The Division II Presidents Council in a virtual meeting Wednesday sponsored several proposals for the 2023 NCAA Convention. The majority of the concepts, put forward by the Division II Implementation Committee and recommended by the Management Council, include significant changes to the division's highest governance bodies.
Among the proposals up for a vote in January are concepts to change the decision-making authority, name and/or composition of the division's Presidents Council, Management Council, Planning and Finance Committee, and Administrative Committee. Review all the Implementation Committee's recommendations here (PDF).
Division II members will vote on all the proposals via the division's one-school, one-vote legislative process Jan. 14 at the Convention in San Antonio.
One concept to modify the Division II Presidents Council would change the group's size from 18 members to 13. The concept also includes renaming the group the Division II Executive Board. A streamlined Executive Board would provide the division the ability to be nimble.
A second concept would modify the makeup of the Management Council to 29 voting members (currently 28). The Management Council would include at least five athletics directors, five senior woman administrators, five faculty athletics representatives and two conference office staff members.
The proposed composition of the Management Council and Executive Board is detailed below:
Division II Executive Board
- Eight presidents/chancellors based on Division II championships regions.
- One at-large president/chancellor to enhance diversity of the board.
- Two independent members not employed by an NCAA school, conference or affiliate organization.
- Two student-athletes (one representing male sports, one representing female sports) who are members of and elected by the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Division II Management Council
- One representative from each of the 23 Division II conferences.
- Four at-large members to enhance diversity of the council.
- Two student-athletes (one representing male sports, one representing female sports) who are members of and elected by the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Additionally, the concepts would enhance the duties of the Management Council to have final authority to adopt noncontroversial and intent-based amendments, administrative bylaws and regulations to govern Division II. Among other changes to its duties, the concept would also provide the Management Council the authority to sponsor legislative proposals for a vote at the Convention, which currently only the Presidents Council has the authority to do. Enhancing the duties of the Management Council helps mitigate concerns about a reduced Presidents Council (Executive Board) in that all conferences would be represented on the body that has decision-making authority on the day-to-day responsibilities and operations for the division.
Other committee changes
Another concept would rename the Division II Planning and Finance Committee as the Division II Strategic Planning and Finance Committee. The committee would expand from seven voting members to 11, including at least one member from a minority-serving school and a member of the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. The composition would include the following:
- The Presidents Council (Executive Board) vice chair.
- Two Management Council members, including its vice chair.
- One conference commissioner.
- One Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee member.
- Six additional members.
An additional concept would maintain the size of the current Division II Administrative Committee (five members) but include the chair of Division II SAAC, along with the chair and vice chair of the Presidents Council (Executive Board) and Management Council. This recommendation is consistent with the division's efforts to add and amplify the student-athlete voice across the governance structure. The Administrative Committee is tasked with handling Division II business in between quarterly meetings of the Presidents Council.
Other Convention proposals and action
The Presidents Council sponsored a proposal for the 2023 Convention to establish a penalty for any active member school that fails to submit its financial data by the applicable deadline. The proposed penalty requires a school that misses the deadline to forfeit Division II institutional equal distribution funds (formerly known as enhancement funds) in the following academic year. The proposed effective date is Aug. 1, 2025, to allow schools time to adjust to the new legislation.
The council also sponsored a proposal for the 2023 Convention that would amend the timing of the Division II legislative process as follows:
- July 15: Deadline for submission of proposals by the membership.
- Sept. 1: Deadline for the Division II Presidents Council (Executive Board) to sponsor legislation.
- Sept. 15: Modification period for membership-sponsored proposals.
- Oct. 7: Deadline for committee review of membership-sponsored proposals.
- By Dec. 10: Publication of the Official Notice.
Elections
- Gayle Hutchinson, president of Chico State, was elected to serve a second term as the Presidents Council vice chair. The role includes serving on the Division II Administrative Committee and the Division II Planning and Finance Committee.
- The Presidents Council ratified the appointment of Harry Stinson III, director of athletics and recreational services at Lincoln (Pennsylvania), as vice chair of the Division II Management Council, effective Sept. 1. His term as vice chair will run through the Division II Business Session at the 2024 NCAA Convention.
- The Presidents Council ratified the appointment of Curtis Campbell, director of athletics at Morehouse, to serve on the Management Council as the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference representative, effective immediately.