Kennesaw State President Dr. Pamela Whitten had her first meeting Tuesday, Oct. 8, after being appointed to serve on the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Committee on Academics earlier this fall.
During Whitten’s first meeting with the committee, she and other committee members reviewed issues relating to the enrollment of postgraduate student-athletes, basketball student-athlete degree completion and aided in updating an effort to establish an academic summit, according to the NCAA’s October report.
“President Whitten looks forward to contributing to the group in a variety of ways and will work with fellow committee members to determine where her experience will provide the most benefits to student-athletes,” university spokeswoman Tammy Demel said.
Whitten’s term with the NCAA began Sunday, Sept. 1, and her first meeting with the committee took place Tuesday, Oct. 8, Demel said.
Demel said that as a member of this committee, Whitten would be working to better the NCAA’s academic mission as well as leading projects regarding the management of Division I policy, eligibility standards and the Academic Performance Program.
Demel also noted that Whitten’s position in the committee would provide KSU with the opportunity to provide service and leadership to the NCAA.
The Committee on Academics “serves as the division’s primary authority on academic matters,” as well as having responsibility over the NCAA Division I Academic Performance Program, according to the NCAA website.
The Academic Performance Program was created to ensure that student-athletes within Division I schools receive quality experience with regards to education and athletics, according to the NCAA Academics website.
The NCAA’s Division I Committee on Academics is constituted of “a minimum of two university presidents, one provost, four faculty athletics representatives, one director of athletics, one senior woman administrator, one conference administrator and one student-athlete,” from both Division I subdivisions, according to the committee’s policy and procedure guide.
In the NCAA, Division I schools are described as those with “the largest student bodies, the largest athletics budgets and the most athletic scholarships,” according to Prepscholar.
KSU’s Department of Athletics sponsors 16 NCAA Division I, with 15 of those programs competing in the NCAA’s Atlantic Sun Conference, according to KSU’s athletics website.
A total of 181 student athletes —a record number — were named to the ASUN Conference Academic Honor Roll Thursday, Oct. 31, according to KSU’s athletics website.
