(Please find below the minutes from the December 11 meeting of the NCAA
Self-Study Steering Committee. The next meeting will be Wednesday
afternoon, January 15, at 3:30 in the Chancellor's Conference Room. All are
welcome.)


UTC NCAA Certification Self-Study Steering Committee

December 11, 2002


Attending Steering Committee Meeting:

Missy Breeden           Bill Miller             Steve Sloan
Leroy Fanning           Matt Pope               Paul Watson
Mike Jones              Fred O'Bear             Barbara Wofford


Excused:
Marvin Ernst            Venessa Marsh           John Thornton
Debbie Ingram           Laura Mincy


Chairman Watson called the meeting to order by asking everyone to look over
the minutes from the last meeting, Wednesday, November 27, 2002.  Once
everyone had a chance to read over the minutes, he called for an approval,
which Leroy Fanning gave and Bill Miller seconded.  The minutes were approved.

Dr. Watson asked Bill Miller, chairman of the Fiscal Integrity
subcommittee, if the Fiscal Integrity report for the self-study was ready
to be discussed by the committee.   Mr. Miller affirmed that it was.  The
committee had not been able to get through the entire report at the last
meeting due to time constraints.

Status of Prior Self-Study Recommendations and Suggestions:
Self-Study Recommendation No. 3 - Mr. Miller's subcommittee had found that
this recommendation of establishing operating policies and procedures for
summer sports camps had not always been adhered to.  Due to turnover this
recommendation had not been observed until recently.  However, under the
current Athletics Director's tenure this recommendation is being observed
and adhered to.

Self-Study Recommendation No. 4 - The committee discussed the lack of a
maintained and updated finance manual until the current Athletics
Director's tenure.

Self-Study Recommendation No. 5 - This recommendation of having a "reserve
fund" to offset any deficit in the athletics department was said to be a
great idea, but a "reserve" was unrealistic expectation.  In order to have
this take place the department would have to have a large donation that
would allow the department to operate an entire year.  The committee
decided this was an ideal that could never be reached.

Peer-review team Recommendation No. 6 (Operating Principle No. 1):  The
Fiscal Integrity Subcommittee found the budget oversight role of the
athletics board has been expanded by meeting at least twice annually.

Peer-review team Recommendation No. 7 (Operating Principle No. 2):
Subcommittee found that this recommendation of establishing written
procedures to operationalize and monitor fund-raising responsibilities for
athletics coaches has changed since the last self-study.  The last
self-study found that all athletics coaches had the responsibility of
fund-raising for their sport.  That has been changed to a specific person
in athletics responsible for this duty.  This procedure is working and
running well currently.

Dr. Watson stated at this point that all suggestions the 1996 peer-review
team had given should be addressed consistently by all subcommittees. Dr.
Watson said he would look at the "suggestion" letter and report to the
committee as to how to handle this section.  This will be discussed once
all reports are handed back to the subcommittees for their recommendations.

Section 3.1, Number 1 -Prepare a list of all revenue sources for
intercollegiate athletics that are under the clear accounting and financial
control of the institution.  Also, prepare a list of all other sources
(i.e., those not under the accounting and financial control of the
institution) generating revenue on behalf of the institution's
intercollegiate athletics program, including outside foundations.

Athletic Director, Steve Sloan, stated that all "clubs" have now been
placed into the Blue and Gold Club under 503C status.

Section 3.1, Number 4 - Describe the ways in which your institution
approves expenditures for intercollegiate athletics, including a
description of different procedures based on various sources of finding
(e.g., state funds vs. restricted/foundations funds).

Bill Miller stated that this process has changed since the 1996 self-study.
 Invoices are now forwarded to Matt Pope then to Coach Sloan for approval.
This gives the athletic department more internal control than in the past.

Dr. Watson suggested a referral to an appendix be placed in the last
paragraph instead of the said statement placed directly behind this
section.  He also reminded all subcommittee chairs to look for e-mails,
which will explain the set-up of the university self-study.

Section 3.1, Number 5 - Please attach copies of the management letters (or
executive or management summaries) of the institution's three most recent
external (those used to satisfy the annual independent financial audit
requirement in Constitution 6.2.3.1) and internal (if any) financial audits
for intercollegiate athletics.

Dr. Watson questioned the statement in the report of "Insert Reports Here".
 Shouldn't only the management letters be here instead of the entire audit
report?  Mr. Miller stated the audits did not have management letters.  Dr.
Watson wanted to know if there were summary letters.  Mr. Miller stated
there were, but within the body of the audit not at the front.  Dr. Watson
stated all that was needed were these summary letters, nothing more.

Section 3.2, No. 1 - Explain the institution's philosophy with respect to
the funding of the athletics program.

