Cabinet Support For The Division II Collegiate Athletics

Model

Division II Strategic Positioning Initiatives

• History of the Strategic Positioning Platform

• Who we are “Life in the Balance”• Institution’s mission and values helps to

provide a quality educational experience.• Athletic programs help support and

enhance the mission of the institution.

Background on the Strategic Positioning Initiative

• Division II Chancellors and Presidents Summit held in June 2005.

• Division II Presidents Council agreed to implement a comprehensive study related to the division’s defining characteristics and key attributes.

• Strategic positioning of Division II – ‘illuminate’ Division II in way that will call attention to the core values and guiding principles of Division II.

• The Division II Presidents Council partnered with the NCAA Branding and Communications staff.

• Hired a consultant--Jeff Jacobs, who is an independent marketing and branding consultant.

Research• Division II Presidents Council approached the strategic

positioning initiative as a data-driven research project.

• Fall 2005--various membership and public focus groups.

• March 2006--online quantitative research surveys to three groups:

a. Division II campus and conference office personnel;

b. Division II student-athletes; and

c. General public, identified as college sports fans.

Research Results• “Balance” is a commonly associated theme; however, more likely a

supporting fact or attribute and not the strategic position of the division.

• The benefits derived from balancing academics and athletics are more appropriate for the positioning and messaging of Division II.

• The general public appears to be unfamiliar with the NCAA divisional structure in general and Division II, specifically.

• An overwhelming majority (91 percent) of Division II student-athletes would recommend a Division II institution to a prospective student-athlete.

• The Division II membership believes that a priority for the division should be to increase support in the local community.

Research Results

• An overwhelming majority (91 percent) of Division II student-athletes would recommend a Division II institution to a prospective student-athlete.

• The Division II membership believes that a priority for the division should be to increase awareness and support in the local community.

Strategic Positioning Platform

• The platform is the definition of who we are, what we believe in and why we do the things we do.

• Provides a common set of principles and talking points.

• Creates consistency or “one voice” across Division II communications.

• Key Words:– Comprehensive Program of Learning and Development.– Personal Setting.– Path to Graduation.– Knowledge for life ahead.

Strategic Positioning Platform

Positioning StatementLife in the Balance. Higher education has lasting importance on an individual’s future success. For this reason, the emphasis for the student-athlete experience in Division II is a comprehensive program of learning and development in a personal setting. The Division II approach provides growth opportunities through academic achievement, learning in high-level athletic competition and development of positive societal attitudes in service to community. The balance and integration of these different areas of learning opportunity provide Division II student-athletes a path to graduation while cultivating a variety of skills and knowledge for life ahead.

What Does “I Chose Division II” Mean?

In interviews with student-athletes, alumni, administration, faculty and coaches of Division II schools, it was often noted that Division II should not be viewed in comparison to Division I or Division III.

Division II provides for a comprehensive program of learning and development in a personal setting with high-level athletics competition. This statement echoes the pride of Division II members. For many different reasons, they chose Division II.

Division II Strategic Positioning Initiatives

• Academic Excellence– Graduation Rates– Retention– Academic Standards

Division II Strategic Positioning Initiatives

• History of Community Engagement– Community engagement brings people to campus.

– Athletics is the front porch of the Institution and offers us an opportunity to show off other aspects of the university.

– Community Engagement is about building relationships.

Community Engagement Initiative

• Research indicates that a priority for Division II should be to increase support in the local community.

• Contracted with Rich Luker, who is recognized as one of the nation’s best researchers in analyzing sport and leisure trends.

• Dr. Luker assisted Division II with the development of a tool kit to assist schools in developing community-based programs and outreach strategies that will benefit the school, the student-athlete and the community.

diinetwork.org

Division II Strategic Positioning Initiatives

• Creating a Positive Game EnvironmentComfortCivilityLively and Entertaining

Strategic Positioning Platform

Division II Attributes Learning Service Passion Sportsmanship Resourcefulness Balance

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DIINetwork.org

DIICommunity.org

Game Environment• The Theory--If athletics can serve as an institution’s “front porch” to community, your

“house” (e.g., gymnasium) better be in order or your “guests” (fans) may decide not to return to your campus activities and events.

For our athletics contests, this means a focus on the complete Division II Game Environment.

• The Challenge--We must reconnect the educational purpose of our athletics programs to the

environment that we manage and help control at Division II athletics events.

