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<P>A successful athletics program has to do four things: win, educate its student athletes, pay its bills and abide by the rules.
<P><B>Abiding By The Rules</B>
<P>Public discussion of "abiding by the rules" usually starts and ends with a discussion of NCAA rules.  Not so with an Athletics Department.
<P>Today's Athletics Departments must address compliance issues in three critical areas: (1) NCAA, SEC and University rules and regulations, (2) Title IX and gender equity requirements and (3) federal regulations regarding equal opportunity.
<P>The definition of "in compliance" is an ever-changing definition in all three areas.  Just as "eternal vigilance is the cost of freedom," consistent monitoring, study and evaluation are essentials for a successful athletics program.
<P>NCAA, SEC and University Rules: Seminars for coaches, administrators and student-athletes are conducted on an annual basis, more often if needed. The compliance staff, Mark Richard and Stacy Danley, try to be proactive in their efforts to educate alumni and friends of the University using every resource available, including, but not limited to, alumni meetings, alumni mailings, articles in game programs, the news media and alumni and special interest publications.
<P>Within the Athletics Department, great care is taken to build an atmosphere of confidence and teamwork in the University's compliance efforts.
<P>The self-reporting system continues to be used and is encouraged. Staff members, coaches and student-athletes can not be expected to be perfect. They are, after all, human. Mistakes will occur, but when mistakes occur, it is critical that these mistakes be reported in the proper manner to the SEC and to the NCAA, and, if necessary, appropriate action taken.
<P>Everyone associated with the program must share in the commitment to compliance. To ignore, overlook or coverup a potential rule violation, intended or inadvertent, can result in the most serious of NCAA findings, a "lack of institution control." Such actions cannot and will not be tolerated at Auburn.
<P>In cases of reported major violations, the Athletics Department and its staff work closely with the NCAA, SEC and, if necessary, appropriate legal counsel, to determine the credibility and truthfulness of the alleged violation. In cases where major violations are found to have been committed, the University must handle the violations in a manner in keeping with its commitment to compliance. There is zero tolerance for major violations at Auburn.
<P>In 1997, Auburn set as its goal no major violations in the next five years and no more than the SEC average of secondary violations in any given year. We have met that goal. In the last reporting period, Auburn had three technical or secondary violations compared to an SEC average of 4.5. All were handled in an expeditious manner and there were no repercussions on the Athletics Department, its teams or coaches. Secondary violations, as long as there aren't too many of them, can be a sign that compliance programs are working.
<P>Title IX and Gender Equity: Of all the rules, regulations, and guidelines, those relating to Title IX and gender equity are the most difficult to predict and follow.
<P>The definition of "in compliance" changes with each new interpretation and court decision. There is no clear cut, universally accepted definition of what it means to be "in compliance" or what it takes to be "in compliance." One day an institution may be "in compliance," the next day it may not.
<P>Auburn is committed to compliance whatever compliance is determined to be. Auburn has no choice. It is the law and, more importantly, it's the right thing to do. If athletic competition builds character in men, as it has long been held to do, it must also build character in women. Not to give women a chance to compete for Auburn would be morally as well as legally wrong.
<P>Equal Opportunity: Obtaining a more diverse staff is an on-going priority of the Athletics Department.
In an effort to increase minority and female participation in the administrative structure of the department, an internship/graduate assistantship program was established in 1996 in cooperation with the Office of Minority Affairs and the College of Education.  Five to 10 students, usually minorities and women, participate in the program in any given year.
<P>Compliance is not an easy job, but it is a critical assignment if Auburn is to compete for championships in the next century. And make no mistake about it, compliance involves all of us, all of us who love and care about Auburn.

