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NCAA Compliance at Wentworth
In order to ensure that our prospective and current
student-athletes are able to engage in intercollegiate competition,
the Athletics Department must be in compliance with rules set forth
by both the our governing body, the NCAA, and the Institute.
NCAA compliance at Wentworth functions within the scope of the
Institute’s academic guidelines to coordinate, monitor, and
verify compliance with all NCAA requirements, and to educate the
various constituencies of the college and the athletic community
regarding NCAA and Wentworth regulations governing academic
compliance.
The Department of Athletics offers prospective and current
student-athletes a variety of resources concerning NCAA regulations
and compliance issues. Our function is to oversee and verify
the accurate and timely completion of NCAA-required procedures.
For the most part, the NCAA is a self-regulatory body which relies
on the integrity and accountability of those involved in any way
with the program. This includes, but is not limited to, an
institution’s chief executive officer, chief academic
officer, registrar, faculty athletics representative, director of
athletics, compliance officer, and members of a sport's coaching
staff.
Having said that, there are many questions regarding NCAA rules and
regulations, especially those relating to eligibility for
prospective and currently enrolled students who wish to become
student-athletes at Wentworth. Those students are encouraged
to contact their respective coaches or the Department of Athletics
at (617) 989-4655, or may refer to the list of “frequently
asked questions” below. Prospective transfer student-athletes
who wish to come to Wentworth from another two- or four-year
collegiate institution should contact their current compliance
office FIRST. An individual representing Wentworth may not
have contact with a transfer student until he/she has been granted
permission by their current institution, or, in the case of
transferring from Division III to Division III, a self-release form
has been received by Wentworth.
Although we do try to answer basic questions regarding compliance on our website, please use the information listed here as a general guide for informational purposes only. While many questions and issues pertaining to NCAA compliance are alike in nature, there are many unique situations that arise.
Some Commonly Asked Questions…
Who are we?
Wentworth’s NCAA Compliance Officer is Bill Gorman, Associate
Director of Athletics, who works closely with both Angel Ayres,
Wentworth’s Director of Athletics, and Dr. Amos St. Germain,
Wentworth’s Faculty Athletics Representative. Contact
information for each of these individuals is listed below:
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Bill Gorman |
Angel Ayres |
Dr. Amos St. Germain |
Who is considered a prospective student-athlete?
NCAA Bylaw 13.02.5 defines a prospective student-athlete as a
student who has started classes for the ninth grade. In addition, a
student who has not started classes for the ninth grade becomes a
prospective student-athlete if the institution provides such an
individual (or the individual’s relatives or friends) any
financial assistance or other benefits that the institution does
not provide to prospective students generally. An individual
remains a prospective student-athlete until one of the following
occurs (whichever occurs earlier):
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The individual officially registers and enrolls in a minimum full-time program of studies and attends classes in any term of a four-year collegiate institution’s regular academic year (excluding summer); or
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The individual participates in a regular squad practice or competition at a four-year collegiate institution.
I am a high school junior or senior looking to play at
Wentworth. What do I do?
You can start by filling out a Prospective Athlete Form located on our website or by contacting one of the head coaches located in the Staff Directory. Please understand that many of our coaches are “part-time” at Wentworth and hold full-time jobs outside of Wentworth, so their availability may be limited. If you are planning to visit the campus and would like to meet with a coach, make sure you contact him or her ahead of time to see if they are available. In the event they are not, they will normally have you meet with a current player, or, at times, another Athletic Department staff member may meet with you. Per NCAA rules, coaches may communicate with prospective student-athletes by means of the telephone at any time, but can not have face-to-face contact until the prospective student-athlete has completed his or her junior year in high school. The definition of the conclusion of a prospective student-athlete's junior year in high school is July 1.
Additionally, as of August 1, 2008, no
member of a coaching staff may contact a prospective
student-athlete, REGARDLESS OF AGE, via an instant messaging
program and/or text messages. You are allowed to receive
updates via Twitter and/or Facebook, provided the updates are
general in nature and you initiate the contact.
How do I know if I’ll be eligible to compete?
