Increased oversight for academic advising, compliance for athletics

COLUMBUS – Reorganizing academic advising for student-athletes, creating a dual reporting process for athletics compliance and improving booster education are new procedures being put in place by The Ohio State University and its Department of Athletics.

The university’s Board of Trustees heard presentations at its meeting today (3/4) about these changes, which were prompted in part by a December 2003 report of the President’s Special Investigation Committee, which was formed to investigate allegations in the New York Times. The report recommended the reporting line of the Student-Athlete Support Services Office (SASSO) be strengthened with the Office of Academic Affairs.

Executive Vice President and Provost Barbara Snyder said the university’s goal is to support the academic success of all students, including student-athletes. To accomplish this, the university will strengthen the connections between academic advisers in the colleges and the advisors of student athletes, uniting all academic advising under the Office of Academic Affairs.

Under the reorganization, Snyder said the director of the new office of student-athlete academic services will report directly to Martha Garland, vice provost and dean for undergraduate studies, and each student-athlete will be assigned to work with one adviser.

Snyder said the role of advisers in the recruitment and admission of student-athletes has not been decided.

General Counsel Chris Culley described the new dual reporting process shared by the Department of Athletics and the Office of Legal Affairs to ensure compliance with NCAA regulations. Culley said that Ohio State’s Compliance Program is already recognized as one of the best in the country. However, the NCAA recommended ongoing evaluations of the Compliance Program by an authority outside of the Department of Athletics.

“The new dual reporting process to the Office of Legal Affairs is designed to address that objective,” Culley said. “Our challenge is to keep Ohio State at the gold standard and to take it a step beyond.”

Culley also is participating in Athletics’ bi-weekly Executive Compliance Committee meetings, and regular weekly review and planning meetings between the Office of Legal Affairs attorneys and the Athletics Compliance staff have been established.

Culley identified several areas for further action:

• Stricter enforcement of athletes’ attendance at mandatory education programs;

• enhancement and expansion of outreach programs;

• increasing the monitoring and investigation of activities; and

• reinforcing compliance incentives or consequences in coaching evaluations and contracts.

Athletics Director Andy Geiger discussed the booster program at Ohio State, saying he wants to create a “compliance conscience” among the thousands of the university’s boosters. He said the booster education program will consist of several publications, including the NCAA’s “Rules of the Game” brochure, which will be sent to all ticket holders. In addition, boosters will receive a letter from the university explaining the importance of compliance with NCAA regulations. Geiger said there will be links on the Department of Athletics web pages to booster education sites, a page in each sports program emphasizing compliance and contact information for those who want to learn more about the regulations.

“It will be a very comprehensive program,” Geiger said. “We are going to great lengths to ensure that the many fans of Ohio State athletics are clear about the most appropriate ways they can support their teams.”