Bill Miller credited Debbie Parker, Richard Brown and Matt Pope in helping
answer this section.  Matt Pope noted that some minor changes needed to be
made to this section to accurately depict exactly how the budget is
currently completed.

Coach Steve Sloan, Athletics Director, took this time and section to bring
up a point to the committee of student fees being implemented as a way to
assemble funds for athletics.  Currently the university's student fees are
a set amount and athletics receives a fixed amount from these fees.  Coach
Sloan suggested changing the student fees to a percentage of each hour
taken by a student.  He used the example of $10 for each credit hour taken.
 Coach Sloan gave examples of many schools that depend on student fees as a
way to fund their athletics programs.

Dr. O'Bear brought up the mention of the Tennessee Higher Education
Commission (THEC) in this section.  He stated that everyone from the Peer
Review team would not be from Tennessee; therefore unfamiliar with the
commission.  He suggested that a sentence be added to this section stated
what the THEC actually is and its purpose.  He also suggested a sentence in
this section concerning the possibility of an increase of student fees
being implemented.

Section 3.2, No. 3 - Describe the institutional procedures that are in
place to address any deficit in the intercollegiate athletics budget
incurred during any fiscal year(s).

Any over expenditure can be moved to a gift fund.  Coach Sloan stated that
there are three categories of gifting:
1.      Restricted - A gift given to a particular sport to be used only by that
sport
2.      Unrestricted - A gift given to the athletics department as a whole to be
done with as the        athletics board and director sees the need.
3.      In-kind - A gift which is a non-cash, can be a product or service given
to the athletics
     department to be used when needed.

Section 3.2, No. 4 - Outline the sources, uses and amounts of subsidization
of the intercollegiate athletics program from nonathletics department
and/or noninstiutional sources.

Again, Dr. Watson suggested the many tables that are associated with this
item should be shown as appendices instead directly behind the item.

Section 3.2, No. 6 - Describe how the university will accommodate future
financing needs of the intercollegiate athletics program or plans to
respond to changing conditions based upon the institution's future
financing projections.

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) was again mentioned as in
Section 3.2, No. 1.  The committee thought the possibility of the THEC
being disbanded should be mentioned within this item.

Section 3.2, No. 7 - After reviewing the institution Equity in Athletics
Disclosure Act survey forms for the three most recent years for which the
information is available, comment on the institution's provision of full
and stable opportunities to student-athletes. In particular, provide
comment, sport-by-sport on per diem, via fundraising and other applicable
comparisons.  Analyze, explain and address any significant discrepancies.

Bill Miller suggested the need to refer to the Equity, Welfare and
Sportsmanship report in section four of the self-study.  Committee agreed
to this need.

Section 3.2, No. 8 - Please attach a copy of Part II of the institution's
NCAA Sports Sponsorship Report for the three most recent academic years.

Mr. Miller had obtained a copy of one year of this report.  The report is
done via the internet and only this copy could be found.  Missy Breeden
asked permission to contact the NCAA in order to obtain the other two
years.  Dr. Watson was concerned as to the amount of information that given
in just the one year that Mr. Miller had.  Dr. Watson stated he wanted to
check the self-study of another institution as to what this section looked
like.  He felt that the subcommittee might have misunderstood exactly what
was being asked for.  Dr. Watson said he would e-mail Mrs. Breeden as to
whether she should contact the NCAA for the missing information.

Dr. Watson indicated it was time for Old Business - He wanted each
chairperson to wait until everything is returned to each subcommittee
before the evaluation is done by the steering committee.  A list of
"Information to be found" will be compiled to ensure everything can be
obtained in a timely manner when the Peer Review team is on campus.

New Business - Dr. Watson asked Missy Breeden to contact Sandy Zitkus as to
the clearinghouse information needed for Dr. Mike Jones' subcommittee,
Academic Integrity, section one.  She was asked to not contact her until
the next week as to grades will be going out.

Dr. Watson stated the Section 4; Equity, Welfare and Sportsmanship will be
completed after December 18, 2002 once Eileen Meagher returns from her trip.

Dr. Watson asked for the Academic and Fiscal Integrity reports sent to him
as soon as possible.  He would like all information completed by January
31, 2003.  He also asked anyone to please e-mail Mrs. Breeden if anyone
failed to get the e-mails and attachment he had sent the chairpersons.

Dr. Watson asked if anyone felt the need for another Steering Committee
meeting before the holidays.  The committee had no need.  Dr. Watson
proposed the next meeting would probably be January 8, 2003, but Mrs.
Breeden would confirm that with an e-mail when the time was closer.  With
that said he wished everyone a happy holiday season.

The Steering Committee meeting was then adjourned at 5:05pm


Respectfully Submitted



Missy Breeden
Liaison to the NCAA Committee