Division II Cross Country Handbook

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Committee Structure
Committees
Meetings
- Voting
- Conference Calls
Rankings
- Regional Rankings
- National Rankings
Awards

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Committee Structure

Division II Cross Country Officers

General Eligibility Requirements:
- Only coaches who are members of a Division II Program Membership Division in good standing with the USTFCCCA may be nominated for, elected to, appointed to, or serve in any office of Division II Cross Country.
Number of In-Person Meetings per Year:
- Division II Cross Country Officers meet once per year at the USTFCCCA annual convention.

Number of Conference Calls per Year:
- Division II Cross Country Officers participate in eleven regularly scheduled conference calls per year.
- Currently, Division II Cross Country Executive Committee conference calls are scheduled for the second Wednesday of the months of January through November.

President
- Selection: A rotation system moves the Vice President up to the office of President as the office of President is vacated.
- Term: Three (3) year term.
- Duties:
  - Preside at all Division II Cross Country meetings.
  - Serve as a member of the Division II Executive Council.
  - Appoint working committees as they deem necessary.
  - Appoint members of standing and working committees as necessary.
  - Appoint persons to serve on any vacancy on the Division II Cross Country Executive Committee.
  - Appoint persons to serve on any vacancy on Division II Cross Country committees.
  - Serve as an ad-hoc member of all Division II Cross Country committees.
  - In conjunction with the CEO of the USTFCCCA, act as the Division II Cross Country
    Representative before the NCAA.
    - Assist in lobbying the NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Cross Country
      Committee on issues of importance to Division II Cross Country.
  - Act as the Division II Cross Country representative before the USTFCCCA and serve on the USTFCCCA Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may meet in-person twice per year:
    - In the summer,
    - In the winter during the USTFCCCA annual convention.
  - Establish the agenda for and conduct periodic conference calls with the Executive Committee, including Conference Representatives, regarding Associational business.
  - Establish the agenda for in-person meetings of Division II Cross Country.
  - Attend the Division II Cross Country National Championships.
    - Present USTFCCCA awards at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships.

Vice President
- Selection: Candidates for Vice President are elected at the annual general meeting.
- Term: Three (3) year term.
- Duties:
  - Serve as a member of the Division II Cross Country Executive Committee.
  - Serve as a member of the Division II Executive Council.
  - Perform the duties of the President in the absence of the President.
  - Attend the Division II Cross Country annual general meeting and any other Executive
    Committee meetings.
  - Participate in Division II Cross Country Executive Committee conference calls, as
    established by the President.
  - Serve as chair of the Division II Cross Country Rankings Committee.
  - Carry out any other duties the President may from time to time assign.
  - In the event of the Vice President departing before fulfilling all of their term, the Executive Committee shall convene to first make nominations for and then vote on an interim Vice President until the next Convention, which would then follow the normal process.

Secretary
- Selection: Elected by Division II Cross Country membership.
- Term: Ongoing.
- Duties:
  - Serve as a member of the Division II Cross Country Executive Committee.
  - Serve as a member of the Division II Executive Council.
  - Keep the minutes of the Division II Cross Country annual meetings and Division II Cross
    Country Executive Committee meetings.
  - Serve on the Division II Law and Legislation Committee.
  - Attend the Division II Cross Country annual general meeting and any other Division II Cross Country Executive Committee meetings.
  - Participate in Division II Cross Country Executive Committee conference calls, as established by the President.
  - Carry out any other duties the President may from time to time assign.

Other Members of the Division II Cross Country Executive Committee

General Eligibility Requirements:
- Only coaches who are members of a Division II Program Membership Division in good standing with the USTFCCCA may be nominated for, elected to, appointed to, or serve in any office of Division II Cross Country.
Number of In-Person Meetings per Year:
- Division II Cross Country Executive Committee members meet once per year at the USTFCCCA annual convention.
Number of Conference Calls per Year:
- Division II Cross Country Executive Committee members participate in eleven regularly scheduled conference calls per year.
- Currently, Division II Cross Country Executive Committee conference calls are scheduled for the second Wednesday of the months of January through November.

Conference Representatives
- Number: One (1) per NCAA Division II conference with members that sponsor cross country and one (1) to represent NCAA Division II institutions without a conference affiliation (total of twenty- five (25)).
- Selection: Elected at the annual USTFCCCA convention. They may alternatively be elected within
  their conference or appointed as needed by the President.
- Term: Three (3) year terms such that no more than eight representatives are replaced in any year.
  Conference representatives may not serve more than two (2) consecutive terms.
- Duties:
  - Represent the concerns and interests of their conference.
  - Serve on the Division II Cross Country Executive Committee.
  - Attend the Division II Cross Country annual general meeting and any other Executive
    Committee meetings.
  - Advise coaches in the conference of the actions, policies, and services of the Association.
  - With the other Conference Representatives in the region, organize and preside at the
    annual regional business meeting to be held at the site of any regional qualifying meet.
  - Conduct the election of Division II Cross Country Conference Representatives.
  - Participate in Division II Cross Country Executive Committee conference calls, as
    established by the President.
  - Carry out any other duties the President may from time to time assign.

Past President
- Selection: The most recent outgoing President serves in the role of Past President.
- Term: One (1) year term.
- Duties:
  - Serve as a member of the Division II Cross Country Executive Committee.
  - Attend the Division II Cross Country annual general meeting and any other Executive Committee meetings.
  - Participate in Division II Cross Country Executive Committee conference calls, as established by the President.
  - Carry out any other duties the President may from time to time assign.