Unlike prospective student-athletes looking to compete at the
Division I and II levels, those wishing to compete at the Division
III level do not need to meet initial eligibility standards set
forth by the NCAA. Any student-athlete who wishes to compete
in intercollegiate sports must carry a full-time load of course
work (12+ credits) to be eligible for participation throughout the
playing season. Failure to stay above a full-time course load
while in season will results in your being ineligible.
Prior to your practicing with a team for the first time, you must
be cleared to play by making sure that the appropriate paperwork
for both the NCAA and Wentworth has been filled out and on file as
well as having a valid physical on file with the Athletic Training
staff. Further questions regarding the pre-participation physical
may be obtained by contacting the Athletic Training Office at (617)
989-4144.
Can I play at Wentworth on an athletic scholarship?
No. Wentworth Institute of Technology is a NCAA Division III
institution, and does not offer any athletic scholarships for
play. Academic merit scholarships are available to all
prospective students and information about these can be found on
Wentworth’s Financial Aid page.
I’m currently a student at Wentworth and am thinking about
joining a team. What do I do?
You should contact the head coach of the sport you are wishing to
play or fill out a Prospective Student-Athlete Questionnaire
located on this website. The respective coach for your sport
will contact you and give you more information concerning
try-outs. While many of our student-athletes have been
recruited to play a particular sport, there are ample opportunities
for “walk-ons” to compete for a roster spot.
As a student already enrolled for over a semester at the college,
how do I know if I’ll be eligible to compete?
Any student-athlete who wishes to compete in intercollegiate sports
must carry a full-time load of course work (12+ credits) to be
eligible for participation throughout the playing season.
Returning students to Wentworth, whether they are sophomores,
juniors, or seniors, must adhere to the same continuing eligibility
requirements, which are set forth in the course catalog. In
addition to successfully passing 66 percent of the credits you
attempt (with a grade of "W" counting as an "F" would) per
semester, freshmen must maintain a 1.70 GPA, sophomores a 1.85 GPA,
and juniors, seniors, and fifth-year students a 2.00 GPA. If
you are on Academic and/or Institute Probation, or if it is
determined that you are not making satisfactory academic progress
toward a degree, you will be ineligible to compete in Athletics. If
your semester GPA does not meet the minimum requirements, you are
placed on Academic Warning. You are still eligible to play under
this status.
What do I do about missed class time when I’m on a
team? Do I have to miss class for practice?
Student-athletes can only miss academic classroom time for
intercollegiate competition. Under no circumstances is a
student-athlete to miss class time for team practices, whether or
not the team is in its traditional season of play.
Student-athletes cannot, in addition, miss class time for
intercollegiate contests played during the non-traditional season
of their respected sports (fall baseball, spring soccer, etc.).
Students are required to make up all academic work, as deemed
appropriate by their professors, for classroom time missed as a
result of intercollegiate contests played in-season. Students
must inform their professors of missed time no later than 48 hours
prior to missing class, and a signed Class Excuse Form, signed by
the Director of Athletics, must be presented to the instructor, on
each missed occasion. Every effort possible is made to ensure
student-athletes will not miss excessive classroom time for
intercollegiate competition; however, it is important for
student-athletes to consider their academic schedules when
registering for classes. Traditionally, student-athletes have a
higher cumulative grade point average than the general student
body, while retention rates are also higher for student-athletes in
general.
How does co-op factor in to playing sports at
Wentworth?
Since co-op is a graduation requirement, the two (or three, if an
optional co-op is used) semesters that students are doing their
co-op are treated as full-time semesters. Much like
establishing a relationship with a professor regarding missed class
time for athletic competition, students need to establish that same
relationship with their co-op supervisors and work out a schedule
that is workable for all parties. A countless number of our
student-athletes have gone on to work for companies they did at
least one co-op for.
What happens if I’m struggling with my classes or life in
general? Who can I contact?
Wentworth has many resources to assist students during their
collegiate years. The Wentworth
Counseling Center offers a safe, confidential environment where
students can share thoughts and feelings, explore issues of
concern, and gain awareness and insight into their lives. The
Center for Teaching and Learning is available to assist all
Wentworth students with academic challenges in the areas of math,
science, technical courses specific to majors, and writing.
The CTL is a supportive and safe learning environment for
students looking to improve or maintain their academic
standing. In addition, many of our teams have either
mandatory study halls or study halls designed for student-athletes
who coaches feel need extra assistance.
