BYLAWS OF THE COUNCIL ON ATHLETICS 
(Approved Summer 1990; revised April, 1992; April, 1997; October 1999, April 2004)

Preamble

The program of intercollegiate athletics is a distinctive enterprise of the University and its existence has broad and significant implications for the entire University. While providing the potential for growth and development of individuals through sport training and competition, it also provides potential for conflict between the academic pursuits of student-athletes and the challenges and opportunities of athletic competition. Accordingly, it is appropriate and necessary that there be a special means of providing oversight and support to the program of intercollegiate athletics through the existence and functioning of a council on athletics. Because the faculty of the University have the responsibility for carrying out the broad missions of the University, the council shall be composed of a majority of "University administration and/or faculty staff members" (as required by the National Collegiate Athletic Association constitution) with appropriate participation by representatives of the Department of Athletics, student body, alumni, and public. The oversight, advice and guidance given by the Council should always have as its underlying tenet the growth and development of the University's student-athletes and the maintenance of the integrity of the athletic program and of the institution.  

Article 1. PURPOSE AND RESPONSIBILITY. The Council exists to assist the Chancellor in the exercise of "institutional control and responsibility for the conduct of intercollegiate athletics" as required by the University, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), and the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). 

The Council has no executive function within the University or its intercollegiate athletic program. Executive responsibility for the intercollegiate athletics program of the University resides with the Chancellor and is carried out through a Director of Athletics who is appointed by the Chancellor. 

Article 2. DUTIES. The Council's duties include, but are not necessarily limited to, the following: 

A. Advisory. The Council will advise the Chancellor, the Director of Athletics, the Faculty Senate, and other University officials regarding matters relevant to the intercollegiate athletics program. The Council will also consider and provide advice on matters referred to it by the Chancellor, the Director of Athletics, the Faculty Senate, and others members of the University community.

B. Compliance. The Council as a full body, and through its Committee on Compliance, will monitor compliance with the rules and regulations of the University, the NCAA, the ACC, and SACS. This concern with compliance pertains both to the eligibility of individual student-athletes to participate and to the University's compliance with all relevant rules and regulations.

C. Continuing Eligibility to Compete. The Faculty Academic Committee of the Council will at appropriate times determine whether student-athletes are academically eligible to continue to represent the University in intercollegiate competition and will advise the Faculty Athletics Representative of its findings.

D. Liaison. The Council will serve as a liaison between the intercollegiate athletics program and the University community through the various constituencies represented on it and through communication with the University administration and government. The Council will report regularly to the faculty through the Faculty Senate. These reports will be through an annual written report and at least one informational appearance by the Chair. The reports will include, but not necessarily be limited to, the academic performance of student-athletes, achievement of equity goals, and NCAA and ACC legislative matters. The objective of the Council's liaison function is to develop a mutual understanding and respect between the University community, particularly the faculty, and the intercollegiate athletics program. 

E. Representative Capacity. The Council will advise the Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) regarding present and potential issues and policies relating to NC State, the ACC, and the NCAA. Accordingly, official communications on such matters between the Chancellor, the Department of Athletics, the faculty, the ACC, and the NCAA should in all cases be with the involvement or knowledge of the FAR, and through the FAR, the Council. 

 F. Personnel. At least one member of the Council shall participate as a member of each search committee for administrators and head coaches in the Department of Athletics. When possible, the Council as a body shall be included in the interview schedule for all candidates for such positions.  

Article 3. FACULTY ATHLETICS REPRESENTATIVE.

1. Appointment. The Chancellor will appoint a Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) after consultation with the Faculty Senate. The FAR must have had extended service in the University and must be either a senior member of the university's faculty or an administrator who holds faculty rank. The FAR may not hold an administrative or coaching position in the Department of Athletics or an administrative appointment in the University above the level of department head. The Chancellor, with input from the Faculty Senate and Council on Athletics, will review the service of the FAR every 3 years and report the results of this review to the Faculty Senate and the Council on Athletics. 

