Welcome to the Hampton University NCAA Division I Athletics Certification Self-Study webpage. This site was created to provide you with some historical information about the certification program and our self-study process. President William R. Harvey announced on October 12, 2006 that Hampton University would begin a year-long, campus-wide effort to study its athletics program as part of the NCAA Division I athletics certification program. The study will cover specific areas: academic integrity, governance and commitment to rules compliance, as well as a commitment to equity and student-athlete welfare.
While academic accreditation is common in colleges and universities, this program focuses solely on certification of athletic programs. Following a pilot project, the Division I membership overwhelmingly supported the program and its standards at the 1993 NCAA Convention. Hampton completed its first certification self-study in 1998. At the 1997 Convention, the Division I membership voted to change the frequency of athletics certification from once every five years to once every 10 years and to require a five-year interim-status report. Thus, the current self-study will be the second in the certification process for Hampton University.
The certification program’s purpose is to help ensure integrity in the institution’s athletics operations. It opens athletics to the rest of the University community and to the public. Institutions benefit by increasing campus-wide awareness and knowledge of athletic programs, confirming strengths and developing plans to improve areas of concern.
The committee responsible to the study includes Dr. William R. Harvey, President, Dr. Cynthia Sellers, Executive Assistant to the President and Chair of the Steering Committee, various members of the University faculty, staff, and students, as well as athletics department personnel.
The committee evaluates its program using a set of Operating Principles, which are standards adopted by the Association to serve as a “measuring stick” within each area for all division I members.
Once the University has concluded its study, an external team of reviewers will conduct a two-day minimum evaluation visit on campus. Those reviewers will be peers from other colleges, universities or conference offices. That team will report to the NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics Certification, another independent group. The committee will then determine the institution’s certification status and announce the decision publicly. For institutions that fail to conduct a comprehensive self-study or to correct problems, tough sanctions can be imposed.
The three options of certification status are (a) certified; (b) certified with conditions; and (c) not certified. While universities/colleges will have an opportunity to correct deficient areas, those universities/colleges that do not take corrective actions may be ruled ineligible for NCAA championships.
The NCAA is a membership organization of colleges and universities that participate in intercollegiate athletics. The primary purpose of the Association is to maintain intercollegiate athletics as an integral part of the educational program and the athlete as an integral part of the student body. Activities of the NCAA membership include formulating rules of play for NCAA sports, conducting national championships, adopting and enforcing standards of eligibility, and studying all phases of intercollegiate athletics.
