Thursday, October 29, 2015

NCAA Committee approves plan to assist limited-resource and HBCU schools

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- The Committee on Academics approved a plan Wednesday to continue to assist limited-resource schools and Historically Black Colleges and Universities in improving the academic success of their student-athletes.

Traditionally, Academic Progress Rates of teams at limited-resource schools and HBCUs have lagged behind the rates of teams at other Division I schools, though the rate for these schools has increased 16 points in the last four years. Teams from those schools also are penalized more often for academic shortcomings. These schools often have a clearly stated mission to provide access to educational opportunities to a broad group of students, including those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to attend college.

An advisory group comprised of representatives from limited-resource schools and HBCUs studied the issue and recommended a three-part plan. The plan includes a continuation of the existing filters, with a subtle shift in how schools use filters that relieve them of Academic Performance Program penalties. Also, the recommendations involve stronger requirements for schools writing and implementing Academic Progress Rate improvement plans and a robust educational component.

Greg Burke, athletics director at Northwestern State University and a member of the Committee on Academics, chaired the advisory group.

“We agreed that all Division I schools must be committed to the foundational principle of the Academic Performance Program and the academic success of students,” Burke said. “At the same time, these schools serve a very important role and serve an under-represented population in many cases. We tried to balance both of those considerations with our recommendations to the Committee on Academics.”

Under the new recommendations, the filters that allowed schools to escape penalties based on various factors – including resource level, mission and academic improvement – would be available only twice over a five-year period. The filters had been available every year. The committee will revisit this issue at the close of the five-year period.

Additionally, a more rigorous review of the APR improvement plans required of every school that uses a filter will be employed. New criteria for improvement plans will be refined by the committee, but could require:

Schools to directly relate their improvement plans to previously identified critical issues.
Schools to set performance-based, outcome-specific goals for both the long- and short-term and describe how goals will be achieved.

Schools to develop plans with broad-based campus support, including from the highest-ranking academic authority, faculty and technology staff.

A school’s president or chancellor and the APR improvement plan team to present the improvement plan in a videoconference with the NCAA staff.

Also, follow-up reports signed by the school’s president or chancellor must demonstrate that initiatives from the plan were implemented.

Finally, the committee approved a comprehensive educational programming approach aimed at helping schools improve academic performance. The educational initiatives will be refined by the committee in the spring, but may include programming designed for individual campus administrators (e.g., athletics directors, head coaches, faculty athletics representatives, presidents), and provide education and enhanced conference involvement. Additional elements will be added over the coming months.

COURTESY NCAA MEDIA RELATIONS

SWAC Preview: Can Texas Southern return to the dance?

HOUSTON, Texas -- Last season, Texas Southern reached the NCAA tournament for the second-straight season under head coach Mike Davis. The Tigers will be in position to three-peat, but Southern, which last reached the tournament in 2013, and Alabama State look to end the trend.



Texas Southern will begin a quest for a third straight conference title without 2014 SWAC Player of the Year Madarious Gibbs. But the Tigers return two all-SWAC caliber seniors in Chris Thomas and Malcolm Riley. Both finished the season strong, with Thomas averaging 14.8 points in postseason play and Riley posting 18 points and 10 boards in a 62-58 win over Southern in the SWAC Tournament championship game. David Blanks and Tonnie Collier are two key holdovers for the Tigers, but don’t forget about Jose Rodriguez, the 6-foot-7 forward who missed last season due to injury. He averaged 11.4 points and 5.7 rebounds in 2013-14.

Southern brings back one of conference’s best perimeters with ...

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VUU's Dowdy Names CIAA QB of the Week

QUARTERBACK SHAWHEEM DOWDY
RICHMOND, Virginia -- Virginia Union University's Shawheem Dowdy has been named the CIAA Quarterback of the Week, the CIAA announced on Monday, October 26.

Dowdy, a junior from Baltimore, Md., completed a school-record 28 passes against Bowie State University on Saturday, October 24.

