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Student Athlete Handbook
Student-Athletes Handbook
SECTION ONE
VISION
By the year 2010 Davis & Elkins College Athletic Department will be nationally recognized for the quality of its athletic teams, the success of its student athletes and its leadership on campus and within its extended community.
SECTION TWO
MISSION
The mission of Davis and Elkins College Athletics Department is to provide the student athlete with an opportunity to compete at a national recognized NCAA Div. II level, while receiving a quality education consistent with the College's mission. The Athletics Department, as an extension of the educational process is committed to assisting student athletes to achieve the academic and athletic potential and to become contributing members of society. In order to accomplish the mission the Athletic Department will provide and achieve excellence in:
Coaching Modern management practices
Facilities Student athlete welfare
Marketing/external affairs Recruit and retain student athletes
We will be guided by the principles of:
Academic athletic and financial integrity
Sportsmanship
Loyalty
Diversity
Professional and personal accountability
Mission Goals
Coaching: Facilities:
Full time positions New sports health complex
Assistant coaching Upgrade current facilities
Professional development Future needs
Recruiting/Retention: Marketing/External Affairs:
Increase grad. Rate Increase visibility
Increase pop./size of school Develop brand and sell
Scholarship/staff Alumni
Modern Management Practices: Student-Athlete Welfare:
Increase revenue Academic support
Performance objectives Upgrade travel and Setting priorities
accommodations
Media training
SECTION THREE
ORGANIZATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF VARSITY ATHLETICS
NCAA and Conference Affiliation
Davis & Elkins College is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and has conference affiliations with the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (WVIAC).
The NCAA is the primary association that governs and controls intercollegiate athletics on the national level. Davis & Elkins College is a Division II member.
Our membership in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletics Conference includes all of our varsity sports programs.
West Virginia Intercollegiate Conference Members
Alderson-Broaddus College
Bluefield State College
Concord University
Davis & Elkins College
Fairmont State University
Glenville State College
Ohio Valley University
Salem International University
Seton Hill
Shepherd University
University of Charleston
University of P.H. Johnstown
West Liberty State University
WV State University
WV Wesleyan College
Wheeling Jesuit College
ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT ORGANIZATIONAL LISTINGS
Vice President Student Life Dr. David Sneed
Faculty Athletics Representative Dr. William King
Director of Athletics Ralph Hill
Athletics Office Manager/
Compliance Coordinator Debbie Larkin
Head Athletics Trainer/
Director of Compliance James Dearien
SECTION FOUR
ETHICAL CONDUCT
I.D&E Philosophy
Participating in intercollegiate athletics at the Davis & Elkins College is a privilege. As a student-athlete, you benefit from athletics by receiving the opportunity to develop your potential as a skilled performer; to grow emotionally, socially and intellectually; to travel and represent Davis & Elkins College; and learn the art of being a productive team member. The Department of Athletics is pleased that you are a student-athlete and proud to have you represent the College in athletics competition.
The College expects you to train and strive for your highest degree of athletic and academic excellence and to demonstrate honesty and integrity. As a student-athlete at Davis & Elkins College, you are a public figure responsible for representing the College in the most positive way.
II.NCAA Guidelines
* Compliance Staff is available under strict confidentiality to
answer any questions concerning NCAA guidlines.
