Contact: Maridith Geuder
A yearlong self-study of Mississippi State athletics programs concludes next week with a visit by NCAA representatives from around the nation.
A peer review team will be on campus Monday through Thursday [Nov. 3-6] as part of the self-study's final phase. The university is seeking Division I certification under a process formally adopted in 1993 as part of the athletic association's reform agenda.
"They will review documents and meet with faculty, students, staff, and administrators," said Billy Ward, vice president for institutional advancement and university liaison with the NCAA during the self-study.
The team includes chair Dale Lick, former Florida State University president; Dawn Rogers, assistant athletic director at the University of Akron; David Chicoine, dean of agriculture at the University of Illinois-Champaign; Derek A. Carter, assistant athletic director at Virginia Tech University; and Charles Cavagnaro, athletics director at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Also visiting will be Robert Thomas, NCAA compliance representative.
"An on-campus effort chaired by professor Leroy Boyd examined in detail four areas outlined by the NCAA," Ward said. They included governance and commitment to rules compliance, academic integrity, fiscal integrity, and commitment to equity, he added.
The self-study report was mailed to the peer review team in August.
Boyd, professor of animal and dairy science, said the process is intended to provide as much information as possible to the university community and the public.
"The self-study has benefited from wide participation by university and alumni constituencies and reflects Mississippi State's commitment to be as inclusive as possible," he said. "Through it, the NCAA provides a mechanism for allowing all members of the university community to learn more about its athletics programs.
"We're confident that Mississippi State's process has done that," Boyd said.