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Strategic Goal II
Instill a "Compliance Conscience" throughout the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, and develop and maintain that Compliance Conscience throughout the NIU campus community and all constituents of Huskie Athletics.
athletes listening
campus
Objective #1 - Enhance compliance rules education programming, both internal and external to the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, through consistent communication.
  1. Enhance compliance rules education of all Huskie coaches and athletic staff.
    1. Require attendance at all monthly rules education meetings
    2. Educate new coaching hires through orientation regarding the rules and regulations of Northern Illinois University, the MAC, and the NCAA.
    3. Effectively track NCAA recruiting exam scores
    4. During the academic year, maintain the compliance newsletter to market the teamwork approach required for rules compliance.
    5. Reinstitute and maintain once-per-semester rules education programs for athletics staff members
    6. Athletics compliance staff member will attend weekly external affairs meetings.
    7. Monitor pending NCAA legislation and seek feedback.
  1. Enhance the compliance rules education of current NIU student-athletes.
    1. Continue rules compliance communication with all student-athletes throughout the academic year; inclusive of, but not limited to, initial team rules education meetings, inclusion of NCAA regulations in the Student-Athlete Handbook, student host certification and exit interviews.
    2. Once per semester, address members of the SAAC committee at a monthly meeting to reinforce the importance of rules education throughout the entire NIU student-athlete population.
    3. Increase attendance of athletics compliance staff members at both practice sessions and competitions, both home and away, to enhance communication.
  1. Develop and maintain a rules education program for NIU faculty and staff.
    1. Bi-annually produce and distribute a Guide to NCAA Regulations pamphlet oriented to the faculty and staff at Northern Illinois University.
    2. Utilize the Northern Today, Student Affairs and Games Operation Staff to communicate the requirement for NCAA rules compliance for all NIU faculty and staff.
    3. Encourage NIU's NCAA Faculty Representative to address the NIU Faculty Senate yearly to reinforce the need for NCAA rules compliance.
    4. Encourage Admissions, Records and Registration, and Student Financial Aid offices to attend the NCAA Regional Rules seminar on an annual basis.
  1. Enhance the compliance rules education of Huskie Athletics boosters.
    1. Bi-annually produce and distribute a Guide to NCAA Regulations pamphlet oriented to NIU's athletic boosters.
    2. Continue scheduling athletics compliance staff members' speaking engagements directed toward NIU's athletic boosters.
    3. Continue to disseminate booster rules education information in Huskie Tracks, HASF's official newsletter, radio interviews and game day video boards.
Objective #2 - Maintain and continually update the NIU Athletics Compliance web pages to reinforce the 'Compliance Conscience' to coaches, staff, current student-athletes, prospective student-athletes, the NIU campus community and boosters of Huskie Athletics.
  1. Utilize the NIU Intercollegiate Athletics Compliance Services Policies and Procedures as the basis for the content of the Compliance Website.
  2. Communicate that the Compliance Website is the primary location for many compliance materials, thereby providing an easily accessible form of communication relative to rules compliance for internal and external constituents.
  3. Add to website the opportunity for constituents to ask compliance questions.
Objective #3 - Research, with the intent to implement, the use of innovative technologies to both document and monitor the NCAA regulations as they relate to recruitment of prospective student-athletes.
  1. Utilize the internet and the NCAA listserv to identify innovative methods utilized by other Division I institutions for the monitoring of coaching activities as they relate to NCAA regulations regarding recruitment of student-athletes.
  2. Network with compliance colleagues within the Mid-American Conference and the Midwest region to identify innovative methods of monitoring coaching activities as they relate to NCAA regulations regarding recruiting.
Objective #4 - Research, with the intent to implement, the 'best practices' of rules compliance relative to NCAA, Mid-American Conference and university regulations.
  1. Utilize the internet and the NCAA listserv to research 'best practices' utilized by other Division I institutions relative to NCAA regulations.
  2. Network with compliance colleagues across the Mid-American Conference and within the Midwest region to identify their 'best practices' relative to NCAA and MAC regulations.
Objective #5 - Work with the NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative to educate the institution as to the application and subsequent consequences of NCAA academic regulations on student-athlete recruitment, eligibility, and retention.
  1. Support the President's Office proposal to have the NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative permanently sit on the Faculty Senate as an ex-officio member.
  2. Ensure that the NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative educates members of the Athletic Board as to any and all changes in NCAA regulation related to the academic requirements of student-athletes essential for athletic eligibility certification.
  3. Encourage the NCAA Faculty Athletic Representative, as an ex-officio member, to attend as many Faculty Senate meetings as possible to both answer questions faculty might have and to share new and pertinent information related to Huskie Athletics and student-athletes.