Compliance

Cathy Stevens, Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance & Student-Athlete Success.
Email: c athy .stevens@gcsu.edu

Georgia College & State University is committed and obligated to the principle of institutional control in operating its athletics program in a manner that is consistent with the letter and the spirit of the NCAA, Peach Belt Conference, and University rules and regulations. It is the goal of the compliance program to place the University in a proactive position by educating, overseeing, and monitoring the intercollegiate athletics program and maintaining a positive compliance environment while protecting the integrity of the department and university.

The compliance office coordinates, monitors, and verifies compliance with all NCAA requirements and educates the various constituencies of the University and the community regarding NCAA/PBC regulations. The compliance office is dedicated to providing educational programs and interpretive support to ensure that all individuals involved with the athletics program understand and adhere to the university's compliance expectations.

The athletics department is committed to the principle of institutional control through the education of coaches, staff, student-athletes and other individuals within the athletics program. The compliance office has put into place monitoring procedures and educational programs that provide guidance in how to work within the rules. Each individual within the athletics department is obligated to maintain competency in knowledge of rules, to act within his or her realm of responsibility in full compliance with the rules and to report any violations of the rules.

When a violation occurs, the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance & Student-Athlete Success conducts an investigation and reports the findings to the Director of Athletics and the Faculty Athletics Representative. Rules violations are reported to the conference office and NCAA with copies going to the President, FAR, Conference Commissioner, Director of Athletics, and any staff members involved. Appropriate self-imposed penalties will be included as well as any corrective action that was taken to rectify the situation that caused the problem.

WHO IS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UNIVERSITY'S ATHLETICS INTERESTS?

You are considered a "Representative of the University's Athletics Interests (a booster) if you:

have participated in or are currently a member of any athletics department booster group, Bobcat Club, and/or GCSU Bobcat Athletic Association;
made a donation to any men's or women's athletic program;
have assisted or been asked to assist in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes;
have assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families; or
have been or are involved in promoting athletics in any way.

Once a person is defined as a booster/representative of athletic interests, they retain that identity indefinitely, even if they no longer support the athletics program.

WHO IS A PROSPECTIVE STUDENT-ATHLETE?
The NCAA defines a "prospect" as anyone who has started classes for the ninth grade. In addition, a student who has not started the ninth grade becomes a prospect if the institution provides any financial assistance or other benefit not provided to prospective students in general.

WHAT IS A CONTACT?
A contact is any face-to-face encounter between a prospect or the prospect's parents/guardians and an institutional staff member or athletics representative during which any dialogue occurs in excess of an exchange of a greeting. Any such face-to-face encounter that is prearranged or that takes place on the grounds of the prospect's school or at the site of organized competition or practice involving the prospect or the prospect's team shall be considered a contact, regardless of the conversation that occurs.

WHAT IS CONSIDERED RECRUITING?
Recruiting is any solicitation of a prospect or the prospect's relatives by a staff member or representative of the institution's athletics interests (booster) for the purpose of securing the prospect's enrollment and ultimate participation in the institution's intercollegiate athletics program.

Evaluation
Any off-campus activity designed to assess the academic qualifications or ability of a PSA.

RULES GOVERNING PROSPECTIVE STUDENT-ATHLETES
Contact With Prospects-Division II
In Division II representatives of athletic interests are prohibited from making in-person, off-campus recruiting contacts with prospects or their relatives. On-campus contact as well as written communications are permitted with Division II prospects. Effective August 1, 2000, boosters are prohibited from contacting DII prospects by telephone.

Contact With Prospect's Coach or School Staff
Contact with a prospect's coach, principal or counselor in an attempt to evaluate the prospect is prohibited.

Financial Aid or Other Benefits to Prospects
Representatives of athletic interests may not provide any financial aid or other benefits, such as clothing, special discounts, tickets to events, or co-signing loans, to a prospect or their relatives.

PERMISSIBLE ACTIVITIES BY BOOSTERS

Boosters may attend events (e.g., contests, banquets) where prospects are present on his or her own initiative, subject to the understanding that the booster may NOT contact the prospect or the prospect's relatives.
Boosters may inform the coaches of prospects in their area by contacting the staff and sending coaches newspaper clippings with the names of particular prospects.
Do continue establishing family relationships with friends and neighbors. Contacts with prospects are permitted as long as they are not made for recruiting purposes and are not initiated by staff members.
Boosters may arrange employment for prospective student-athletes. The prospect may not begin the job until after the completion of his or her senior year in high school. Compensation must be based on work actually performed and at a normal rate.

As a representative of athletics interests (booster/donor), you may not:

contact a prospect's coach, principal or counselor in an effort to evaluate a prospect
visit the prospect's institution to pick up film or transcripts pertaining to the evaluation of the prospect's academic eligibility or athletic ability
contact a prospect, his/her parents, legal guardians or spouse on or off campus
contact a prospect by telephone or by letter
make special arrangements for entertainment for recruiting purposes
provide extra benefits to a prospect, student -athlete at GCSU or another institution or to the parents, family and/or guardians of the prospects or student athletes.