If I get hurt during the season, do I lose that season of
eligibility?
A student-athlete who plays in a single contest is considered to
have used an entire year of competition in that respective
sport. Should a student-athlete get injured or have a
personal affect which forces them to step away from the sport
prematurely during the season, a student-athlete
may have the opportunity to have this year of
competition stricken from their record by filing a Medical Hardship
Waiver. In order for a Hardship Waiver to be granted there
must be an incapacitating injury or illness which forces the
student-athlete to miss the rest of the playing season. There
must be medical documentation (trainers, doctors, hospital
receipts) that states the nature of the injury and establishes the
student-athlete’s inability to compete. The injury must
have occurred during the first half of the playing season AND the
student-athlete must not have competed in more than three contests
or one-third of the total number of scheduled contests (whatever
number is greater). The waiver request is generated through
the Compliance Office and is processed through the conference
office. The conference office will either grant or deny the
request based on the application presented.
I’m thinking about transferring out of Wentworth, but
I’m hesitant about what to do. What is the
process?
If you are seeking a transfer, you should contact your head coach
or the Associate Director of Athletics. If you seek a
transfer via the Associate Director of Athletics, you should
understand that your head coach will be informed of your
intentions, should you ultimately decide to contact other
institutions regarding a possible transfer. However, if you
wish to leave Wentworth for another NCAA Division III institution,
you do not need authorization via our athletic department for
permission to contact. The NCAA has issued a “Self-Release Transfer Form” specifically
for Division III athletes, which will allow release to other NCAA
Division III institutions. Normally, the institution in
question will contact us to inquire about your eligibility status,
so we recommend coming to us first.
Current Wentworth student-athletes who have intentions of
transferring to Division I and Division II institutions MUST have
permission through our athletic offices to contact such schools and
vice-versa. Should you seek a transfer to a NCAA Division I
or II institution, you should inform your coaching staff and the
Associate Athletic Director of Athletics at once.
Impermissible contact between a student-athlete and an
institution that has not been granted permission to contact can
lead to eligibility implications for the student-athlete.
Therefore it is advised that student-athletes make every effort to
comply with these standards.
Wentworth Institute of Technology wishes the best for all of its
student-athletes. If it is in your best interests to transfer
away from Wentworth, we will do our best to provide a smooth
transition the entire way. Don’t be afraid to talk
about a transfer!
I’m currently at a different college, and want to learn more
about Wentworth and possibly transfer. What do I
do?
Student-athletes wishing to attend Wentworth via a transfer from
another institution can do so along the same guidelines as those
leaving Wentworth (see above). Our head coaches are advised
NOT to communicate with ANY current students at another institution
without first receiving a “Self-Release” (if the
student is currently at a NCAA Division III institution) or a
release through the compliance office (prepared for the head coach
by the Associate Athletic Director). So, it is certainly in
your best interest to contact your compliance office first.
If that is not possible, then contact Wentworth’s
Compliance Office at (617) 989-4147, and we will be happy to help
you through the process.
I’ve gotten my transfer clearance out of the way, now how do
I know if I can play at Wentworth?
Eligibility for transfer student-athletes follows guidelines set
forth by the NCAA governing Division III transfers.
Student-Athletes must “sit-out” (spend one
full-time academic year in residence) unless they meet one of the
following criteria:
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The student has never participated in collegiate athletics in ANY sport, at any other division level, and still has semesters of eligibility remaining.
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The student would have been academically eligible to participate has he/she remained at the institution which they are transferring from, and still has semesters of eligibility remaining.
Of course, as in all cases, the student’s must be registered
in a full-time course of study, and must be academically eligible
to play at Wentworth, once this criterion is met. If a
transferring student does NOT fall into one of these two broad
categories, they will NOT be eligible to participate.
I have a question, but it hasn’t been answered here, and I
don’t know who to contact.
Below is a list of key contacts at Wentworth who may be able to
help. Feel free to contact these departments, and ask the
question that fits your needs:
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(617) 989-4655 |
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NCAA Compliance Officer |
(617) 989-4147 |
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(617) 989-4000 |
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Student Service Center |
(617) 989-4020 |
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(617) 989-4472 |
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(617) 989-4390 |
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(617) 989-4080 |
