Western New Mexico University Athletics

The following information is provided by the Western New Mexico Athletic Department for current and prospective student-athletes.

INSTITUTIONAL CONTROL
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) declares that each institution (WNMU) is responsible for the control of its intercollegiate athletics program and compliance with the rules and regulations of the NCAA. This control includes the conduct and actions of all staff members and other individuals or agencies that promote the athletic interests of WNMU.
KEY COMPLIANCE DEFINITIONS

Prospective Student Athlete: A student who has started classes for the ninth grade or above, including students in prep schools and junior colleges, and individuals who have officially withdrawn from four-year schools. Any student not yet in ninth grade becomes a prospect if an institution provides the student with any financial aid and/or benefits that are generally not provided to prospective students. Click here for the NCAA Guide to College Bound Student Athletes.
Contact: Any face-to-face encounter between a prospect or the prospect’s parent/legal guardian, and a WNMU staff member or representative of athletics interest (booster) during which any dialogue occurs.
Recruiting: Any solicitation of a prospect or a prospect’s family member/legal guardian by a WNMU staff member for the purpose of securing the prospect’s enrollment and ultimate participation in WNMU intercollegiate athletics program.
Extra Benefit: An extra benefit is any special arrangement by a WNMU employee or a representative of athletics interest to provide a student-athlete or the student-athlete’s representative, friend or family with a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation.
National Letter of Intent (NLI): An official document administered by the Collegiate Commissioners Association and utilized by subscribing member institutions, including WNMU, to establish the commitment of a prospective student-athlete to attend a particular institution. Click here for more information on the NLI.
NCAA Eligibility Center: A central clearinghouse that certifies athletics eligibility for Division I and II student-athletes. The center uses high school courses and test scores (ACT/SAT) to determine freshman athletics eligibility. Click here for more information on the Eligibility Center. Student-atheltes enrolling at an NCAA Division I or II institution for the first time need to also complete the amateurism questionnaire through the Eligibility Center website.  Students need to request final amateurism certification prior to enrollment. Click here to find out more on amateurism.
ELIGIBILITY TO COMPETE IN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS
Western New Mexico University is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competing in Division II.
The numerous rules of the NCAA governing eligibility and compliance change on a yearly basis. If a student-athlete has questions about their eligibility, they need to check their status with the Director of Athletics, Assistant-Director of Athletics, the Compliance Officer, or the Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) for the most up-to-date rules and regulations.
The philosophy of Western New Mexico University is that all students, whether they are student-athletes or not, should be treated equably. However, owing to eligibility considerations, student-athletes’ grades and/or class attendance is often checked at more frequent intervals than students who do not participate in athletics.
Freshmen Academic Requirements: All freshmen must register with the NCAA Eligibility Center and must complete the NCAA Amateurism Certification questionnaire.
To be eligible to compete in NCAA sports during your first year at a Division II school, you must meet academic requirements for your core courses, grade-point average (GPA) and test scores.
You must graduate high school and meet ALL the following requirements:

• Complete 16 core courses:
  • Three years of English.
  • Two years of math (Algebra 1 or higher).
  • Two years of natural or physical science (including one year of lab science if your high school offers it).
  • Three additional years of English, math or natural or physical science
  • Two years of social science
  • Four additional years of English, math, natural or physical science, social science, foreign language, comparative religion or philosophy
• Earn at least a 2.2 GPA in your core courses.
• Earn an SAT combined score or ACT sum score matching your core-course GPA on the Division II sliding scale, which balances your test score and core-course GPA. If you have a low test score, you need a higher core-course GPA to be eligible. If you have a low core-course GPA, you need a higher test score to be eligible.

A qualifier has met all of the above criteria and can receive athletic aid, practice, and compete as a freshman.
A partial qualifier has only met some of the above criteria and can receive athletic aid and practice, as a freshman, but cannot compete.
A non-qualifier has not met any of the above criteria and cannot receive athletic aid, cannot practice, and cannot compete as a freshman.
*Both partial qualifier and non-qualifier need to fulfill a year of residence before they can compete.

Freshmen should take the compass test, when needed, and be place in the appropriate English or mathematics courses. They should then be advised into appropriate general education or intended major courses.

Transfer Academic Requirements:

1. All two and four-year transfer students must register or be registered with the NCAA Eligibility Center (Clearing House) and must complete a NCAA Amateurism Certification questionnaire.
2. An official copy of any previously attended two or four-year institution must be mailed to the WNMU Admissions office.
3. A meeting will need to be set up with the Compliance Coordinator, in order to determine athletic eligibility, as transfer regulations vary from student to student. Contact Compliance Coordinator here

General Considerations for All Student-Athletes: Student-athletes must:

1. Be a full-time student - minimum enrollment of 15 credit hours per semester.
   Drop/Add/Withdraw from a course - full-time enrollment is determined when the drop/add/withdrawal becomes official in accordance with procedures for all students.
   Final semester - can be less than full-time if the student is taking the necessary courses to complete the degree requirements as certified by the institution. 
2. Be in good academic standing – as defined by the institution for all students who are at an equivalent stage of progress toward a degree.

Seasons of Competition/10-Semester Rule: A student cannot compete in more than four seasons of competition in any one sport. All competition must be completed in the first 10 semesters of collegiate enrollment. A semester is used when a student is registered in a regular term (fall or spring semester) in an institution for a minimum full-time program of studies (12 or more semester hours).
Maintain Satisfactory Progress Towards a Degree: A student will maintain satisfactory progress towards a degree as defined by the institution. Satisfactory progress is determined at the beginning of the fall term.

1. Completion of an average of 18 semester hours per term during previous academic year (fall and spring) with a minimum of 9 successfully completed hours per term (fall and spring).
2. Completion of 24 semester hours since the beginning of the previous fall term. 75% of minimum during regular academic year (i.e. up to six hours in the summer. Summer courses taken at another institution can be transferred to WNMU and count toward satisfactory progress only if the student has received prior approval from the faculty athletics representative or compliance coordinator.

Designation of a Degree Program (Major): NCAA requires all student-athletes (native and transfer) to declare a major at the beginning of their fourth semester. They are then assigned an advisor in an academic department, and must file a degree plan signed by the advisor with the Department of Athletics. Student-athletes are required to keep their degree plan current.
Hours Accepted for Degree Credit: First two years – successful completion of 24 credits per year towards any degree.

1. Beginning with the fifth semester, courses taken must be successfully completed and count towards the specific designated degree program, i.e., a student-athlete must successfully complete 24 credits per year from the designated degree program.

Change in a Degree Program:

1. Must be appropriately documented.
2. Credit before and after change must be credited to appropriate program.
3. Courses the student must repeat do not count towards satisfactory progress.

Incomplete Grades and Repeated Courses:

1. Institution’s regulations for all students apply.
2. The course may be used only once.

If you have any more questions, please contact the Compliance Coordinator here