In addition to the expectations of the College, the NCAA has specific guidelines for unethical conduct. You must compete with honesty and sportsmanship at all times so that you represent the honor and dignity of fair play [NCAA Bylaw 10.01.1]. The NCAA in Bylaw 14.01.3.3 also states that a prospective or enrolled student-athlete who is found to have engaged in unethical conduct shall be ineligible for intercollegiate competition in all sports. Unethical conduct consists of, but is not limited to:
Refusal to furnish information relevant to an investigation of a
possible violation of an NCAA regulation when requested to do so by
the NCAA or your institution;
Fraudulence in connection with entrance or placement
examinations;
Engaging in any athletics competition under an assumed name or with
intent otherwise to deceive;
Dishonesty in evading or violating NCAA regulations;
Knowingly furnishing the NCAA or the individual's institution false
or misleading information concerning the student's involvement in
or knowledge of matters relevant to possible violation of NCAA
regulations;
Knowledge and/or involvement in arranging for fraudulent academic
credit or false transcripts for a prospective or an enrolled
student-athlete;
Knowledge and/or involvement in offering or providing a prospective
or an enrolled student-athlete an improper inducement or extra
benefit or improper financial aid;
Receipt of benefits by an institutional staff member for
facilitating or arranging a meeting between a student-athlete and
an agent, financial advisor or a representative of an agent or
advisor;
Providing information to individuals involved in organized gambling
activities concerning intercollegiate athletics competition;
Soliciting a bet on any intercollegiate or professional team;
Accepting a bet on any team representing the institution; or
Participating in any gambling activity that involves
intercollegiate athletics and professional sporting events, through
sports wagering, a bookmaker, a parlay card or any other method
employed by organized gambling [Bylaw 10.3].
SECTION FIVE
AMATEURISM
I.Eligibility
A student-athlete must retain amateur status to remain eligible for intercollegiate competition in a particular sport [Bylaw 12.1.1]. You are not eligible for participation in a sport if you:
Use your athletics skill (directly or indirectly) for pay in any form in that sport;
Accept a promise of pay even if such pay is to be received following completion of intercollegiate athletics participation;
Sign a contract or commitment of any kind to play professional athletics, regardless of its legal enforceability or any consideration received;
Receive, directly or indirectly, a salary, reimbursement of expenses or any other form of financial assistance from a professional sports organization based upon athletics skill or participation, except as permitted by NCAA rules;
Compete on any professional athletics team and know (or had reason to know) that the team is a professional athletics team even if no pay or remuneration for expenses was received;
Enter into a professional draft or an agreement with an agent or other entity to negotiate a professional contract;
Accept money, transportation or other benefits from an agent or agree to have an agent market your athletics ability or reputation in that sport [Bylaw 12.3];
If, since becoming a student-athlete, you have accepted any pay for promoting a commercial product or service or allowed your name or picture to be used for promoting a commercial product or service [Bylaw 12.5.2 exceptions 12.5.1.3]; and
I. Were paid for work you did not perform, paid at a rate higher than the going rate or were paid for the value an employer placed on your reputation, fame or personal following [Bylaw 12.4.1].
II. Road Racing
Road racing is essentially the same as cross country competition, therefore, a student-athlete who accepts pay in any form for participation in such a race is ineligible for intercollegiate cross country competition. (Bylaw 12.1.1.3)
III.Gambling
Student-athletes shall not provide information to anyone involved in gambling activities concerning intercollegiate athletics competition, or solicit or accept a bet on any athletics organized team [Bylaw 10.3].
SECTION SIX
ELIGIBILITY
The goal of the College is to have each student-athlete pursue and obtain an academic degree. As a student-athlete, you have the responsibilities of attending class on a regular basis, of completing all classroom assignments, and of conducting yourself in all academic matters in ways that are consistent with acceptable classroom performance. You are required to meet all College academic requirements as well as eligibility rules of the College, Conference, and NCAA. Although academic progress and eligibility are monitored by the College, it is your responsibility to insure that applicable requirements are being met. If you have questions, you should consult with your coach, the Compliance Coordinator or the Faculty Athletics Representative.
I.NCAA and College Academic Requirements
Initial Eligibility
You must meet minimum academic requirements to be eligible to receive financial aid, practice and/or compete. Important academic requirements include the following:
Full-time Status
You must be admitted as a regular student seeking a degree according to the published College entrance requirements and be registered for at least 12 semester hours except for waiver provisions in the NCAA Constitution and Bylaws. You will become immediately ineligible for practice and competition if you drop below the minimum twelve-hour academic load.
Qualifier, Partial Qualifier and Non-qualifier
An entering freshman must be a qualifier as defined in NCAA Bylaw 14.02.9.1:
1. Graduate from high school;
2. Attain a minimum high-school grade-point average of
2.0 in 14 core-curriculum courses as specified in
Bylaw 14.3.1.1; and
3. Achieve a corresponding sum ACT or SAT score as
specified in 14.3.1.1.