2. Term of Appointment and Compensation. The FAR serves at the pleasure of the Chancellor. The initial appointment normally shall be for a period of six to eight years, subject to earlier termination by the Chancellor or resignation of the FAR. As continuity is desirable, the Chancellor and the FAR may negotiate one extension of the term of the FAR normally not to exceed two to four additional years. The FAR shall receive release time funds for 25% of his/her salary, one-half of which will come from the University through the office of the Provost and one-half of which will come from the Department of Athletics. In addition, the Department of Athletics shall provide funds to: 1) support travel to attend meetings and conventions at which attendance of the FAR is either mandatory or desirable, 2) meetings of committees to which the FAR may be appointed, and 3) cover office expenses including copying, telephone calls, and postage. 

3. Transition Provision. When appointing a new FAR, the Chancellor, to the extent possible, should make the appointment so that there can be a period of overlap between appointees and an orderly transition in the duties of the position.  

Article 4. MEMBERSHIP. The Council will be composed of 22 voting members and three non-voting, ex-officio members. The membership of the Council should reflect gender and ethnic diversity. To accomplish this, the Chancellor shall communicate this objective to all bodies and individuals responsible for electing or recommending persons for membership on the Council. Membership of the Council is as follows:

A. The Faculty Athletics Representative who will serve as Chair of the Council throughout his/her term as FAR. 

B. The Chair of the Faculty Academic Committee is appointed by the Chancellor after consultation with the Faculty Athletics Representative and the Chair of the Faculty. This person must have served at least one three-year term as a member of the Council and may serve no more than one three-year term as Chair of the Faculty Academic Committee. At the time of appointment, a significant part of the person's duties must require that the person be actively involved in, or directly administering, teaching and/or advising. The Chair of the Faculty Academic Committee will serve as Vice Chair of the Council.

C. The Faculty Senate Representative (FSR) who is appointed annually by the Chancellor upon the recommendation of the Chair of the Faculty from among the members of the Senate. The same individual is eligible for reappointment in succeeding years, at the discretion of the Chair of the Faculty, with the provision that the FSR must remain a member of the Senate and may serve no longer than six years in succession on the Council.

D. Ten members of the Voting Faculty, who are not members of the Department of Athletics and who do not hold administrative appointment beyond that of department head, determined as follows:

i. Six members elected by the Faculty Senate to staggered three-year terms. The same faculty member will be eligible for service for only two consecutive terms of three years. Incumbent members of the Faculty Senate are not eligible for service as members of the Council.

ii. Four members appointed to staggered three-year terms by the Chancellor, in consultation with the Committee on Committees in a manner consistent with the process used to select and appoint faculty members to University Standing Committees. The same faculty member will be eligible for service for only two consecutive terms of three years. The Chancellor shall, when appropriate, use these appointments to promote racial and gender distribution of faculty representation on the Council.

E. Two members of the Student Body appointed annually by the Chancellor in consultation with the President of the Student Body and the President of the Student Senate. Each student can be re-appointed for one succeeding year.

F. Two Student-Athletes, elected from among the members of the Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC). One representative must be male and one must be female. In the event that an elected representative from the SAAC cannot attend a meeting, s/he may designate any other member of the SAAC  to serve as a replacement for a given meeting and may vote.  The Assistant Athletics Director for Student Development and the President of SAAC will coordinate student-athletes representation on the Council.

G. One Representative of the Intercollegiate Athletics Head Coaching Staff  While continuity is desirable, the practice and competition schedules of the coaches make it challenging for one coach to attend all meetings of the Council.  Therefore, in order to assure representation the Athletics Director will establish a schedule that rotates responsibility among all head coaches. The coach assigned for a given meeting may vote.

H. Two Representatives of the NC State Alumni Association appointed to three-year terms by the Chancellor in consultation with the Associate Vice Chancellor for Alumni Relations and the Alumni Association Board of Directors. Each alumni representative may be re-appointed to serve one succeeding, three-year term.

I. Two representatives of the NC State Student Aid Association (Wolfpack Club), at least one of whom is an alumnus, appointed to a three-year term by the Chancellor in consultation with the Executive Secretary and President of the Association. The same person may be re-appointed to serve one succeeding, three-year term.

J. The Director of Athletics, the Director of the Academic Support Program, and the Eligibility Coordinator who will serve as non-voting, ex officio members.  

Article 5. PROFESSIONAL AND CLERICAL SUPPORT. The Council shall have access to the services of the various offices and agencies of the University so as to provide information and other assistance to it in the conduct of its duties. 

