Apr 24, 2024  
2014-2015 Traditional Undergraduate Academic Catalog 
    
2014-2015 Traditional Undergraduate Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Athletic Eligibility


Lakeland College is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and must adhere to the policies and procedures as stated in the NCAA manual. In order to participate in athletics, full-time students (students enrolled in 12 semester hours or more) must maintain minimum academic progress toward completion of the college degree by earning at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA and by having earned a minimum of 24 semester hours during their last two full-time terms of attendance. Credit earned during part-time terms which occur between the student’s last two (2) full-time terms of attendance or immediately following the student’s last full-time term of attendance may be counted toward this 24-semester-hour rule. Also, summer and May Term courses qualify as hours earned during the previous spring term.

All students who have completed fewer than 19 semester hours and who have been enrolled at Lakeland College for only one fall or spring academic term will be allowed to remain academically eligible with a cumulative GPA of 1.75 or above.

A student-athlete may be on probation for a term, due to a low term GPA, but for athletic eligibility purposes is still regarded in good academic standing providing his/her cumulative GPA is 2.0 or better.

Developmental courses, GEN 095 - Foundations of English , GEN 105 - Learning Skills Development (2 semester hours) , GEN 100 - College Writing Workshop , GEN 101 - Reading Workshop , and GEN 102 - Mathematics Workshop  do count toward the 12 semester hours of enrollment necessary to participate in a sport. However, only six (6) semester hours earned from the completion of developmental coursework may be counted in the student’s cumulative GPA and applied toward degree completion.

Students will not receive additional credit for a repeated course in which they previously received a passing grade. For example, a grade of “D” is earned in the spring 2014 term. The course is retaken in the fall of 2014 and a grade of “C” is earned. The improved grade helps the student’s cumulative GPA, but does not count toward the number of “new” semester hours earned in the fall 2014 term for eligibility purposes. Therefore, it is important for student-athletes to be enrolled in and complete at least 12 new semester hours every spring and fall term.

If a student-athlete has withdrawn from a full term of attendance, that term will be counted for eligibility purposes. For example, a student completes the fall 2014 term and earns 16 semester hours, but withdraws from all of his/her classes (12 semester hours) during the spring 2015 term. The fall 2014 and spring 2015 terms demonstrate the student’s last two (2) full-time terms of attendance. Since student-athletes must earn 24 semester hours during their last two (2) terms of full-time attendance, this student is short eight (8) semester hours for eligibility purposes. The student must earn another eight (8) semester hours during the May Term and/or summer term. Note: If there are extenuating circumstances which caused the complete withdrawal from a term, the individual’s circumstance may be taken to the Athletic Appeal Committee for review.

Transfer Students. Upon entry to Lakeland College, a transfer student-athlete must be in good academic standing at the transferring institution, and confirmed as eligible to participate by that institution in order to participate immediately at Lakeland. Confirmation of athletic eligibility must be verified by the Northern Athletics Conference tracer report. The transfer student must have earned a 2.0 cumulative GPA and 24 semester hours within the last two (2) terms of full-time attendance. Upon completion of one full-time term of attendance (enrollment in at least 12 semester hours), the student’s grade-point-averages from Lakeland and the transfer institutions are combined to determine if the student has a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better. The semester hours from the last full-time term of attendance at the transfer institution will be combined with the number of semester hours earned during the student’s first full-time term of attendance at Lakeland to determine if the student meets the 24-semester-hour rule. After two (2) full-time terms of attendance at Lakeland, the transfer credit and GPA will not be included in the determination of athletic eligibility; however, the transfer terms will be counted to determine if the student is within his/her first 10 semesters of full-time enrollment.

Student participation in athletics is limited to 10 terms of full-time enrollment, and/or five seasons of participation, whichever occurs first.

Contingent upon approval of the Vice President of Athletics and Wellness, a student-athlete who is in his/her last term before graduation may be enrolled in fewer than 12 semester hours as long as he/she is enrolled in the courses which will enable him/her to graduate at the end of that term.