You are referred to as a partial qualifier if you fail to meet the criteria for a qualifier but have graduated from high school and achieved a minimum grade-point average of 2.00 in 13 core curriculum courses as specified in 14.3.2; and achieved a minimum corresponding sum ACT of 68 or re-centered SAT score of 820.
As a partial qualifier you may practice during your first academic year at the College only at the College's home practice facility. You CANNOT COMPETE in your sport during your first academic year in residence and will have three seasons of eligibility remaining. You may receive institutional financial aid including athletically related financial aid.
You are referred to as a non-qualifier if you fail to meet the criteria above. As a non-qualifier, you CANNOT PRACTICE or COMPETE, or receive athletics related financial aid. You are eligible to receive non-athletics institutional financial aid based on need only. You will have three seasons of eligibility to compete after your first academic year in residence [Bylaw 14.3.3].
Continuing/Tranfer Eligibility
If you have transferred to your current institution midyear, or you have completed one academic year in residence at your current institution, your eligibility shall be determined by your academic record in existence at the beginning of the fall term of the regular academic year; and you must satisfy the following requirements to be eligible to compete:
1. Satisfactorily complete at least an average of 12 semester hours during each of the terms in each of the academic years of full-time enrollment, or complete 24 semester hours of academic credit since the beginning of the previous fall term. If you are ineligible based on your record in existence at the beginning of the fall term, you may regain your eligibility at the beginning of the spring term of that academic year [Bylaw 14.4.3.1].
College satisfactory progress:
1. Full-time students are required to accumulate an
average of 12 hours for each semester enrolled.
Failure to meet the minimum standards will result in
dismissal from full-time status.
2. Earn 75 percent of the semester hours required for
satisfactory progress during the regular academic
year. No more than 25 percent of these required hours
can be earned during the summer for eligibility
purposes [Bylaw 14.4.3.1.3].
3.Prior written approval by the student's advisor and the
Registrar is required if summer school courses from
another institution are to be utilized in determining
academic standing and progress for NCAA and College
standards [Bylaw 14.4.3.4.4].
4.You must designate a major that leads to a specific
baccalaureate degree by your third year of enrollment
(fifth semester) [Bylaw 14.4.3.1.4].
5.You must satisfactorily complete six-semester hours of
academic credit the preceeding regular academic term in
which you have been enrolled full time at any collegiate
institution[Bylaw 14.4.3].
6.The following are NCAA satisfactory minimum cumulative
grade-point requirements based upon semester hours:
24 semester hours 1.8
48 semester hours 1.9
72/96 semester hours 2.0
7.Be in good academic standing according to the standards
of the College:
All intercollegiate varsity teams are committed to following all eligibility rules as prescribed for NCAA events. The NCAA constitution states that to be eligible a student-athlete "must be in good academic standing" and "must maintain satisfactory progress toward a baccalaureate degree as prescribed by the regulations of the NCAA and the member institution." In addition to the NCAA rules, satisfactory progress is interpreted at Davis & Elkins College to mean:
That the student-athlete is enrolled for at least 12 hours in a degree program, and
The student-athlete must designate a specific program of studies (major) by the beginning of the fifth semester of collegiate enrollment, and
The student-athlete has accumulated at least 24 hours of acceptable credit prior to the beginning of the 3rd semester of their enrollment (summer terms will not be considered a semester of enrollment), and
That at the end of each subsequent semester the student-athlete must have accumulated at least the number of acceptable credit hours equal to 12 per semester for the number of semesters in which he/she has been enrolled, and
That the student-athlete must maintain at least the following cumulative grade point average:
1.8 at the end of your first two semesters of enrollment, and
2.0 at the end of your first four semesters of enrollment, and
2.0 at the end of your first six semesters of at the
enrollment, and continue to maintain at least a
2.00 cgpa end of each "2-semester period"
thereafter.
If the student-athlete fails to achieve the
necessary cgpa at the end of any one of these "2-semester periods,"
he/she is ineligible until such time as they reach the required
cgpa level dictated by the total number of semesters of
enrollment.
