As an enhancement to and extension of their academic curriculum, Caltech offers 16 intercollegiate teams for our undergraduate and eligible graduate students. Athletics and other recreational pursuits area a valuable piece of a young person’s holistic development but should not interfere with the priority of exemplary academic progress. Caltech is a member of two organizations that regulate scholar athlete participation in addition to our own internal polices and best practices. These are nationally, the National Collegiate Athletic Association and locally the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in partnership with the eight other D3 schools in our area. Each organization has rules and procedures that prioritize and emphasize the priority of the academic experience for scholar athletes as well as have several specific rules and requirements for us to comply with. Likewise, our department has best practices for coaches and students and is administered and monitored to that end, these include the use of
NCAA The main philosophical principles
- Article 1, Principle A: Primacy of academic experience:
- Intercollegiate student-athletes are matriculated, degree-seeking students in good standing with their institutions who choose voluntarily to participate in NCAA sports. It is the responsibility of each member institution to establish and maintain an environment in which a student-athlete’s activities are conducted with the appropriate primary emphasis on the student-athlete’s academic experience. Intercollegiate athletics programs shall be maintained as a vital component of each institution’s broader educational program. The admission, academic standing and academic progress of student-athletes shall be consistent with the policies and standards adopted by the institution. (Adopted: 1/20/22 effective 8/1/22
- Article 14.1: General Eligibility 14.01.2 Academic Status.
- To be eligible to represent an institution in intercollegiate athletics competition, a student-athlete shall be enrolled in at least a minimum full-time program of studies, be in good academic standing and maintain satisfactory progress toward a baccalaureate or equivalent degree. A student-athlete enrolled in a two-year degree program shall be eligible only if that student-athlete was admitted to the institution under the same standards as four-year degree-seeking students and if the two-year degree program is not a terminal program. A waiver of the minimum full-time enrollment requirement may be granted for a student enrolled in the final term of the baccalaureate program (see Bylaw 14.1.7.1.7.1). Also, a student may represent the institution while enrolled as a graduate or professional student or while enrolled and seeking a second baccalaureate degree at the same institution.
- Article 14.1.7 Full Time Enrollment Requirement for Practice or Competition.
- To be eligible for practice or competition, a student-athlete shall be enrolled in at least a minimum full-time program of studies leading to a baccalaureate or equivalent degree as defined by the institution. For purposes of this bylaw and its subsections, to be eligible for competition, a student-athlete shall be enrolled in not less than 12-semester or quarter hours, regardless of the institution's definition of minimum full-time program of studies. For practice only, a violation of this bylaw shall be considered an institutional violation per Bylaw 20.15.2; however, it shall not affect the student-athlete's eligibility. [D] (Revised: 1/10/92, 1/11/00, 1/10/05, 10/20/09, 12/5/14, 7/22/20 effective 8/1/20)
- Article 14.4: Satisfactory Progress Requirements
- To be eligible to represent an institution in intercollegiate athletics competition, a student-athlete shall maintain satisfactory progress toward a baccalaureate or equivalent degree at that institution as determined by the regulations of that institution. As a general requirement, "satisfactory progress" is to be interpreted at each member institution by the academic authorities who determine the meaning of such phrases for all students, subject to controlling legislation of the conference(s) or similar association of which the institution is a member. (See Bylaw 20.8.4.1 regarding the obligations of members to publish their satisfactory-progress requirements for student-athletes and Bylaw 14.01.2 for the requirements for student-athletes enrolled in two-year degree programs.) (Revised: 1/10/05, 8/18/06)
- Article 17.01: Institutional Limitations on activities to minimize interference with academic program of student athletes.
- Article 17.01.4.2: Student Athlete shall not miss class for practice or a game in the non-traditional season.
SCIAC General operating principles
- Conference scheduling parameters to minimize missed class wherever possible.
- Request granted to have specific scheduling “bye” for our mid-term and final exam periods.
Caltech further best practices.
- Division of the Day in the academic calendar to allow for non-academic activities to take places for all students.
- Student-Athletes are indistinguishable from student body in terms of outcomes, expectations, and discipline.
- Teams have faculty as liaisons to be available to students, understand all that goes into coaching/participation.
- Students make decisions to miss practice or contests when needed for academic commitments.
- Department policy to not have games during weekdays of midterms and finals.
- Monitor scholar-athlete progress, counsel students out of team when appropriate.
- Collaborate with Dean’s and registrar’s office in multiple ways to monitor academic progress.
- Dean decides in collaboration with AD if a scholar athlete becomes academically ineligible to compete whether they may continue in practice. Decisions based on if practice is helpful or not to their time management and academic improvement plan.
