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8 - 01.5

Administrative policy regarding athletics in the regional campuses

  1. General.
    1. The student population at the university's regional campuses is different in terms of age, credit hour load, and interests from the Kent campus student population. A high percentage of regional campus students work (some full-time) while attending classes. This unique student profile prohibits affiliation with the "National Junior College Association" and other two-year external governing bodies since rules by these national associations are designed for full-time students, and compliance with these regulations would unreasonably limit student participation at regional campuses.
    2. The regional campuses have adopted a system of athletic governance by an internal regulatory and controlling body. The regional campus athletic committee is responsible for developing and recommending policy, procedure and guidelines to assure that regional campus athletics serve the needs and interests of our students. Equal opportunity for students and coaches, including an equalization of both budget allocations and coaching stipends for similar men's and women's sports, shall be observed.
  2. Definition of terms.
    1. "Regional campus athletic committee"- a committee meeting at least semiannually to oversee athletics on the regional campuses and make recommendations to the associate vice president for the extended university. This committee, appointed annually by the executive dean for regional campuses, is composed of at least one faculty member or administrator from each campus offering an athletic program and is a subcommittee of the student affairs coordinating council.
    2. "Regional campus varsity sports:- a varsity sport is an intercollegiate athletic activity on the regional campus which is recognized by the administration of the regional campuses, monitored by an internal governing body, (regional campus athletic committee), and financed by student activity funds. Varsity teams may compete with two-year campuses within the Kent state system as well as with other two-year institutions and, under appropriate circumstances as approved by the executive dean for regional campuses with four-year institutions. The feasibility of offering each varsity sports will be reviewed by the campus dean.
    3. Student-athletes. A "student-athlete" is a student who is competing or has competed in a varsity sport during his or her post-secondary academic career.
  3. Player eligibility. To be eligible to participate in varsity athletics at a regional campus a student must meet the following requirements:
    1. The student must be enrolled in and regularly attending at least six semester hours of university credit coursework at the campus where the student will participate.
    2. Student must have earned a grade point average of not less than 1.700 during the previous semester of attendance.
    3. New freshman are eligible upon admission and enrollment in the university if they have established a 1.700 minimum cumulative grade point average from high school records. The certifying authority will be the local campus registrar at the student's campus of record. Student s admitted with a "General Educational Development Examination" certificate must predict a 1.700 grade point average.
    4. Student-athletes must receive passing credit for twelve semester hours of classwork between seasons of competition (this may include summer sessions). The academic credits earned during the season of competition are included in the twelve semester hours required.
    5. Student-athletes are eligible for up to four years of athletic competition. Each year of participation will be subtracted from the remaining years of eligibility. No student may participate more than four years at any campus of the university. Years of participation need not be consecutive years of enrollment.
    6. A year of eligibility will not be charged to a student-athlete if he is unable to play due to injury or illness certified by a licensed physician and is unable to participate the remainder of the season. The injury or illness must occur before the athlete has completed participation in twenty per cent of the team's scheduled games, meets or matches
    7. A student must meet the appropriate minimum cumulative academic averages based on the 4.000 scale, as defined below:
      1. To be eligible to participate as an entering freshman, a student must have a 1.700 minimum cumulative grade point average in high school. Thereafter, the student must have a 1.700 minimum grade point average the semester prior to the semester of actual sports competition.
      2. For participation the second year of eligibility, a minimum cumulative grade point average of 1.700 is required at the end of the first year of competition.
      3. For participation the third year of eligibility, a minimum cumulative grade point average of 1.800 is required at the end of the second year of competition.
      4. For participation the fourth year of eligibility, a minimum cumulative grade point average of 1.900 is required at the end of the third year of competition.
    8. An athlete who becomes ineligible at the end of a semester shall be declared ineligible and may not participate after the next semester begins. Any athlete who may gain eligibility after the end of the semester shall be immediately eligible upon recording of grades by the registrar's office.
    9. A new student-athlete enrolling at a regional campus during late registration and after a season of participation has started may become immediately eligible for competition when the athlete's registration has been completed and fees have been paid if the student has met all other eligibility requirements.
    10. A student-athlete not enrolled the fall semester and participating in early registration for spring may not compete in varsity sports until the last day of fall semester classes.
    11. A student-athlete attending a regional campus is not eligible to compete as a member of the varsity team representing the Kent campus when the student's records are housed at that regional campus. Normally a student may only compete on a varsity athletic team at the campus where the student's records are located. If a student competes in athletics at one regional campus and then enrolls in another regional campus for either part or all of his/her total hours, he/she shall have the option of competing in athletics at either campus, with the limitation that he/she may compete at only one campus within a single academic year.
    12. Student-athlete eligibility lists shall be prepared by participating campuses for each varsity sport. The eligibility lists shall be signed by the regional campus dean and sent to the regional campus supervisor of student services on the Kent campus no later than two weeks prior to the first scheduled game of the regular season for each varsity sport.
    13. Athletic eligibility will end upon completion of the four-year baccalaureate degree.
  4. Transfer students.
    1. A student-athlete transferring to a regional campus from a junior college, community college or two-year technical college is not eligible to compete in a varsity sport for one semester form the date of last attendance at the school from which he is transferring. The preceding may be waived for any student having a "letter of release" from the original institution. A transfer student who has not participated in athletics will be immediately eligible to compete in varsity athletics as in paragraph (C)(9) of this rule.
    2. A student-athlete transferring to a regional campus form a four-year institution will be eligible to participate when it has been determined by the campus registrar that all requirements for eligibility have been met.
    3. Transfer student-athletes should also have accumulated twelve semester hours of successful classwork between season of competition.
    4. A student-athlete who has played in the sport at another four-year institution during one semester of competition may not transfer to a regional campus and participate in that sport during the same season. A student-athlete who has not participated in that sport at another university is eligible when all the requirements listed in paragraph (D)(2) of this rule have been met.
  5. Other regulations.
    1. The total number of dates scheduled shall not exceed twenty. This does not include the end-of-season state tournament.
    2. All contests played among university regional campus teams, as well as intercollegiate teams from branches of other universities, community colleges, technical colleges, four-year institutions (varsity or junior varsity squads), business schools, etc., shall count as scheduled dates. Each guaranteed tournament game played during the regular season shall also be counted as a scheduled date.
    3. Alumni games shall be considered exhibition games and are not shown in the win-loss record nor counted as scheduled dates.
    4. During the season of play a student-athlete participating may not play for a team in an industrial league or recreation league not sponsored by the regional campus. One high school alumni is permitted.
    5. Each student-athlete must pass a medical examination yearly prior to his participation in sports at the regional campus. A physician's signed statement should be kept on file in the appropriate office.
    6. Regional campuses should attempt to play within their own competitive skill level and against teams with similar philosophies of athletics. The university regional campuses should five priority to each other in scheduling for all mutually established sports.
  6. Sports are approved for varsity competition on the basis of student interest. Each campus reserves the right to discontinue a sport on the basis of lack of student interest and/or lack of funds.
  7. Regional campus intramurals. Each regional campus also offers a variety of local intramural sports. These competitive activities are recognized by the administration of the campus, offered by the student activities association, and are financed by the student activity funds. The particular intramural sports offered on each campus are determined by current levels of student interest. Each campus reserves the right to discontinue an intramural sport on the basis of lack of student interest and/or lack of funds.
Policy Effective Date:
Mar 01, 2015
Policy Prior Effective Dates: 
7/31/1981, 12/28/1984, 7/10/1985, 6/1/2007
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