all Division I members are evaluated. The committees examined how activities of Ole Miss' athletics programs related to those standards and to the institution's mission and purpose.
The study resulted in a 300-page report mailed to the NCAA in January 1999. In March, an external review team conducted a three-day evaluation visit on campus. The review team then submitted a report to the NCAA Committee on Athletics Certification, another independent group, which determined Ole Miss' certification status and announced its decision today.
The three options of certification status are: certified, certified with conditions and not certified.
"Our institution will benefit from this study for a long time to come because it increased awareness and knowledge of our athletics program campuswide, confirmed its strengths and developed plans for improvement," said Dr. Roberts.
A membership organization of colleges and universities that participate in intercollegiate athletics, the NCAA's primary purpose 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.