Mount St. Mary’s University was one of several NCAA Division I member institutions to be certified (with conditions) by the NCAA Division I Committee on Athletics Certification, the NCAA announced on May 1.

The purpose of athletics certification is to ensure integrity in the institution's athletics program and to assist institutions in improving their athletics departments. NCAA legislation mandating athletics certification was adopted in 1993.

The certification process, which included a university self-study led by President Thomas H. Powell, and Athletic Director Harold “Chappy” Menninger, included a review of several primary components: governance and commitment to rules compliance; academic integrity; equity; and welfare.

A designation of certified (with conditions) means that the Mount is considered to be operating its athletics program in substantial conformity with operating principles adopted by the Division I membership, but that minor problems identified during the course of the self-study and the peer-review team’s evaluation were considered to be serious enough by the committee to cause it to withhold full certification until those problems have been corrected.

Issues identified included a clear understanding of rules compliance for individuals outside the athletics department; providing written evidence that a rules compliance evaluation has been conducted in the area of student-athlete employment; and ensuring that the Mount has revised its athletics minority-issues plan to clearly identify a timeline extending at least five years into the future.

“Once again, the hard work of individuals has allowed Mount St. Mary’s University University athletics to achieve great success,” said Menninger. “There were many people who worked long hours to ensure that the Mount remains a solid member of the NCAA. I want to thank them publicly for their efforts. Once again, the hard work of student-athletes, coaches, staff and university officials make me proud to be part of the Mount St. Mary’s University family.

“We will report back to the NCAA in short order and I am overwhelmingly confident that the Mount will earn full certification,” Menninger added.

The second round of athletics certifications is being completed on a 10-year cycle rather than the five-year cycle used during the initial certification process. All 326 active Division I members participate in the certification process.

The Division I Committee on Athletics Certification preliminarily reviews an institution’s certification materials and provides a list of issues identified during the evaluation. The university then hosts a visit by peer reviewers who file a report regarding the institution’s resolution of those issues before a final certification decision is rendered. An institution’s failure to satisfactorily respond to the committee may negatively impact certification status.

The certification process is separate from the NCAA’s enforcement program, which investigates allegations of rules violations by NCAA member institutions. A decision of certified does not exempt an institution from concurrent or subsequent enforcement proceedings.

Members of the Committee on Athletics Certification include: McKinley Boston, New Mexico State University; Shonna Brown, Mid-American Conference; Rita Hartung Cheng, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; Rich Ensor, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference; Kevin Hatcher, Colgate University; Pat Howey, University of North Carolina, Wilmington; Gerald M. Lage, Oklahoma State University; Leo Lambert (chair), Elon University; Fred Mims, University of Iowa; Gloria Nevarez, West Coast Conference; Frank Pergolizzi, Southeastern Louisiana University; Mary Ann Rohleder, Indiana University, Bloomington; Greg Sankey, Southeastern Conference; and John Steinbrecher, Ohio Valley Conference.