Roger Williams University Athletics

Recreational Services

Compliance

Academic Eligibility

In order to participate in athletics, all students must be enrolled in a full course of studies (12 credits minimum,) be in good academic standing, and be making satisfactory progress as defined by the University. A student athlete in his/her final semester can carry less than 12 credits, but this MUST be approved in advance by the Compliance Coordinator.

Satisfactory Academic Standing

Students must meet the following minimum criteria to be eligible to participate in athletics:

End of Semester	Minimum Credits	Minimum GPA
1	12	1.7
2	24	1.8
3	36	1.9
4	48	2.0
5	60	2.0
6	72	2.0
7	84	2.0
8	96	2.0

Any student who falls below 12 credits will become immediately ineligible; participation as an ineligible athlete will cause the team to forfeit the game and can hold further consequences.

A student who falls below the academic standards will become ineligible to practice or compete at the start of the following semester (i.e. A student-athlete who becomes ineligible after the Fall semester can continue to compete at the coach’s discretion, until the start of the Spring semester.)

Amateurism

In order to be eligible for NCAA competition, an individual must have amateur status in the sport he/she is competing. An individual loses amateur status if the individual:

Accepts money for participating or competing in that sport (Exception – Before collegiate enrollment, prize money may be accepted for performance in an athletic contest.)
Is paid/reimbursed for expenses incurred while participating/competing
Enters into an agreement with an agent, signs a contract, enters a professional draft, or accepts a promise of pay even if such pay is to be received following completion of NCAA eligibility.
Competes on a professional athletics team, even if no pay or remuneration of expenses was received (i.e. If any player on the team is receiving money or expenses, the team is classified as professional.)

Hazing

The term ‘hazing’ as it applies to RWU athletics is defined as:

Planning, directing, or committing acts which willfully or recklessly endanger the physical or mental health of a student, or subjects the person to ridicule, embarrassment, or unlawful activity for the purpose of initiation, admission into, affiliation with, or as a condition for continued membership in, a group or organization.

Any individual and/or teams taking part in any initiation or hazing will be subject to State Law, Department of Athletics, and Student Judicial Affairs penalties which would be determined on a case-by-case basis.

Gambling

It is against NCAA regulations for student athletes to become involved in gambling activities related to intercollegiate or professional athletics. This includes:

Providing information to individuals involved in gambling concerning intercollegiate athletics competition
Soliciting or accepting a bet on any intercollegiate competition
Engaging in activities designed to influencing the outcome of an intercollegiate contest or to affect win-loss margins (i.e., ‘point shaving.’)

Use of Banned Drugs

The NCAA requires all student-athletes to submit to random drug testing. A student-athlete who is found to have used a substance on the banned drug list will be ineligible for one calendar year following the positive drug test. The student-athlete will lose at least one year of eligibility in all sports.

The list of banned drugs includes all illegal and ‘street drugs,’ stimulants, steroids, and all performance enhancers, and can be found in the Athletic Training Room.

“All nutritional/dietary supplements carry some risk of containing an NCAA banned substance because they are not well regulated and may be contaminated. Failure to check out any supplement with your sports medicine staff prior to use may result in a failed appeal for a positive drug test. Student-athletes are responsible for anything they ingest”.

Any student-athlete who participates in these activities will become ineligible for all intercollegiate competition for a minimum of one year from the date of the violation and will lose at least one year of eligibility in all sports. After this time, the student can apply for reinstatement but it is not guaranteed.