Bylaw: Article V, Section C, Item 8
“Upon reaching junior academic standing as defined by the institution, a student must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.000 on a 4.000 scale. The 2.000 cumulative GPA or higher must be certified each grading period in which the student wishes to compete after junior academic standing is reached.”
Interpretation
The qualification of “junior academic standing” is dependent on the NAIA institution in which the student is being certified for continuing student-athletes. Or, the previous institution’s qualification if the student is a transfer student.
Application
For purposes of this rule, transfer students’ academic standing is evaluated in a specifc way upon their first term of attendance at an NAIA institution, regardless of academic policy the current NAIA institution may have in place for continuing students. For certifying transfer students in their first term of attendance at an NAIA institution, we rely on the prior institution’s determination of academic standing. We don’t defer to how the NAIA institution views the student until the student’s second term of attendance at the institution. Therefore, upon identifying for the first time at an NAIA institution, if the previous institution did not consider the student to have achieved “junior academic standing”, even though the student’s new NAIA institution might consider him a junior, we would defer to the previous institution for certification purposes. Once the student has identified at the NAIA institution for one academic term, we would then default to the NAIA institution’s policy on “junior academic standing” to make this determination.
Example
NAIA College’s institutional policy states junior standing is achieved when a student has earned 62 cumulative hours. A transfer student identifies at NAIA College, and has a total of 59 earned credits from his prior institution (State College). State College defines junior status as being achieved when a student earnes 58 credit hours. For this student to be certified at NAIA College, in his first term he will be determined to have achieved junior standing in keeping with his State College’s assessment. After his first term of attendance at NAIA College, he will be determined to be a junior only if he has earned 62 hours, as required by NAIA College’s policy.
Related Bylaws
Article V, Section C, Item 9: Progress Rule – Note the bylaw amendment for the Progress Rule effective May 1, 2022 which states “To participate in a second, third and/or fourth season in a sport, all students must have and maintain a total cumulative GPA of at least 2.000 on a 4.000 scale.”
NEC Interp – Creation date unknown. Current as of: November 2014