A. Access to University Data. The Council shall, through the FAR and the Chair of the Faculty Academic Committee (see Sec. 6(D)), have access to those parts of the University's database which contain all pertinent information relative to the recruiting, admission, academic performance, and participation of all student-athletes. 

B. Clerical Support. The services of a secretary shall be provided to the Council and to the FAR by the Department of Athletics.  

Article 6. STRUCTURE. The Council shall be chaired by the FAR.

A. Duties of the Faculty Athletics Representative. The duties of the FAR are to ensure the academic integrity of the intercollegiate athletics program, to facilitate institutional control of intercollegiate athletics, and to enhance the student-athlete experience. The FAR's on-campus duties include, but are not limited to:

i. Chairing the Council on Athletics;

ii. Reviewing admissions documents of all entering student-athletes and certifying their initial eligibility;

iii. Participating in the review of the academic performance of continuing student athletes and certifying their continuing eligibility;

iv. Reviewing graduation rates of student-athletes, the academic performance of sports teams and advising the Chancellor, the Director of Athletics, and the Faculty Senate concerning the academic performance of student-athletes and sports teams;

v. Together with the Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance and the Compliance Committee of the Council maintaining oversight of compliance-related activities undertaken with the Department of Athletics and by the University;

vi. Promoting, together with the Council, a balance between academics, athletics, and the social lives of student-athletes thus affording them opportunities to enjoy the full range of collegiate experiences available to all students;

vii. Playing a central role in developing a dialogue between the faculty, the administration, and the Department of Athletics;

viii. Participating in searches for head coaches of all revenue sports;

ix. Recommending to the Athletics Director changes in university procedures related to the selection, evaluation, and termination of head coaches for all revenue sports.

The FAR plays a central role in discussions of matters related to intercollegiate athletics within the University's administration and, as an appointee of the Chancellor, is one of the Chancellor's key advisers concerning matters related to the intercollegiate athletic program.

In addition, the FAR is the Chancellor's designee to represent the University and its faculty in the institution's relationships with the NCAA and ACC. The FAR also serves as liaison to the Atlantic Coast Conference and serves as the University's voting representative to the Conference except in those matters reserved to the Chancellor by the Conference bylaws.

B. General. The Council shall have four standing committees: Faculty Academic Committee; Committee on Compliance; Committee on Finance, Facilities, and Personnel; and Committee on Student Life, Equity, and Sportsmanship. The FAR will appoint the members and chair of each committee. Because the FSR serves as liaison between the Faculty Senate and the Council, the FSR will not be eligible to chair a standing committee. The membership of each committee, with the exception of Student Life, must consist of a majority of faculty members. Each committee will organize itself as its members see fit. The FAR will be a non-voting ex officio member of each committee. The chair of the Council may, in consultation with the Council, from time to time appoint ad hoc committees to address special issues. All actions of the Committees of the Council are subject to approval of the full Council as required by the NCAA Constitution.

C. Faculty Academic Committee. The Faculty Academic Committee consists of all the faculty members who serve on the Council. The duties of the Faculty Academic Committee include:

i. Advising the Chancellor, the Provost, and the Director of Athletics concerning faculty views of the university's intercollegiate athletic program;

ii. Assisting the FAR in determining the continuing eligibility of student-athletes for certification for competition;  

iii. Providing liaison with all appropriate agencies and individuals, including but not limited to the Faculty Senate and the General Faculty, relative to the factors associated with recruiting and academic success of student-athletes;

iv. Interacting with the Academic Support Program to assure that student-athletes are provided with appropriate services that are consistent with the institution's responsibility to them and with their academic needs;

v. Advising the Chancellor, Provost, and Director of Athletics directly regarding the academic status of student athletes who are experiencing, or appear to be likely to experience, academic difficulty;

vi. Advising the Chancellor, Provost, and Director of Athletics regarding trends, by sport, in the levels of academic preparation and performance of recruited and non-recruited student-athletes;

vii. Promoting dialogue between the faculty and the Department of Athletics., and; 

viii. Meet, at appropriate times, with the Faculty Senate’s Academic Policy Committee on matters associated with academic policy and student-athletes.