Game EnvironmentThis initiative is being led byDivision II chancellors andpresidents.

Conference offices arebranding this pledge sheetand loading their chancellors‟and presidents‟ signatures onthe home page of theconference Web site (with alink to the NCAA GameEnvironment Web site) topromote this initiative amongconference fans andsupporters.

Game Environment

• Game Environment is more than just a focus on “sportsmanship.” This Division II initiative measures success in three critical areas:

1.Civility at the event.2.Comfort as part of the event experience.3.Entertaining qualities during event.

Texas A&M University-Kingsville

FRESHMAN-COHORT GRADUATION RATES All Students Student-Athletes #

2001-02 Graduation Rate 30% 51%

Four-Class Average 29% 38%

Student-Athlete Academic Success Rate 52%

Average Division IIFederal Rates vs. ASRs

2002 Entering Cohort OnlyFederal RateStudent Body

Federal RateStudent-Athletes

ASR

Overall 47% 55% 71%

Men 43% 49% 64%

Women 51% 63% 82%

Reasons to BelieveGraduation Rates

Division II’s student-athlete graduation rate is consistently 10 to 15 percentage points

higher than the total student body.

•Financial Responsibility•Partial-Scholarship Model•Impacts on Campus Culture

Division II Strategic Positioning Initiatives

Division II Strategic Positioning Initiatives

The simulation model was developed to help colleges and universities

understand the value of athletics for the institution

Division II Features-12 Reasons to Believe

1. Graduation Rates. Division II’s student-athlete graduation rate is consistently 10 to 15 percentage points higher than the total student body.

2. Class Time. Division II’s regionalization philosophy rewards the scheduling of local or regional opponents in the regular season, resulting in limited missed class time for student-athletes.

3. Athletics Scholarships. Many Division II student- athletes receive athletics scholarships and other forms of financial aid to pay for school.

Division II Features-12 Reasons to Believe

4. Personal Attention. Student-athletes receive a quality education at DII institutions that often feature an exceptional teacher-to-student ratio.

5. Additional Assistance. The Degree-Completion Scholarship Program provides deserving Division II student-athletes who have exhausted their collegiate eligibility with financial assistance.

6. National Championships Opportunities. Division II features unparalleled opportunity for student-athletes to advance to national championship competition as a result of the division’s generous championship access ratios.

Division II Features-12 Reasons to Believe

7. Community Partnerships. Division II has initiated national community partnerships with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Habitat for Humanity.

8. Unique Fiscal Model. Division II offers a unique fiscal model for intercollegiate athletics that redefines the institutional value for sponsoring sports and offering athletics scholarships.

9. Innovative Solutions. Division II encourages innovative policy and program decisions unique to the NCAA, such as the development of Division II National Championships Festivals and a national community-engagement program.

Division II Features-12 Reasons to Believe

10. Teacher/Coaches. Many Division II coaches continue to provide other services for their institution and in the community, including teaching and mentoring.

11. Proud Alumni. Former Division II student-athletes include governors, senators, entertainers, corporate leaders and professional athletes.

12. National Recognition. Division II student-athletes have received the NCAA’s highest individual honors, including winning the Walter Byers Scholarship Award (the Association’s top student-athlete) and the NCAA Woman of the Year Award

Division II Current Gender Equity Plan Requirements

• No plans are submitted for review. Schools answer yes/no questions on the Institutional Self-Study Guide (ISSG).

• Conduct a comprehensive self-study and evaluation of their athletics programs at least once every five years using the ISSG.

• Written Statement of Philosophy for Athletics • Should support “equitable opportunity (as defined under Title IX and the OCR

Guidelines)” for all student-athletes and staff

• Complied with/Reviewed its Gender Equity Plan in the last year

• Inclusion of the SWA on the athletics management team.

What Can Division II Do?

• Create Positive Outcomes: Education, Communication and Commitment

• Develop a Gender Equity Plan• Form a Gender Equity Committee• Gather Data -- Sample Excel Spreadsheets• Support training for Title IX and Gender Equity

DIVISION II NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS FESTIVAL

Key Points

• Division II is the only division that hosts this Olympic-style event in which multiple championships occur

• Student-athlete lounge

• NCAA Corporate Champions involvement

• Community Engagement

• Special Events• Opening Ceremonies • Closing Ceremonies • Fan Festival

Questions and Answers