NCAA compliance issues at NIU were discussed at the Faculty Senate meeting on Wednesday.

All faculty and staff members – not just the athletics department – must comply with NCAA regulations with student athletes. Faculty and staff could be unaware of potential violations.

The NCAA regulations forbid student athletes from receiving “extra benefits” from institutional staff members, said Bobbie Cesarek, associate athletics director of compliance. All benefits have to go through the university to the student, Cesarek said.

The definition of “extra benefits” is loosely defined by the NCAA.

Transportation, gifts, loans and housing are some of the examples of “extra benefits” listed in the NCAA Regulations pocket guide.

“The problem is the direct benefit to student athletes that is given by an institution staff member,” Cesarek said. “You may do so, not even thinking about it.”

For example, if a teacher were to purchase lunch for a student athlete for doing well on an exam, it would be a violation of NCAA compliance, whereas the act would violate no such rule if the student was not an athlete, Cesarek said.

However, it would be acceptable to buy lunch for an entire class and include a student athlete, Cesarek said.

Faculty do not need to worry much about getting in trouble if they are not doing anything out of the ordinary, said Janet Rintala, kinesiology and physical education professor/assistant chair.

If an infraction occurs, Jim Phillips, director of intercollegiate athletics, Rintala or Cesarek should be contacted as soon as possible, Cesarek said.

Infractions often result from a lack of knowledge of the rules and if are reported quickly, the consequences will be less severe, Rintala said.

“It happens for even little things,” Cesarek said.

Recently, Cesarek had to declare a student athlete ineligible for a $5 infraction last Friday for a competition on Saturday, she said. The money was refunded and donated to a charity, in compliance with NCAA policy, and the student athlete was again eligible, she said.

The penalties can be severe if the infraction is not quickly reported.

As of August 2007, NIU finished a one-year probationary period for an NCAA major infraction, a first in university history, Cesarek said. The incident involved an institutional staff member outside of the athletic department providing extra benefits to a student athlete for a period of six months without finding out if it was permissible ahead of time, Cesarek said.

The NCAA will give NIU its 10-year review in fall 2009, Cesarek said.

“The NCAA reviews every institution once every 10 years,” Cesarek said.

“Truthfully, it takes starting now until they arrive in the fall of 2009 to prepare and have everyone on-board.”