The Director of the Academic Support Program for Student Athletes and the Eligibility Coordinator shall serve as ex-officio, non-voting, members of this committee.

The Faculty Academic Committee is the only committee of the Council which may report outside of the Council structure to the Chancellor, Provost, and Faculty Senate.

D. COMMITTEE ON COMPLIANCE. This committee shall assure, by working with the Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance, oversight of the University's institutional compliance program. The duties of this committee include, but are not limited to:

i. Review and make recommendations to the Chancellor, the Director of Athletics, and Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance regarding the development and implementation of institutional compliance policies and procedures;

ii. Conduct periodic audits of various compliance procedures and report findings to the Council, the Director of Athletics, and the Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance;

iii. Advise the Academic Deans, the Vice Provost and Director of Admissions, the Director of Financial Aid, the Registrar, and other institutional officials concerned with compliance regarding the University's position pertaining to specific compliance issues, and; 

iv. Regularly inform the Council concerning conduct of the compliance program.

In discharging its duties, the Committee shall receive input from members of the Council, the Director of Athletics, the Faculty Athletics Representative, the University Counsel, and other appropriate staff members of the University and Department of Athletics.

E. Committee on Finance, Facilities, and Personnel. This Committee shall:

i. Review the annual budget to be proposed by the Director of Athletics and advise the Chancellor, through the Council, as to the appropriateness of the proposed budget or any item contained therein, particularly any change in the Student Athletic Activity Fee, the budget of the Academic Support Program, and items affecting gender equity. The Committee shall be a part of the review process regarding the financial aspects of, and proposed changes to, major programs and decisions on alterations, renovations, and additions to physical facilities; 

ii. Advise the Chancellor and Director of Athletics on matters pertaining to the physical environment of the Department of Athletics, modification in the use and allocation of existing physical facilities, and establishment of new physical facilities, and;

iii. Recommending to the Athletics Director changes in university procedures related to the selection, evaluation, and termination of head coaches for all non- revenue sports.

The Director of Athletics and appropriate members of his staff shall serve as ex-officio, non-voting members of this committee.

F. Committee on Student Life, Equity, and Sportsmanship. This Committee will advise on matters pertaining to the quality of life, personal development, and collegiate experience of individual student-athletes and their teams, including but not limited to, housing, food service, training, safety during practice and competition, involvement in community activities, and academic support services. All student members of the Council will serve as members of the Student Life Committee. In addition, a representative of the Academic Support Program for Student Athletes, designated by the Director of that program, and the Assistant Athletics Director for Student Development will serve as an ex-officio, non-voting member of this committee.  

Article 7. MEETINGS. The full Council shall meet at least monthly during the academic year. The various standing and ad hoc committees of the Council will meet as needed throughout the academic year provided that they meet at least once in each academic term.

Meetings will be called by the appropriate chair by providing, when possible, at least 7 days notice to the members. The agenda for each regularly-scheduled full Council meeting will be made known to the University community in a timely fashion through University publications and electronic media. Any member of the University community wishing to present an item for the agenda must notify the chair in advance. The Chair may call the Council into executive session when student records and performance or personnel issues are to be discussed.

In order to perform its designated role in oversight of the intercollegiate athletics program, the Council will schedule at appropriate times during the academic year special sessions at its regularly scheduled meetings to deal with its major areas of concern, including but not limited to: preparation and review of the budget, review of the Academic Support Program and of the academic progress of student-athletes and each sport squad, review of plans and timetables developed to deal with gender and racial equity issues, plans for improvement and upgrading of facilities, and meetings with members of the coaching staff.

In order to take an action, a quorum for full Council and committee meetings will be 50% of the voting membership, with the proviso that faculty members must always constitute a majority of those voting members attending as required by NCAA Constitution. Voting will be by one vote per voting member on all matters.

Open and informed discussion of the program of intercollegiate athletics at NC State should be encouraged in the University community. However, Council members must recognize that certain information pertaining to the responsibilities of the Council, particularly individual student academic performance and personnel matters, must be treated with confidentiality. Council members will be expected to honor such requirements for confidentiality.

The agendas for, and minutes of, Council meetings will be posted in accordance with University policies for conforming to State Open Meetings Law requirements.

