3.2.11. The institution’s chief executive officer has ultimate responsibility for, and exercises appropriate administrative and fiscal control over, the institution’s intercollegiate athletics program.  Narrative:  The chief executive officer at The University of Texas (UT) at Arlington is the President, and he has the ultimate responsibility for UT Arlington’s intercollegiate athletics program. [1] Evidence that the President is responsible for the athletics program is found in the UT System Board of Regents Rules and Regulations, Series 20201 and 50801. Series 20201, Section 4, [2] states that the president of a UT institution has the general authority and responsibility for the administration of that institution. Series 50801 [3] states that it is the president’s responsibility to enforce any necessary rules and regulations in order to be in compliance with Article III, Section 9, General Appropriations Act, 78th Legislative Session, which outlines legislative directives for intercollegiate athletic programs in Texas institutions of higher education. [4] The stipulations outlined in Series 20201 and 50801 are also noted responsibilities in UT Arlington’s Presidential job description. [5]  Fiscal Control:  The President demonstrates appropriate fiscal control over the University’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics in the following ways: (a) the President reviews and approves the annual budget for the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics; (b) the fiscal activity of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is subject to the same fiscal requirements, policies and procedures as all other University departments; (c) all Department of Intercollegiate Athletics financial or business-related documents or transactions are processed through the University’s Business and Accounting Services and are subject to review at any time and (d) all disbursements of gifts are in accordance with the policies of the University, the UT System and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).  The structure of development at UT Arlington is hybrid: a centralized/decentralized structure with three major gift officers and an annual giving staff that are located within a central office. One gift officer is housed in the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. UT Arlington does not have an athletics foundation.  UT Arlington Fiscal Regulation 2-8 [6] provides written policy on the oversight of fundraising activities at the Institution. This regulation outlines fund: (a) responsibility, (b) processing, (c) statement of accounts supporting documentation for cash type gifts, (d) special instructions and (e) stewardship of gifts. In accordance with UT System Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents, Series 60101, [7] the UT System Gift Acceptance Procedures [8] and UT Arlington Regulations, all gifts to the University, regardless of what kind, are processed through the Office for Development. As evidenced by the Southland Conference Compliance Program Review [9] and UT System audits, [10] [11] [12] [13] UT Arlington’s Intercollegiate Athletics Program is audited regularly.  Director of Intercollegiate Athletics:  As shown in the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics Organizational Chart, [14] UT Arlington’s President delegates day-to-day athletic activities to the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. The Director of Intercollegiate Athletics is appointed by, reports to, and serves at the pleasure of the President. The supervisory authority of the President is recognized in UT Arlington’s Handbook of Operating Procedures (HOP), Sub Chapter 5-1901, [15] and in the UT Arlington Intercollegiate Athletics Policy and Procedure Manual. [16] The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics Organizational Chart also provides evidence that the Institution’s Athletics Compliance Coordinator has direct access to the President regarding compliance and ethics issues.   The President is actively involved in overseeing the operations of the UT Arlington Intercollegiate Athletics Program, as policy changes cannot be implemented without Presidential approval. The President meets at least monthly with the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics to review and discuss athletics-related issues, including: (a) personnel, (b) student-athlete academic and athletic performance, (c) compliance matters, (d) NCAA and Southland Conference issues and (d) departmental fiscal affairs.    Athletics Council/Intercollegiate Athletics Compliance Committee:  UT Arlington’s HOP, Subchapter 3-1000, [17] and the Department of Athletics Policy and Procedure Manual, [16] outline the membership, responsibilities and structure of UT Arlington’s Athletics Council/Intercollegiate Athletics Compliance Committee. This committee, comprised of faculty, administrators, staff and students, provides additional oversight to the Intercollegiate Athletics Program. Members of the Committee are appointed by the President and include: (a) a minimum of five faculty members, each selected from a different college/school; (b) three students (the Student Congress President, the chair of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and the representative to the Southland Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee); (c) the Director of Athletics; (d) the Athletics Compliance Coordinator; (e) the Athletics Senior Woman Administrator; (f) the Assistant Athletics Director for Business and Operations; (g) the Athletics Academics and Life Skills Coordinator; (h) a representative of the Registrar’s Office; (i) the Director of Scholarships; (j) a representative from the Office of Admissions; (k) the Assistant Vice President for Management Services; (l) a representative from the University’s Accounting and Business Services and (m) two other at-large faculty or staff members. The Committee, which is co-chaired by the Faculty Athletics Representative and the Director of Athletics, meets monthly and reports directly to the President through the Institution’s Compliance Officer.  