Dowdy's 399 yards passing was the third highest total in VUU football history. Only Lamar Little and Carl Wright had more passing yards in a single game.

Dowdy also passed for three touchdowns in the game.

The Panthers close out the home part of the 2015 season with a 1:00 p.m. game on Saturday, October 31, against Elizabeth City State University.

COURTESY VIRGINIA UNION UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION 

Albany State welcomes back longtime coach Mike White

ALBANY, Georgia — Saturday will serve as a different type of homecoming for the Albany State Rams as they welcome the visiting Benedict Tigers and former ASU head coach James “Mike” White back to the Albany State University Coliseum.

After a standout career where he earned SIAC Player of the Year and All-American honors, White was named to the coaching staff in 1984. He was later named head coach and spent 15 seasons leading the Rams where he guided the team to conference titles in 2003-06, 2010 and 2013.

He was also named SIAC Coach of the Year five times and before he left for Benedict, put together a team that captured an SIAC East Division championship and came up just short of an SIAC title last year. He ended his tenure with a 112-51 (.687) record.

It hasn’t been smooth for White as his Tigers continue to go through their rebuilding project. Benedict is still searching for its first win of the season and is coming off a 42-10 beating at the hands of Morehouse College.

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Ross in as JSU women's XC, track/field coach

HEAD COACH CAMILLE ROSS
JSU WOMEN'S XC, TRACK & FIELD
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Jackson State University has named Camille Ross as its new women’s track and field and cross country coach.

Ross, who has been in her current post since Oct. 19, arrived to Jackson from Mississippi College, where she served as assistant coach for the men’s and women’s cross country and track and field teams. Ross had coached at Mississippi College since the summer of 2011.

With the help of Ross’ tutelage, Mississippi College produced three American Southwest Conference champions during the Choctaws’ final year of membership, with the wins coming in the 100m dash, the 400m Hurdles, and the 4x100m relay.

During her coaching stops, which include stints at Dartmouth, Central Michigan and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Ross has helped guide athletes to multiple conference titles, school records, conference records and NCAA championship qualifiers. While at Central Michigan, athletes in her coaching disciplines set five school records and earned two Mid-American Conference championships. She has also been a part of several coaching staffs that have earned Staff of the Year distinction from the Liberty League.

A 2002 graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Ross is USA Track and Field Level 2 certified in sprints, hurdles, relays and jumps and she is a NCAA Women's Coaches Academy and NACWAA/HERS Leadership Institute alumna. As an athlete at Wisconsin-Whitewater, Ross she earned All-America honors nine times and was a 12-time Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion.

During the 1999 and 2000 outdoor seasons, she was chosen as the WIAC’s most valuable track performer. In 2000, she helped lead her team to a fourth place finish at the NCAA Championships. Ross ended her collegiate career owning all school and conference indoor and outdoor records in sprint events 200 meters and under, and she held the fourth-fastest time in Division III history in the 100m dash at the time the race was run.

COURTESY SWAC MEDIA RELATIONS 

Dr. Spurgeon McWilliams Resigns from FAMU Board of Trustees

Dr. Spurgeon McWilliams
Courtesy: Florida A&M University
TALLAHASSEE, Florida -- Dr. Spurgeon McWilliams resigned from Florida A&M University’s board of trustees Wednesday evening, leaving the post three months before his term would have expired.

McWilliams, who chaired the facilities committee, was a strong critic of FAMU President Elmira Mangum’s performance. McWilliams voted twice last Thursday in an emergency board meeting to dismiss the president. Both votes failed.

The action led to an outcry from students and Mangum supporters. Trustee chairman Rufus Montgomery stepped down from the post the next morning, but remains on the board. The board now is led by vice chairman Kelvin Lawson.

In his letter to State University System Chancellor Marshall Criser III, McWilliams wrote:

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HU coach Connell Maynor on S.C. State

HAMPTON, Virginia -- Hampton coach Connell Maynor talks about South Carolina State, Saturday's opponent, which has the top-ranked defense in the MEAC.



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