April 15, 2008

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics Certification announced today that Purdue University is one of 35 Division I member institutions that has undergone the Association's second cycle of athletics certification and been certified.

The purpose of athletics certification is to ensure integrity in the institution's athletics program and to assist institutions in improving their athletics departments. NCAA legislation mandating athletics certification was adopted in 1993.

The certification process, which involves a self-study led by an institution's president or chancellor, includes a review of these primary components: governance and commitment to rules compliance; academic integrity; equity; and student-athlete well-being.

"The NCAA has confirmed that Purdue athletic programs operate well and that our student-athletes benefit from the competitive experience," Purdue President France A. Córdova said. "These are always among our goals. We are proud of our athletes and of the administrators who work so hard to make them successful on all levels."

Purdue interim Provost Victor L. Lechtenberg stated: "The certification process included an opportunity to review the academic experiences of Boilermaker student-athletes. We are proud of their achievements in the classroom. I am grateful for the efforts of the subcommittees that conducted the self-study. Dennis Depew, dean of the College of Technology; Joyce Hall, executive director of financial aid; and Michael Harris, associate dean of the College of Engineering did outstanding jobs as chairs of the subcommittees."

A designation of certified means that an institution operates its athletics program in substantial conformity with operating principles adopted by the Division I membership.

The second round of athletics certifications is being completed on a 10-year cycle rather than the five-year cycle used during the initial certification process. All 326 active Division I members participate in the certification process

"I appreciate Dr. Lechtenberg's involvement and leadership in this comprehensive process of review," athletics director Morgan Burke said. "In addition, we are indebted to our two faculty representatives - Jeff Bolin (associate dean for research, College of Science, and professor of biological sciences) and Christie Sahley (associate dean for undergraduate education, College of Science, and professor of biological sciences), and to Ed Howat (associate athletics director for student services) for the countless hours they invested in this effort. We are pleased that the peer review team and the NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics Certification determined that the department is operating in a sound manner which complies with the certification process guidelines. We used this self-study/peer review process to look for opportunities to both review and improve and will use those efforts as inputs into our strategic plan update, which we will conclude by year's end."

The Division I Committee on Athletics Certification preliminarily reviews an institution's certification materials and provides a list of issues identified during the evaluation. The university then hosts a visit by peer reviewers who file a report regarding the institution's resolution of those issues before a final certification decision is rendered. An institution's failure to satisfactorily respond to the committee may negatively impact certification status.

The members of the Committee on Athletics Certification are: Robert Bernardi, Nicholls State University; McKinley Boston Jr., New Mexico State University; Wheeler Brown, North Carolina A&T State University; Rita Hartung Cheng, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Casey Comoroski, Missouri State University; Beatrice Crane Banford, Marshall University; Amy Folan, University of Texas at Austin; Judy Genshaft, University of South Florida; Joanne Glasser, Bradley University; Nathan Hatch (chair), Wake Forest University; Brian Linnane, Loyola College (Maryland); M. Dianne Murphy, Columbia University-Barnard College; Gloria Nevarez, University of Oklahoma; Sheila Patterson, Cleveland State University; Donald Pope-Davis, University of Notre Dame; Allison Rich, California State University, Fullerton; Christopher Ritrievi, University of Utah; and Jon Steinbrecher, Ohio Valley Conference.