Athletics
to
remain in
NCAA
By
Karl Peterson
On-line Forty-Niner
For
at least 10 more years, the Long Beach State
athletics programs will continue to compete
under the certification of the National
Collegiate Athletic Association.
The
sports program was recently re-certified
by the NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics
Certification. Receiving full certification
means that CSULB conforms to the guidelines
set by the NCAA for Division I membership.
The
effort to be re-certified started over two
years ago when the university included more
than 50 members of the faculty, staff, administration,
community and student body to analyze Long
Beach State's athletics program. The group
analyzed the academic and fiscal integrity
of the athletics department, as well as
many other dynamics.
CSULB
also held three public meetings at which
members of the community were able to voice
their opinions about the state of Long Beach
State athletics.
The
self-study was designed to deal with any
problems prior to the visit from a peer
group of administrators from several NCAA
member institutions last April. The group
interviewed about 90 people before submitting
their findings to the NCAA committee for
the final decision.
After
the NCAA reviewed CSULB athletics they suggested
changes be made in three categories, Robinson
said.
Two
of the issues dealt with the CSULB athletics
mission statement. The NCAA asked that the
mission statement include a statement that
the university provides an, "equitable
opportunity for all students and staff,
including women and minorities," said
Robinson. The NCAA also asked the university
to make the mission statement more widely
available. Although the statement was already
available on the CSULB Web site, the university
sent the statement to many boosters and
media outlets.
The
last suggestion made by the NCAA was for
CSULB to more closely examine the disparity
of graduation rates between male and female
students. More opportunities for male athletes
to join professional teams contributes often
to male athletes leaving school prior to
graduation. Athletes such as Jason Giambi,
Bryon Russell and James Cotton have left
school to pursue lucrative professional
careers.
Many
of the graduation rates are skewed because
the NCAA sets a six-year window in which
a student athlete must graduate. For example,
Cotton left CSULB to join an NBA team then
came back to receive his diploma, but because
it took longer than six years for Cotton
to graduate, his graduation does not count
in the schools statistics.
CSULB
has created several programs designed to
help student-athletes graduate, including
a booster program to raise money for summer
school that is not covered by typical athletic
scholarships.
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