The Athletics Council/Intercollegiate Athletics Compliance Committee is responsible for the following: (a) advising the University Administration regarding the long- and short-term objectives of the University’s Intercollegiate Athletics programs and policies; (b) providing the University with representation in the various national, state and regional intercollegiate organizations, conferences and associations; (c) monitoring oversight for compliance related activities of the department and the Intercollegiate Athletics Program and (d) making recommendations to the President regarding promotional, fund-raising and booster club or support group activities; Department of Intercollegiate Athletics operating policies and procedures; guidelines and philosophy in the scheduling of Athletics’ contests and events; and other institutional policies and procedures that affect intercollegiate athletics.    The Athletics Council/Intercollegiate Athletics Compliance Committee also has the following standing subcommittees with specific oversight responsibilities: (a) Executive; (b) Rules Compliance and Institutional Control; (c) Academic Integrity; (d) Fiscal Integrity and (e) Student Welfare, Gender and Minority Issues.  Annual Operating Budget:  The annual operating budget for the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is formulated by the Director of Athletics and the Associate Athletics Director for Finance and Administration in accordance with University policy and procedures outlined in Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) Core Requirement 2.11. [18] The annual budget is recommended each year in a formal meeting with the University President and the Vice President for Business Affairs and Controller and must be approved by the President before being submitted to the UT System Budget Office and the Board of Regents for approval.    Athletic Conference Memberships:  UT Arlington is a Division I member of the NCAA [19] and a member of the Southland Conference [20] and must abide by the rules and regulations of both of these organizations. The NCAA requires that university presidents be responsible for certifying that the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics’ policies, programs and activities are in compliance with NCAA rules and regulations. NCAA Article 2.2.1 [21] states that chief executive officers are responsible for all aspects of athletics program administration. NCAA Article 6.1.1 [22] states that the chief executive officer has “ultimate responsibility and final authority for the conduct of the intercollegiate athletics program and the actions of any board in control of that program.” According to Article 4.02 of the Southland Conference 2005-2006 Operating Manual, [23] the Board of Directors of the Southland Conference shall be composed of the chief executive officers of member institutions. The UT Arlington President serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Southland Conference.    Every ten years, each NCAA Division I member institution must conduct a self-study as a component of a certification program to determine whether or not the institution is in compliance with the NCAA Operating Principles. This self-study and certification process is similar to the process of accreditation of institutions conducted by SACS. A primary component of the athletics certification process is to confirm that the institution’s president provides the appropriate oversight to the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Appropriate presidential authority and oversight was confirmed when UT Arlington was last reviewed and certified by the NCAA in 1997. [24] UT Arlington began its most recent self-study of the Intercollegiate Athletics Program in the spring of 2006.  Recruiting and Academic Performance Standards:  UT Arlington follows the recruiting guidelines established by the NCAA Division I Manual, Article 13, Recruiting. [25] Article 13 outlines recruitment regulations governing: (a) contacts and evaluations, (b) offers and inducements, (c) admissions and graduation data, (d) recruiting materials, (e) entertainment, (f) transportation, (g) official and unofficial visits, (h) letter of intent programs, (i) recruiting funds and (j) pre-college expenses.  UT Arlington also abides by the academic performance guidelines outlined by NCAA Division I Manual, Article 14, Eligibility, Academic and General Requirements. [26] Chapter 14 outlines academic guidelines governing: (a) general eligibility requirements, (b) seasons of competition, (c) freshman academic requirements, (d) progress towards degree requirements and (e) transfer requirements.