<P>In Three Weeks: Competing in the 21st Century

<CENTER><P><A HREF="main.html" target="_top">TABLE OF CONTENTS</A> | <A HREF="../main_afi.html" target="_top">PROGRAM
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<P ALIGN=CENTER><I>&copy; 1999 Auburn Network, Inc.</I></P>

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	<TITLE>David Housel Column</TITLE>

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	<TABLE border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=450><td>
	<H1 ALIGN=CENTER> <IMG ALT="Housel's Desk " ALIGN =CENTER WIDTH=434 HEIGHT=102 BORDER=2 SRC="housldsk.jpg"> </H1>
	<BR><BR>

	<P>A successful athletics program has to do four things: win, educate its student athletes, pay its bills and abide by the rules.
	<P><B>Abiding By The Rules</B>
	<P>Public discussion of "abiding by the rules" usually starts and ends with a discussion of NCAA rules. Not so with an Athletics Department.
	<P>Today's Athletics Departments must address compliance issues in three critical areas: (1) NCAA, SEC and University rules and regulations, (2) Title IX and gender equity requirements and (3) federal regulations regarding equal opportunity.
	<P>The definition of "in compliance" is an ever-changing definition in all three areas. Just as "eternal vigilance is the cost of freedom," consistent monitoring, study and evaluation are essentials for a successful athletics program.
	<P>NCAA, SEC and University Rules: Seminars for coaches, administrators and student-athletes are conducted on an annual basis, more often if needed. The compliance staff, Mark Richard and Stacy Danley, try to be proactive in their efforts to educate alumni and friends of the University using every resource available, including, but not limited to, alumni meetings, alumni mailings, articles in game programs, the news media and alumni and special interest publications.
	<P>Within the Athletics Department, great care is taken to build an atmosphere of confidence and teamwork in the University's compliance efforts.
	<P>The self-reporting system continues to be used and is encouraged. Staff members, coaches and student-athletes can not be expected to be perfect. They are, after all, human. Mistakes will occur, but when mistakes occur, it is critical that these mistakes be reported in the proper manner to the SEC and to the NCAA, and, if necessary, appropriate action taken.
	<P>Everyone associated with the program must share in the commitment to compliance. To ignore, overlook or coverup a potential rule violation, intended or inadvertent, can result in the most serious of NCAA findings, a "lack of institution control." Such actions cannot and will not be tolerated at Auburn.
	<P>In cases of reported major violations, the Athletics Department and its staff work closely with the NCAA, SEC and, if necessary, appropriate legal counsel, to determine the credibility and truthfulness of the alleged violation. In cases where major violations are found to have been committed, the University must handle the violations in a manner in keeping with its commitment to compliance. There is zero tolerance for major violations at Auburn.
	<P>In 1997, Auburn set as its goal no major violations in the next five years and no more than the SEC average of secondary violations in any given year. We have met that goal. In the last reporting period, Auburn had three technical or secondary violations compared to an SEC average of 4.5. All were handled in an expeditious manner and there were no repercussions on the Athletics Department, its teams or coaches. Secondary violations, as long as there aren't too many of them, can be a sign that compliance programs are working.
	<P>Title IX and Gender Equity: Of all the rules, regulations, and guidelines, those relating to Title IX and gender equity are the most difficult to predict and follow.
	<P>The definition of "in compliance" changes with each new interpretation and court decision. There is no clear cut, universally accepted definition of what it means to be "in compliance" or what it takes to be "in compliance." One day an institution may be "in compliance," the next day it may not.
	<P>Auburn is committed to compliance whatever compliance is determined to be. Auburn has no choice. It is the law and, more importantly, it's the right thing to do. If athletic competition builds character in men, as it has long been held to do, it must also build character in women. Not to give women a chance to compete for Auburn would be morally as well as legally wrong.
	<P>Equal Opportunity: Obtaining a more diverse staff is an on-going priority of the Athletics Department.
	In an effort to increase minority and female participation in the administrative structure of the department, an internship/graduate assistantship program was established in 1996 in cooperation with the Office of Minority Affairs and the College of Education. Five to 10 students, usually minorities and women, participate in the program in any given year.
	<P>Compliance is not an easy job, but it is a critical assignment if Auburn is to compete for championships in the next century. And make no mistake about it, compliance involves all of us, all of us who love and care about Auburn.

	<P>In Three Weeks: Competing in the 21st Century

	<CENTER><P><A HREF="main.html" target="_top">TABLE OF CONTENTS</A> \| <A HREF="../main_afi.html" target="_top">PROGRAM
	INDEX</A> \| <A HREF="http://www.aunetwork.com" target="_top">HOME</A></P></CENTER>

	<P ALIGN=CENTER><I>© 1999 Auburn Network, Inc.</I></P>

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