Transfer student-athletes must meet the provisions as stated above and the following cgpa requirements:
(A) If transferring less than 12 hours of degree credit, she/he must maintain at least the cgpa as described in (5) above;
(B) If transferring between 12 and 24 hours of degree credit, she/he must maintain at least the following cgpa:
1.9 at the end of their first two-semesters of enrollment,
and
2.0 at the end of each two-semester period"thereafter
(C) If transferring more than 24 hours of degree credit, she/he must maintain at least a 2.00 cgpa at the end of each "two-semester period" until eligibility is exhausted.
Any student-athlete failing to meet these eligibility requirements due to what they believe to be unusual circumstances may appeal to the Athletics Committee for a review of their case (see the Director of Athletics).
II.Seasons of Competition
You are not eligible to participate in more than four seasons of intercollegiate competition, except for extensions that have been approved by the NCAA.
You are eligible at an institution other than the institution from which you have received or satisfied the requirements for a baccalaureate degree or an equivalent degree, if you meet the conditions of the one-time transfer exception and you have eligibility remaining [Bylaw 14.5.5.3.10].
Any competition (including a scrimmage with outside competition) regardless of time, during a season in an intercollegiate sport shall be counted as a season of competition in that sport [Bylaw 14.2.4.1].
A student-athlete may be granted an additional year of competition by the conference or the Eligibility Committee due to injury or illness which occurs when a student-athlete has not participated in more than 20 percent of the sport's completed events or not more than two events, whichever number is greater, provided the injury occurred in one of the four seasons of intercollegiate competition, prior to completion of the first half of the traditional playing season in that sport, and resulted in incapacity to complete the remainder of the season [Bylaw 14.2.5].
III.Outside Competition
Sports other than basketball
A. You are not eligible in your sport for the remainder of the year and the next academic year if, during the academic year, you competed as a member of any outside team in any non-collegiate, amateur competition. You may compete outside of your declared playing and practice season as a member of an outside team in any non-collegiate, amateur competition during any official vacation period published in your institution's catalog [Bylaws 14.7.1 and 14.7.1.1].
B. Exception: In soccer and volleyball, you may compete on outside amateur teams during the spring outside of the institution's playing and practice season, provided such participation occurs no earlier than May 1, and the remaining provisions of Bylaw 14.7.1.2 are met.
C. All-star basketball
You are not eligible if, after you completed your high school eligibility in your sport and before your high school graduation, you participated in more than two high school all-star basketball games [Bylaw 14.6].
D. Additional exceptions for basketball
You are not eligible if, after you become a student-athlete, you participate in any organized basketball competition except while representing the institution in intercollegiate competition. It is permissible to participate as a member of a basketball team in an NCAA sanctioned summer basketball event [Bylaws 14.7.2.1 and 14.7.3.2 (a)]. Please check with the D&E Compliance Coordinator prior to competition.
IV.Transfer Students Only
You are a transfer student if:
The registrar or admission officer from your former college certified that you were officially registered and enrolled at that college in any term in a minimum full-time load and you were present on the opening day of classes, or the director of athletics from your former college certified that you reported for the regular squad practice that any staff member of the athletics department of your former college announced before the beginning of any term [Bylaw 14.5.2].
If you are a transfer from a four-year institution, you are not eligible during your first academic year in residence unless you meet the provisions of one of the exceptions specified in Bylaw 14.5.5.1 or 14.8.1.2.
If you are a transfer student from a two-year institution, you are not eligible during your first academic year in residence unless you meet the academic and residence requirements specified in Bylaw 14.5.4 or the exceptions specified in Bylaw 14.5.3.
If you transferred from a four-year college to a two-year college and then to D&E, you are not eligible during your first academic year in residence at D&E unless you meet the requirements specified in Bylaw 14.5.6.
V. Transfer Appeals Committee
In accordance with Bylaws 13.1.1.2.1 and 14.5.5.3 a student who has indicated a desire to transfer from Davis & Elkins College and is denied an opportunity to speak with other institutions or is denied an available "one-time transfer waiver" will be provided with an opportunity to appeal.
The appeal must be submitted in writing to the Dean of Students.