Approved_____________________________ Date___4/26/04___
        Donn R. Ward, Faculty 
        Athletics Representative 
 
 

Approved_____________________________ Date___4/27/04___
        Marye Anne Fox, Chancellor

Appendix I 

PROCESS FOR DETERMINING INITIAL, CONTINUING, AND TRANSFER ELIGIBILITY OF STUDENT-ATHLETES, (February 2004)

A. Initial Eligibility. Initial eligibility is determined by the NCAA Clearinghouse. All eligibility decisions of the Clearinghouse are final subject only to the appeal processes provided by the NCAA and described in the NCAA Bylaws.

B. Continuing Eligibility. The following steps are followed when certifying the continuing eligibility of student-athletes:

i. The Chair of the Faculty Academic Committee will set dates for spring review of continuing eligibility and will notify committee members and others involved in the review process.

ii. The Chair of the Faculty Academic Committee will request the Eligibility Coordinator to assemble the following:

-- A Team Certification form that summarizes the academic performance and eligibility status of each member of each athletic squad.

-- A Student Athlete Certification form (“Athletic ADA”) that summarizes for each student-athlete relevant academic data displayed in a format that conforms to NCAA and university eligibility requirements.

-- A Semester-by-Semester layout for each student-athlete that combines the university transcript and ADA documents.

iii. The Athletic Eligibility Coordinator is responsible for obtaining and managing the data needed to prepare the computer printouts described above.  In addition, the Coordinator maintains continual oversight of the continuing eligibility status of each student-athlete, on the basis of data from the Academic Support Program. 

iv. Prior to each certification the computer summaries will be reviewed by the Academic Eligibility Coordinator and the Director of the Academic Support Program (or his designee(s)) for accuracy.  If changes are necessary they will be made by the Coordinator alone (access to computer printouts is limited to the Coordinator) and will be identified so that the change and the reason(s) for it are clearly seen as changes on the computer summaries.  Although the Academic Support Program must assist in determining necessary changes it cannot make them because of its primary role in assisting student-athletes with their academic progress.  On the basis of this review, the Coordinator will develop a preliminary recommendation regarding the continuing eligibility status of each student-athlete.     

v. The computer printouts together with the preliminary recommendations of the Coordinator are provided to the Chair of the Faculty Academic Committee who will coordinate a review of the records and the summaries. The Chair of the Faculty Academic Committee will establish a Subcommittee to conduct the faculty review of the eligibility records.   

vi. The computer summaries and any recommendations from the Faculty Academic Committee are sent by the Coordinator to the FAR for a final decision and for signature.  Copies of eligibility determinations are sent to the Office of Compliance, the Academic Support Program for Student Athletes, and each head coach.

vii. The Compliance Office and FAR will certify continuing eligibility of all teams between August 15 and October 1. Note: other certifications will be made during the year but the great majority will be taken care of during this first round.

viii. The process will be repeated again in late December-early January to review the eligibility status of each student-athlete at the end of the fall semester. Analysis of transcripts will be done between January 2 and the beginning of classes for the spring. A report will be issued by the Chair of the Faculty Academic Committee prepared in the same format as other reports and will be sent to the same persons who received the earlier reports.

C. Transfer Eligibility. The following steps will be followed in certifying the eligibility of 2-4, 4-4, and 4-2-4 transfers:

i. Any coach contemplating recruiting or playing a transfer must have the academic and transfer credentials of the individual initially reviewed by the Director of Academic Support Program for Student Athletes, the Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance and the Eligibility Coordinator before submission to the Director of Admissions. 

ii. Credentials will be submitted to the Director of Admissions for action.

iii. If the transfer is admitted and actually enrolls, eligibility status will be determined only after the following information is available:

a. From Compliance: type of transfer (2-4, 4-4, 4-2-4), permission to contact (if needed), release (if needed), date of initial collegiate attendance and number of remaining years of eligibility.

b. From Academic Support: All transcripts and other academic records; verification of countable transfer hours through completed advanced standing certificates; multiple certificates will be obtained if necessary.

iv. The Eligibility Coordinator will compile the necessary forms   and other documentation of the academic and competitive history of the individual.

v. After all necessary data are collected, they are sent to the FAR for certification of eligibility.

vi. The FAR notifies the Director of Academic Support and the Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance, who notifies the coach as to the eligibility decision.