Thumbs Up From NCAA D-I Committee on Athletics Certification
May 29, 2008 OREM, Utah - Utah Valley University recently received notification from the NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics Certification that the school successfully completed its first NCAA certification peer review. Peer reviews are required of each NCAA Division I institution on a 10-year basis. "This is a huge step forward for the university and will facilitate us moving into a conference and competing nationally," said Utah Valley University President William A. Sederburg. "It is also a statement on the quality of our athletic program." "We passed without any exceptions, which is a great indication of the progress that we have made in a very short period of time," Utah Valley Director of Athletics Michael Jacobsen said. "The certification process is a two-part evaluation of both the athletics department and university. We had great support from our academic community." Under the direction of Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Scott Hammond and 31 individuals on various committees, many volunteered numerous hours to make the certification a reality at Utah Valley. "This process involved a one year study by over 30 academics of all processes that involve student athletes at UVU," Hammond said. "It represents many hours of hard work. The NCAA agreed with the professors, coaches and staff who were involved in the study who found that we are really ready for Division I status." The certification is a culmination of an in-depth self study of the athletic program and departments. The department consists of 300 student-athletes and 46 employees and operates on a $5.3 million budget.
The committee members at Utah Valley consisted primarily of non-athletic department personnel. The areas of emphasis in the 39-page document and findings are institutional control, gender and minority issues, academic integrity, rules and compliance and student-athlete well being. The document can be found at www.WolverineGreen.com on the front page of Utah Valley's official athletics Web site. With the self-study, four members of peer NCAA institutions, along with two NCAA representatives spent three days on campus in early November. The NCAA committee reviewed and evaluated the reports and conducted extensive interviews of key academic, athletic and booster personnel during its visit. "You hear about them, you read about them, but until you see them, you have no idea what Utah Valley University is all about," the NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics Certification said in an exit interview with the UV administration. The second phase of the Utah Valley certification process will take place a year from now when the NCAA Division I membership committee considers whether to recommend UVU in active Division I membership after six years as a provisional school.
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