New Legislation 2021-22

Aug 30, 2021

New Legislation for 2021-2022 Academic Year:

21-B-05

Football Regulations

Amended Bylaw Article I, Section G, Item 6

In the spring of 2018, the membership voted on and approved football specific practice legislation that outlined an acclimatization period and limits to practice time. In the initial iteration of bylaw on-field walkthrough sessions were allowed if no protective equipment or football implements were used. In the spring of 2021, the membership voted to allow footballs to be used during the walkthrough sessions while maintaining the walkthrough status. It is important to recognize that football is limited to three hours a day of physical activity and four hours total of on-field work. Walkthroughs are considered on-field but not physical activity. The purpose of this change is to make the walkthroughs more realistic. You can read the original brief about the original bylaw change here.

21-B-06

Inter-Terms and Reliance on the Transcript

Removed Article 1, Section N, Added Article V, Section B, Item 10.

And

21-B-14

Recertification

Amended Article V, Section C, Item 14.

Beginning with the 2021-2022 academic year, inter-terms as we know them will change. What has long been a source of confusion and disdain for our faculty athletic representatives, compliance administrators, registrars, and eligibility chairs has been amended in an effort to make it easier to apply. Schools will no longer have to decide where their inter-term attaches, if at all, and no longer must worry about certifying athletes for the inter-term.

Let’s start with what has been removed. The major removal is that schools no longer need to declare where their inter-term attaches. Prior to this change each school that had an inter-term had the option of attaching the term to the fall, to the spring, or having it stand alone. Each option had its advantages and challenges and the individual choices created difficulties for our eligibility chairs who were tasked with keeping track of certification. Now all inter-terms are considered ‘non-terms’ in a similar vein as the summer term. Another piece that was removed was the ability for an athlete to identify in the inter-term by taking three-fourths of a full course load. The ability for an athlete to identify in the inter-term meant they could start their residency period prior to the beginning of the spring term. Now athletes can only start their residency on the first day of classes in each term.

This bylaw change provides us with an inter-term definition, “(a) session or a group of courses that occurs and is reflected on the official academic transcript between two regular academic terms and is reports on the official academic transcript. These sessions cannot meet the definition of a term of attendance as defined by Article V, Section B, Item 20. Summer terms cannot constitute an inter-term.” Credits earned during the inter-term can be used for eligibility once the grades are posted and as long as the credits are shown to be completed prior to spring/winter term. The official transcript will be relied upon to determine if the course is completed prior to the next term. If the transcript is not specific and only lists dates, then the end date will be relied upon. If there is no designation and no dates listed, then the institution’s registrar can verify the dates.

Examples:

John takes an inter-term class and earns three hours. The official transcript states the course was taken in the Spring Inter-Term. Is this a spring class or an inter-term class?
- This would be considered a spring class based on the designation on the official transcript.
Maddie passes a two-hour inter-term class that is designated as 2022 Inter-Term on the official transcript.
- This would be considered non-term hours since it is designated as strictly an inter-term course on the official transcript.
Freddie takes a class that starts on January 2 and ends on January 30 and has no other designation on the official transcript. The spring term at his NAIA school starts on February 1, would his class be considered an inter-term?
- Yes, because the end date was before the start of the spring term.
Selma attempted a class in between the fall and spring term at her NAIA institution. The course has no designation nor dates. The registrar verifies the course ended on February 3 and the spring semester started on February 1.
- We would rely on the registrar’s verification that the course ended on February 3 which is after the start of the spring semester. Thus, this would be considered a spring term class.

Recertification Changes

This amendment also simplified the recertification process between the terms. Now a student who is eligible at the end of the fall term shall maintain eligibility until the 30^th calendar day following the close of the term. This allows the institution 30 days to finalize grades and recertify their students for the spring or winter term. Athletes do not NEED to be recertified within the 30 days, but must be certified prior to the first contest after the 30^th day.

21-B-09

Medical Hardships

Amended Bylaw Article V, Section B, Item 8b, Exception 4

The new amendment to the medical hardship exception allows a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine (DPM) to sign off on hardship request. Previously only a Medical Doctor (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) could sign the request. The athlete still needs to suffer a season ending injury during the sport season in question as verified by one of these medical professionals.

21-B-11

Initial Eligibility – Home-Schooled Students

Amended Bylaw Article V, Section C, Item 2, Note 2

This intention of this new bylaw change is to create an additional opportunity for home-schooled students to gain eligibility by earning nine institutional credit hour with a grade of C or better prior to identifying with any institution of higher learning. These nine hours must be accepted as institutional credit by the certifying NAIA institution and must be shown as earned prior to the term in which the student wishes to compete.

The student must have earned at least a “C” in each individual class and not a “C” average. There is not a GPA component of this new option. This opportunity also allows a student to enroll part-time (less than 12-hours) at their NAIA institution and pass nine institutional credit hours with the “C” requirement and earn eligibility for the subsequent term.

Examples (assume all are home-schooled graduates who don’t meet one of the other options):

Becky does not have a qualifying test score and would like to utilize this new option. She could enroll in nine-institutional credit hours in the summer prior to her initial identification at her NAIA institution. As long as she passes all nine hours with grades of “C” or better in each course and the credits show on the official transcript as earned prior to the fall semester then she would be eligible to compete in the fall.
Lewis aced nine institutional credit hours from a local community college through a dual enrollment program. However, East-West University (NAIA), the school Lewis will be attending in the fall will not accept these hours. This means Lewis would not meet this new option for East-West University.
- Lewis is approached in the summer by a different NAIA school (Mountain State) who will accept his dual credit hours and attach them to the summer term. Now Lewis would meet this option but only for Mountain State.

Students utilizing this option will still need to receive an eligible decision from the NAIA Eligibility Center. This means the certifying institution is going to have to provide a transcript showing the hours earned on their official transcript.

21-B-12

Senior, Graduate, and Transfer Student Exceptions – Certificate Programs

Amended Bylaw Article V, Section C, Item 3

Amended Bylaw Article V, Section D, Item 5, Exception 2

Amended Bylaw Article V, Section G, Item 1, Exception 2

This addition now allows a graduate student who is enrolled in a post-baccalaureate certificate program to continue to compete in the NAIA. The intention is to expand the opportunity for a student who has completed their undergraduate degree and wishes to continue to compete in the NAIA with their remaining terms. Previously certificate programs might not have met these exceptions, but the amendment clarifies that post-baccalaureate certificate programs can be used for eligibility purposes. A student enrolled in the post-baccalaureate certificate program still must be enrolled in a full time course load and pass all requirements of the program to maintain eligibility in subsequent terms.