Roger Williams University Athletics

The Department of Athletics at Roger Williams University seeks to create and maintain an environment of compliance in accordance with the bylaws of NCAA Division III and the Commonwealth Coast Conference.

All students wishing to participate in varsity athletics at Roger Williams must complete mandatory compliance forms on an annual basis, prior to trying out, practicing, or competing in a sport. For instructions on how to complete the necessary forms and be cleared to participate, contact Kelly Thompson, Compliance Coordinator at kmthompson@rwu.edu or 401-254-3748.
 

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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.

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-athlete who falls below 12 credits will become immediately ineligible; participation as an ineligible student-athlete could result in forfeiture of contests and other consequences.

A student-athlete who falls below the minimum academic standards will become ineligible to practice or compete at the start of the following semester.

Academic assistance is available through Mike Tully, Assistant Director of Athletics for Academic Services.

Gambling
According to NCAA Bylaw 10.3, Gambling Activities, student-athletes and athletic department staff members shall not knowingly:

• Provide information to individuals involved in organized gambling activities concerning intercollegiate athletics competition
• Solicit a bet on any intercollegiate team
• Accept a bet on any team representing the institution
• Solicit or accept a bet on any intercollegiate competition for any item that has tangible value
• Participate in any gambling activity that involves intercollegiate athletics or professional athletics, through a bookmaker, parlay card, or any other method employed by organized gambling.

Some examples of gambling activities that are not permitted (unless there are no prizes or monetary value assigned to the winner) are:

• Super Bowl pools
• March Madness pools
• Fantasy Leagues (i.e. Fantasy Football, Fantasy Baseball)

Medical Hardship Waivers
If a student-athlete suffers a season-ending injury, he/she may be eligible for a medical hardship waiver, which, if granted, will result in an additional year of eligibility. In order to be eligible for a medical hardship waiver, student-athletes must:

• Have had an injury or illness in the first half of the traditional season
• Competed in less than one-third of the team’s schedule

Information that the student must submit for a medical hardship waiver to the Compliance Coordinator:

• A letter from a doctor explaining the injury (including dates) and a statement that the injury was season-ending
• Doctor, surgery, and athletic training notes regarding your injury
• The team schedule of the season as well as any statistics that would aid in proving the student-athlete’s eligibility for a waiver.

Compliance Requirements Prior to Participation
All student-athletes must complete a compliance meeting with the Compliance Coordinator prior to participating in practice or contests. Student-athletes should contact their coach to find out when their team compliance meeting is scheduled. If a student-athlete misses the team meeting, he/she should contact the Compliance Coordinator about scheduling a meeting, as walk-ins will not be accommodated.

• Student-Athlete Statement
• Drug Testing Consent Form (See 2018-19 NCAA Banned Drugs for more information)
• HIPAA/Buckley Amendment Consent/Waiver Form
• CCC Sportsmanship Statement
• RWU Compliance Questionnaire
• RWU Hazing Policy

Please note that all student-athletes must also complete Athletic Training requirements prior to participation. Information regarding those particulars can be found by visiting the Sports Medicine tab on the www.rwuhawks.com website.
 

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According to NCAA Bylaw 13.1.1.2, an athletics staff member or other representative of the institutions athletics interests shall not make contact in any manner with the student-athlete of another NCAA or NAIA four-year collegiate institution, directly or indirectly, without first obtaining written permission to do so, regardless of who makes the initial contact.

Student-athletes who currently attend a NCAA Division III institution may issue, on his or her behalf, permission for another Division III institution to contact the student-athlete about a potential transfer.

The Division III self-release form is available here.

NCAA Division I and II student-athletes wishing to transfer to a Division III school must obtain written permission from their current institution’s athletics director before the Division III coach can have contact with him/her.
 

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A prospective student-athlete is a student who has started classes for the ninth grade. An individual remains a student-athlete until one of the following occurs:

• The individual officially registers and enrolls in a minimum full-time program of studies and attends classes in any term of a four-year collegiate institution’s regular academic year; or
• The individual participates in a regular squad practice or competition at a four-year collegiate institution.

Contacts
According to bylaw 13.02.5, it is permissible for Division III coaches to contact prospective student-athletes via telephone, text message, or electronic mail. Social media restrictions can best be understood by referring to the NCAA Division III Recruiting and Social Media Reference.

Unofficial Visits (Bylaw 13.7)
A prospective student-athlete may visit a member institution’s campus at his or her own expense an unlimited number of times. A prospective student-athlete may make unofficial visits before his or her senior year in high school.

Official Visits (Bylaw 13.6)
A member institution may finance only one visit to campus for a prospective student-athlete.
If you would like to do an official visit at Roger Williams University, please contact the coach directly.

Financial Aid
Roger Williams University is a NCAA Division III institution, and therefore does not offer any scholarships, grants, or other institutional aid based on athletic ability.

Division III coaches CAN inform your family about:

• Federal and institutional deadlines
• Contact information for the Financial Aid Office
• Available academic scholarships that RWU offers

Division III coaches CANNOT:

• Advocate or lobby for your family to receive additional financial aid
• Be directly involved in the awarding of financial aid

If you have questions regarding Financial Aid at Roger Williams University, please call the Financial Aid Office directly at 401-254-3100.