University begins NCAA certification self-study

A committee appointed by Mississippi State President Donald Zacharias is beginning a year-long self-study expected to result in NCAA certification of the university's athletics program.

The university will seek Division I certification under a process formally adopted in 1993 as part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's reform agenda. Certification is designed to provide information about the athletics program to the university community and to the public.

"This process has a high priority with the university," Zacharias said. "As an institution, we want to know the things that we are doing right, and we want to know where there are areas for improvement."

Leroy Boyd, professor of animal and dairy sciences and a former chair of the Faculty Senate, chairs a steering committee composed of 12 faculty and staff members, students, and alumni. Additional university representatives will serve on a number of subcommittees.

"Athletics certification is intended to help institutions," Boyd said. "Through certification, the university is able to involve a variety of campus constituencies in learning about the athletics program."

The self-study will focus on four key areas: governance and commitment to rules compliance, academic integrity, fiscal integrity, and commitment to equity.

The process will conclude in November of 1997 with a campus visit by an external peer-review team.