Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 21 March 1997 — Page 7

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accept the clearinghouse’s coie-course decisions, only

Continued frnm Pan« H to challenge a decision about a course bter. v For the system to work best, die clearinghouse in athletes meet the Association’s academic standards for late summer should be certifying student transcripts

eligibility. It also ensures that all NCAA institutions rather than core courses, said Kevin C. Lennon, NCAA have equal access to information about die academic director of compliance and staff liaison to the Acaeligibility of prospective student-athletes. demic Requirements Committee. The biggest problem encountered by the clearing- “We are seeing more NCAA institutions challenghouse in serving those functions — a problem that ing these (core-course) decisions right before the acawasn’t anticipated — is the difficulty of determining demic year begins,” Lennon said, whether die wide variety ofcounes that are considered The Academic Requirements Committee is attemptcore courses by the nation’s high schools actually meet ing to eliminate some of the last-minute crunch by standards that have been adopted by the Association, limiting the time in which a high school can challenge NCAA Bylaw 14 specifies which courses may be a course ruling. In the future, high schools will have 90 considered to meet the core-course requirement, but days after receiving a clearinghouse dec is km to dispute course names used by high schools may not clearly a finding. After that time, the clearinghouse decision

match the courses that are described in the legislation, will stand. High schools list their core courses by tide annually Waiver process

on the NCAA’s Form 48H, which is reviewed by the When a member school disagrees with a clearingclearinghouse staff in February. Using only the course house decision regarding a recruit’s eligibility for tides supplied by a high school, the clearinghouse competition, that institution has the option of applying applies criteria for evaluation developed by die NCAA for an initial-eligibility waiver. Academic Requirements Committee and informs a Because increased academic standards go into efschool if any of its courses will not be considered a core feet this year, the national office has assigned addicourse. Such decisions are made without information donal staff members to help process initial-eligibility regarding actual course content, and no individual waiver requests in a timely manner, Lennon said.

student-athlete is involved at that stage.

The staff has worked with members of the NCAA

High schools receive a report indicating courses that Council Subcommittee on Initial-Eligibility Waivers do not meet NCAA core-course standards. They then to determine precedents that the staff can use to make have the option of appealing a decision or advising their decisions on some waiver requests. Using those piecestudents that a particular course cannot be used to meet dents, the staff can approve or deny those waiver

core-course requirements, said Calvin Symons, direc-

tor of the clearinghouse.

forms on file, representing about three-fourths of the

high schools in the United States.

Waiver requests are being handled as quickly as they were a year ago when there were fewer requests.

In addition to handling core-course determinations. Still, there is no escaping a “seasonal” crunch because the clearinghouse reviews transcripts that high schools the clearinghouse cannot issue final certifications until submit for students who are registered with the clear- transcripts are received after high-school graduation.

inghouse.

Transcripts of 121,536 members of the 19% high-

Lennon said.

The NCAA Administrative Committee, seeking to

school class were received by the clearinghouse and alleviate this problem, recently acted to allow students processed, Symons said. Colleges subsequently re- with legitimate waiver requests to continue to practice quested information for 53,368 of those students and — but not compete—while waivers are being consid-

for approximately another 6,000 19% graduates who ered.

did not register.

Problems avoidable

Efforts continue

Meanwhile, the Special Committee to Oversee

Many of the problems experienced in the certifica- Implementation of the NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clear-

tion process are avoidable.

inghouse is working steadily to improve the

Oliverstrongly urgeshighschoolstoadvisestudents clearinghouse’s response to member institutions, who need to meet initial-eligibility criteria to take Lindemenn said the clearinghouse will continue to courses that already are approved as core courses, adapt o the needs of the membership, while ensuring

rather than take a chance that a course that has not been academic integrity.

approved will be accepted on reconsideration.

“We have to be more responsive to changes in

Oliver hopes that high schools and colleges are more curriculum, changes in teaching,” he said. “We need to aware of requirements as they advise prospective stu- be more sensitive to what the high schools have to do dent-athletes. He also urges member institutions to be in their mode of instruction. We need to look at the certain that a recruited student who has not already met special needs, such as learning disabilities, core-course requirements is taking approved courses “We need to maintain our standards and maintain

during the final semesterofhis or her senior year in high our diversity.”

school. The Knight Commission’s Hesburgh noted that As for establish ing whetheracourseisacore course, problems like delays in providing certification are

high schools should work a year ahead, thus ensuring mechanical, but can be fixed.

that student-athletes can be properly advised in prepa-

ration for college.

A high school should seek approval of a core course during die February before the subsequent academic

“If you have a problem, you fix it but you don’t

throw out die whole thing,” he said.

requests quickly.

In anticipation of an increase in waiver requests.

In challenging a decision of the clearinghouse, a three members also have been added to the Council high school can submit documentation, such as a course subcommittee, which acts on requests that cannot be description or course content Using that additional handled by the staff. Subcommittee members receive information, a course is re-evaluated and then the high packets of waiver requests by mail and conduct a school is informed of the decision. weekly conference call to handle the increased vol-

The clearinghouse currently has about 19,000 48H ume.

Crowds amass to sea the array of acts at tho GTE Csntsr Court Including clinics, dribbling exhibitions, the NABC All-Star Shoot-Around and the Final Four bands and cheerleaders

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