The Dean of Students (or a designated Associate Dean of Students) will convene the Student-Athlete Appeals Committee. The committee will be composed of individuals outside the Athletics Department. These individuals will include: Dean of Students, Faculty Athletics Representative, Faculty Athletics Committee President, and one of the Co-Presidents of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
The student may request to appear in person in front of the committee to further explain the appeal.
The Athletics Director and coach may be consulted for additional information.
The decision of the committee will be rendered in a timely fashion.
SECTION SEVEN
FINANCIAL AID
I. Definition and Maximum Value
You are not eligible if you receive financial aid other than the financial aid that D&E distributes. However, it is permissible to receive:
Money from anyone upon whom you are naturally or legally
dependent;
Financial aid that has been awarded to you on a basis other than
athletics ability; or
Financial aid from an entity outside D&E that meets the
requirements specified in the NCAA Manual [Bylaw 15.01.3].
Institutional financial aid includes scholarships, grants, loans, tuition waivers, employee dependent tuition benefits, on-campus employment (including work-study), in the athletics department, on-campus employment outside the athletics department or off-campus employment for which the athletics interests of the institution intercede on behalf of the student-athlete [Bylaw 15.02.4.1].
You must report to your institution any financial aid that you receive from a source other than your institution. However, you do not need to report financial aid received from anyone upon whom you are naturally or legally dependent.
Employment earnings of a student-athlete who has exhausted eligibility in a particular sport shall be exempt provided the student-athlete subsequently does not practice or compete in intercollegiate athletics.
II. Student-Athlete Employment
All employment during the academic year MUST be reported to the Compliance Coordinator. All employment during the academic year and summer must adhere to NCAA regulations. Discuss any employment opportunities with your coach. Prior to employment, NCAA regulations require a signed written statement by the student-athlete and employer, failure to do so is an NCAA violation. The statement will be kept on file in the athletics department.
Compensation which may be paid to a student-athlete:
Only for work actually performed, and
At a rate commensurate with the going rate in that locality for
similar services [Bylaw 12.4.1- (a), (b).
Compensation may not include any remuneration for value or utility that the student-athlete may have for the employer because of the publicity, reputation, fame or personal following that he or she has obtained because of athletics ability [Bylaw 12.4.1.1].
An employer other than the student-athlete's institution may employ a student-athlete on a commission basis only if: [Bylaw 12.4.1.2].
The cost of any preliminary training program for such employees
is borne by the student-athlete;
The personnel so employed consist of both student-athletes and
non-athletes;
The employment of student-athletes does not result in the company's
use of athletics reputations of such individuals to promote the
sale of the company's products; and
The company is able to document that employees who are non-athletes
receive earnings from sales commissions at a rate generally
equivalent to the commission rates realized by the student-athletes
employed by the company.
A student-athlete may not receive compensation for teaching or coaching sports skills or techniques in his or her sport on a fee-for-lesson basis. However, such employment is permitted prior to enrollment in a collegiate institution [Bylaw 12.4.2.1].
An individual may not receive "broken-time" payments except as authorized and administered by the United States Olympic Committee during the period immediately preceding and including actual Olympic competition [Bylaw 12.4.2.1 exceptions in 12.4.2.1.1].
A student-athlete may not be employed to sell equipment related to the student-athlete's sport if his or her name, picture or athletics reputation is used to advertise or promote the product, the job or the employer [Bylaw 12.4.2.2].
A student-athlete may be employed by his or her institution, by another institution, or by a private organization to work in a camp or clinic as a counselor, unless otherwise restricted by NCAA legislation. Out-of-season playing and practice limitations may restrict the number of players from the same institution who may be employed in that institution's camp [Bylaw 12.4.3 also see 13.13].
III. New Student-Athlete Employment
A Division II student-athlete can earn, on-and-off campus employment up to the value of a full grant plus $2000 during a semester or term time provided:
One (1) academic year in residence at D&E has been
completed;
The student-athlete is eligible academically to compete for
D&E; and
You have filled out REQUIRED NCAA paperwork PRIOR to employment and
the provisions of bylaw 15.2.6.1.1 have been met.
All other conditions from the above section have been met.
