The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is the organization through which the nation's colleges and universities speak and act on athletic matters at the national level. It is a voluntary association of approximately 1,200 institutions, conferences, organizations, and individuals. Athletics certification was approved for Division I institutions at the 1993 NCAA Convention. The program is intended to open university athletic programs to university communities and the public through comprehensive institutional self studies.
Each Division I school is expected to complete a self study once every five years, and it covers four areas: governance and commitment to rules compliance, academic integrity, fiscal integrity, and commitment to equity. A peer review team also visits campus to verify the self study accuracy. The program is administered by a committee that includes the college president, athletics administrators, faculty representatives, and conference commissioners.
From the description of NCAA Athletics Certification Self Study, 2002. (Iowa State University). WorldCat record id: 48960832
