Bylaw: Article V, Section C, Item 9
“To participate a second season in a sport, all students must have accumulated at least 24 semester/36 quarter (or equivalent) institutional credit hours…To participate the third season in a sport, all students must have accumulated at least 48 semester/72 quarter (or equivalent) institutional credit hours…To participate the fourth season in a sport, all students must have accumulated at least 72 semester/108 quarter (or equivalent) institutional credit hours, at least 48 semester/72 quarter hours of which must be in general education and/or in the student’s major field of study.”
Interpretation
At times, an official transcript may show that based on a term-by-term summation, the student has a more institutional credit hours than what the cumulative total shows at the conclusion of the transcript. For certification purposes, the NAIA institution will calculate the 24/36-Hour Rule based on the total institutional credits listed in each applicable term at face value. However, if some of these credits are removed in the cumulative totals listed at the end of the transcript, for purposes of the Progress Rule the NAIA institution must rely on the total cumulative credits listed at the end of the transcript.
Example
A student’s transcript shows he passed 12 institutional credit hours in his first term of attendance (fall) and also 12 institutional credits in his second term of attendance (spring). For each of these terms, the “term total” shows 12 earned hours, along with passing grades in each course. In the fall term, the student took a required Freshman Seminar course for one credit hour that is included in the term total. However, institutional policy states this course does not count towards a degree and therefore is removed from his overall cumulative total. His cumulative total shows only 23 earned credit hours.
For purposes of the 24/36-Hour Rule, because each term shows he earned 12 institutional credit hours, he will satisfy the rule. However, since the Progress Rule relies on the overall cumulative total, he has only earned 23 institutional credit hours and does not satisfy the rule.
Related Bylaws
Article V, Section B, Item 9: Institutional Credit
Article V, Section C, Item 6: 24/36-Hour Rule
NEC Interp – Creation date unknown. Current as of: October 2016