RULES GOVERNING ENROLLED STUDENT-ATHLETES

Extra Benefits

A student-athlete is prohibited from receiving any extra benefit. If a student-athlete accepts any benefit based on his or her athletic ability, that athlete may lose all eligibility for intercollegiate athletics participation. Additionally, boosters involved would be forced to disassociate from the university's athletic program.

What is an "Extra Benefit"?
The NCAA defines an extra benefit as any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a representative of the institution's athletics interest ("booster/donor") to provide a student-athlete (or a student-athlete's relative or friend) a benefit that is not generally available to other GCSU students and their relative and/or friends. Therefore, please be aware of the following:

A student-athlete cannot accept anything from an employee of GCSU or athletics booster/donor (e.g., use of a car, hair cut, clothing, gifts, money, tickets for any kind of entertainment, payment of long distance telephone calls).
A student-athlete cannot accept free or reduced cost room and/or board from any GCSU employee or booster/donor of GCSU's athletics programs. This includes in on or off campus, in the student-athlete's home city or any other location. This would preclude a student-athlete from "house sitting" without paying rental costs at a comparable rate for similar housing in that locale.
A student-athlete may not accept free or reduced cost storage room for personal belongings for the summer months from any GCSU employee or booster/donor of GCSU's athletics programs.
A student-athlete cannot accept free or reduced merchandise or services from any merchant unless that free or reduced cost item is also available to the general public.
A student-athlete cannot eat at a restaurant as the guest of an athletics booster/donor or an employee of GCSU.
On infrequent, special occasions (e.g., a birthday, Thanksgiving, etc.), a student-athlete may accept an invitation to the home of an employee of GCSU or an athletics booster/donor for a meal.
Members of the Department of Athletics staff or an athletics booster/donor are not permitted to type reports, papers, letters, etc., for a student-athlete.
A student-athlete cannot receive a special discount, payment arrangement or credit on a purchase (e.g., airline ticket, clothing), or service (e.g., laundry, dry cleaning) from an employee of GCSU or an athletics booster/donor.
An GCSU employee or a booster/donor cannot provide a student-athlete with a loan of money, a guarantee of bond, the use of an automobile or the signing or co-signing of a note to arrange a loan, or pay or provide other compensation for work not performed or at unreasonable levels for work performed.
An GCSU employee may provide a student-athlete only reasonable and occasional local (i.e., within a 30 mile radius of the GCSU campus) transportation. However, a GCSU employee may not utilize a University vehicle for purposes of assisting a student-athlete's move from one residence to another.

Employment of Enrolled Student-Athletes
NCAA rules require that the student-athlete and employer sign a written statement prior to the commencement of employment confirming that the employment satisfies NCAA regulations. Compensation must be based on work actually performed and at a rate commensurate with the going rate in the locality for services of like character.

Rules Governing Student-Athlete Participation in Promotional Activities
Use of a student-athlete's name, picture or appearance to support any charitable, educational or non-profit promotional activity requires the signature of the student-athlete and the authorized representative of the event on a release statement that requires written approval from the Director of Athletics. Furthermore, student-athletes are not permitted to be involved in the advertisement, recommendation or promotion of a commercial organization for sales or use of a commercial product or service of any kind. Please contact the athletic department before asking any enrolled student-athlete to take part in any activity.

Agents
A student-athlete shall be ineligible for participation if he or she agrees, orally or in writing, to be represented by an agent. This includes any agreements for future negotiations that are to take place after the individual has completed his or her eligibility in that sport. Additionally, student-athletes and their relatives are prohibited from accepting any benefits, including meals or transportation, from an agent.

Gambling
NCAA rules do not permit student-athletes to knowingly:
Bylaws including subsections 10.02 and 10.3

provide information to individuals involved in organized gambling activities concerning intercollegiate athletics competition;
solicit or accept a bet on any intercollegiate team; or
participate in any gambling activity that involves intercollegiate athletics or professional athletics through a bookmaker, a parlay card or any other method employed by organized gambling.

Occasional Meals
Institutional Staff Members. A student-athlete or the entire team in a sport may receive an occasional meal in the locale of the institution on infrequent and special occasions from an institutional staff member. An institutional staff member may provide reasonable local transportation to student-athletes to attend such meals.

Representative of Athletics Interests.
A student-athlete or the entire team in a sport may receive an occasional family home meal from a representative of the institution’s athletics interests provided the meal is in the individual’s home, on campus or at a facility that is regularly used for home competition and may be catered. The representative of the institution’s athletics interests or an institutional staff member may provide reasonable local transportation to student-athletes to attend such meals.

What are the consequences of NCAA violations?
Recruiting violations by GCSU employees and/or Representatives will result in the prospective or enrolled student-athlete becoming immediately ineligible to represent GCSU in intercollegiate athletics. A major recruitment violation can cause a prospect or current student-athlete to become permanently ineligible for intercollegiate athletics at GCSU.