Princeton University's athletics program has been certified by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
The Division I Committee on Athletics Certification announced April 16 that Princeton is among 35 schools in the country that have been fully certified in this cycle of the association's second round of decisions.
The purpose of the NCAA certification program is to help ensure the integrity of member institutions' athletics operations. Princeton's process involved a yearlong, campus-wide effort that began in fall 2007 and included the preparation of a self-study covering governance and commitment to rules compliance, academic integrity, equity, and student-athlete well-being.
University Counsel Clayton Marsh chaired the 22-member self-study steering committee, which incorporated students, faculty and staff, including athletics department personnel. The process provided opportunities for communication with the broader University community about athletics and how the experience of student-athletes might be improved.
"Above all, the process confirmed the exceptional degree to which the student-athlete paradigm continues to thrive at Princeton, a great credit to the values and leadership in our Department of Athletics," Marsh said.
Gary Walters, director of athletics, added, "The NCAA certification process reassured the broader University community that the Princeton intercollegiate athletics program contributes substantially to the educational mission of Princeton."
NCAA legislation mandating athletics certification was adopted in 1993. Princeton completed its first NCAA certification self-study in 1998. The second round of athletics certifications is being completed on a 10-year cycle rather than the five-year cycle used during the initial certification process. All 326 active Division I members participate in the certification process.
