Specific areas the study will cover are academic and financial integrity, rules compliance and commitment to equity. The study began last fall and will continue throughout the 1997-98 school year.
Academic accreditation is common in colleges and universities.
This program is the first to focus solely on certification of athletics programs. Following a pilot project, the NCAA Division I membership overwhelmingly supported the program and its standards at the 1993 annual Convention. The certification program's purpose is to ensure integrity in the institution's athletics operations. Institutions will benefit by increasing awareness and knowledge of the athletics program campus-wide, confirming it strengths and developing plans to improve in areas of concern. The committee responsible for the study includes EWU acting president Niel Zimmerman, various members of Eastern's faculty and staff, as well as athletics department personnel.