Extra Benefits
Receipt by a student-athlete of an award, benefit or expense allowance not authorized by NCAA legislation renders the student-athlete ineligible for athletics competition in the sport for which the improper award, benefit or expense was received. If the student-athlete receives an extra benefit not authorized by NCAA legislation or an improper award of expense allowance in conjunction with competition that involves the use of overall athletics skill, the individual is ineligible in all sports [Bylaw 16.01.1].
Non-permissible awards or benefits include:
Cash or equivalent;
Gift certificates;
Country club or sports-club memberships;
Use of vehicles or transportation provided for personal use or
non-athletic related business;
Use of long distance telephone lines;
Use of copy machine or fax;
Free typing or clerical services;
Gifts of clothing, equipment or jewelry;
Receipt of loans on deferred pay back or those not intended to be
collected;
Unauthorized, excessive in-room movie rental, telephone use or
other excessive or improper expenses on road trips.
Terms and Duration of Athletics Scholarship
The Davis & Elkins College Athletics Grant-in-Aid Award defines the terms and duration of an athletic scholarship and the mutual responsibilities of the Davis & Elkins College and the student-athlete. NCAA rules prohibit awarding aid in excess of one academic year per award. Every scholarship student-athlete must sign and return a Grant-in-Aid Award each year. A student-athlete assumes responsibilities to the Davis & Elkins College and to the particular sport for which the aid is granted upon signing the Grant-in-Aid Award.
Criteria for Reduction or Cancellation of
Athletics Scholarship
A. Institutional financial aid based in any degree on athletics ability may be reduced or cancelled during the period of the award if the recipient:
Renders himself or herself ineligible for intercollegiate
competition; or
Fraudulently misrepresents any information on an application,
letter of intent or financial aid agreement; or
Engages in serious misconduct warranting substantial disciplinary
penalty; or
Voluntarily withdraws from a sport at any time for personal
reasons; however, the recipient's financial aid may not be awarded
to another student-athlete in the term in which the aid was reduced
or canceled [Bylaw 15.3.4.1].
B. Institutional financial aid based in any degree on athletic ability may not be increased, decreased or canceled during the period of its award:
On the basis of a student's athletics ability, performance or
contribution to a team's success; or
Because of an injury that prevents the student from participating
in athletics; or
For any other athletic reason.
Renewals and Non-renewals
A continuing student-athlete who received an athletics scholarship the previous year and who is eligible for financial aid must be issued a renewal Athletics Grant-in-Aid Award or written notification of non-renewal or reduction on or before July 1.
In the event of a non-renewal or reduction of aid, the student-athlete, upon request, has the opportunity to appeal as described in the College Financial Appeal Process.
Financial Aid Appeal Process for Non-renewal/Reduction of Aid or Exhausted Eligibility
To initiate an appeal, the student-athlete must notify the Director of Financial Aid in writing within two weeks of receiving notification of the non-renewal or reduction of aid.
The appeal is evaluated by a committee consisting of administrators in the Office of Financial Aid. This committee will respond to the student-athlete within a timely manner.
If the appeal is denied, the student-athlete can further appeal to the Financial Aid Appeals Committee within two weeks of receiving notification of the first appeal denial. The Committee consists of three persons; one representative from the faculty, one from student life and one from the administrative academic wing. Financial Aid officers will act as ex-officio, non-voting participants in order to explain policies, procedures and events. The Committee may also ask other Davis & Elkins College personnel, such as the Director of Student Accounts, for relevant information.
The student will complete and sign a request form asking to have the Appeal Committee convene. The form includes a release statement which allows the Committee full access to all the student's records: financial, academic, residential, and student life.
The Committee may interview the student if it feels that would be beneficial.
The Committee may request additional documentation from the student.
The Committee may request additional information and documentation from the Financial Aid Office, other administrative and academic offices and/or faculty.
All discussion and information acquired shall be held in strict confidence.
The Committee's decision shall be final.
D&E Housing Policy
A. All student-athletes receiving athletics aid, either full or partial scholarship will be REQUIRED to live in College housing unless they reside at home with their parents.
B. No coach may guarantee the possibility of off-campus housing.
