Once the new NCAA constitution is approved in an association-wide vote later this month, the heavy lifting of updating each of the division's bylaws, policies and legislation gets underway.
In DII, Seattle Pacific athletic director Jackson Stava will represent the GNAC on an "implementation committee" tasked with reviewing policies and procedures -- and recommending appropriate changes and/or updates -- so that the division operates within the framework and principles outlined in the new constitution.
To that end, DII VP Terri Steeb Gronaus disseminated the following memo to the DII membership today outlining the responsibilities and timelines of the committee's work:
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The Division
II Implementation Committee conducted its initial virtual meeting this
afternoon to review the committee’s charge, anticipated timeline and
potential areas of review pending the adoption of the new NCAA Constitution
in preparation for its first meeting Feb. 7-8 in Indianapolis.
Co-chaired by Wisconsin-Parkside Chancellor Debbie Ford and Delta State
President William LaForge, the committee includes one representative from all
23 Division II conferences and five current and former
student-athletes.
The committee will review the division's rules and policies and make
recommendations to ensure that changes are consistent with the principles
agreed upon in the new constitution. It will also communicate with and gather
feedback from the Division II membership, provide regular updates to the
Division II Management Council and Presidents Council, and work with Division
I and Division III as needed. Any recommendations from the Implementation
Committee will follow the current Division II governance structure,
legislation and policies.
Based on feedback received as part of a SWOT analysis conducted by Division
II committees in the spring/summer of 2021 and feedback gathered by the
Constitution Committee, the Division II membership indicated that it believes
the division is coming from a strong foundation. Noted strengths included the
Life in the Balance philosophy, governance process, including the
one-institution, one-vote model, and the experience provided to Division II
student-athletes.
Even with the division starting from a place of strength, the Division II
membership noted that an assessment is still warranted to determine where
enhancements can be made and processes can be streamlined, and to ensure the
division is structured to support student-athletes, institutions and
conferences in the future.
The Implementation Committee will be divided into six subcommittees, including:
• Budget
• Championships
• Enforcement and Infractions Process
• Governance
• Legislative Process and Compliance
• Membership
The work to ensure Division II policies and legislation are consistent with
the new constitution will be done in a phased approach by priority. The focus
of the Implementation Committee will be on Priority 1 items. Priority 1 items
are to be completed by Aug. 1, 2022; or legislation sponsored by Sept. 1,
2022, for Jan. 2023 Convention vote; and/or legislation/policy adopted and
effective Aug. 1, 2023.
During its Convention meeting, the Division II Presidents Council will take
final action to charge the Implementation Committee on the areas to review by
priority. Please look for the communications following these governance
meetings for additional detail on the areas of review and/or please reach out
to your conference representative on the Implementation Committee.
Division I and Division III have their own processes for implementation
and/or transformation pending the adoption of the new constitution. There
will be a process to review Association-wide items (e.g., Association-wide
committees). The Implementation Committee will track the work of Division I
and Division III and the Association-wide items to determine its impact on
Division II and whether recommendations are warranted.
Future updates on the Implementation Committee’s work will be communicated to
the Division II membership by email. Division II members are encouraged to
share thoughts and ideas with their conference representative on the
Implementation Committee, particularly in preparation for the in-person
meeting, Feb. 7-8.
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