Division II Cross Country Committees

Standing Committees

The President may appoint any other committee(s) deemed necessary to the welfare of the Association.

Cross Country Nominations and Election Committee

Chair: Appointed by the President.
Members: Appointed by the President.
Duties:
- Develop, evaluate, and bring forth qualified candidates to present for a vote to the Qualified Membership of the cross country coaches of the Association at the annual convention when the term of the Vice President is set to expire.
- Solicit individual members who possess exceptional skills and attributes that would enable them to carry out the goals and mission of the Association and the USTFCCCA.
Meetings:
- The committee meets at the direction of the President and/or the Committee Chair.
- Conference call and/or e-mail communication may be necessary throughout the year.

Cross Country Rankings Committee

Chair: Vice President.
Members: Appointed by the Division II Cross Country President, to include up to one (1) representative per athletic conference for each gender. Of those representatives, one (1) person per region per gender shall be the ‘Lead Ranker’. A committee member may serve as his or her conference’s representative for both genders if desired, so long as that representative is not a Lead Ranker for either gender.
Duties:
- Determine regional and national poll release dates.
- The Lead Ranker is in charge of submitting the regional rankings to the USTFCCCA when
  assigned and is to serve as that region’s voter for the national poll.
- The other members of the Polls Committee shall assist the Lead Ranker when compiling
  the region rankings (e.g., weekly conference call, email thread).
- Analyze previous year’s poll methodology and make improvements as necessary.
Meetings:
- The committee meets at the direction of the President or the Committee Chair.
- Conference call and/or e-mail communication will be necessary throughout the year.
- Other conference call and/or e-mail communication may be necessary throughout the
  year.

Division II Cross Country Meetings

Convention / Annual Meeting

Purpose:
- The USTFCCCA Convention serves as the annual business meeting for USTFCCCA Division II Cross Country.
Attendance Requirement:
- Attendance at the convention/annual meeting is mandatory for all Division II Cross Country Officers, Conference Representatives, and other members of the Executive Committee. Those who will not be able to attend should notify the Division II Cross Country President as soon as possible.
Business
- The general policy of business shall be:
  - The secretary’s report
  - Other committee reports
  - Old business
  - New business

The Division II Cross Country business meetings follow the Bylaws of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, the Operating Bylaws of the NCAA Division II Program Membership Divisions, and this Handbook. When a procedural question is not defined within these documents, the Division II Cross Country business meetings follow Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.

Items of Business
- Submission of Proposals
  - The Secretary shall ensure that proposals may be submitted online at any time, through the USTFCCCA web site, and that calls for proposals are made once per quarter throughout the year.
  - The President shall ensure that all submitted proposals are distributed to the Executive Committee and that the submitter of each proposal is scheduled to present their proposal to the Executive Committee.
  - The Executive Committee shall review and discuss each proposal after it has been presented by the submitter.

The Executive Committee has three possible actions to take following their discussion of the proposal:

The Division II Cross Country President may assign the proposal to a standing committee or create a committee or working group to review the proposal and provide a recommendation to the Executive Committee
The Executive Committee may postpone the proposal until a future meeting in order to allow
more time for discussion, to gather additional information, or to gather feedback from the
membership or an outside party.
The Executive Committee may vote on the proposal (a quorum is required)

When the Executive Committee takes action on a proposal, the Secretary shall ensure that the proposal
and said action are made available to the membership through the USTFCCCA web site.
The Executive Committee’s action shall stand as the position of the membership on any proposals that
require a response prior to the next convention. A majority vote of the Executive Committee members
present under a quorum may move to designate a proposal as requiring a response prior to the next
convention. The Secretary shall ensure that the proposals requiring a response prior to the next
convention and the Executive Committee’s decision are made available to the membership prior to the
next Executive Committee meeting.

For all other proposals, once the Executive Committee votes upon a proposal; said proposal is deemed an
agenda item and will be assigned to a member(s) of the Executive Committee to present the agenda item,
and the Executive Committee’s position on said proposal, to the membership.

Once an agenda item has been presented to the membership at convention, the Division II Cross Country
President shall allow for a pre-determined period of discussion on the item. If the Executive Committee
had previously voted in favor of the agenda item, then said item would be placed on the voting ballot for
the membership at the current Convention. If the Executive Committee voted to oppose an agenda item
or takes no action on an agenda item, then the opinion of the Executive Committee stands as the position
of the membership, unless the agenda item receives a motion from the floor to place the item on the
voting ballot at that convention, a second, and a majority vote from members present at the meeting
(vote shall be conducted by voice, if the decision of the membership is not clear then a vote shall be
conducted by rising).

All proposals received prior to the final Executive Committee conference call of the calendar year to be
considered at convention shall be made available to the Division II general membership prior to the start
of the convention.

Voting

Members must be present to vote at convention. At least one member of the voting institution must be recognized as being in attendance at one or both Division II General Session for members from the institution to vote on proposals. Voting is a Membership Vote, unless the Track and Field President and/or a plurality of the Executive Committee calls for a Unit Vote. All voting will take place on the final day of convention during the Division II Track and Field Voting Session.

Types
- Membership: Voting is conducted by member coach. Each Division II coach from a member program, who is present at the voting session(s), receives one (1) vote. Coaches may not cast a ballot for a coach who is absent from the official voting session(s).
Unit Vote
- Voting is conducted by program. Each institutional program receives one vote, such that a
  Division II men’s or women’s program receives one (1) vote, and a Division II combined men’s and women’s program receives two (2) votes. Only one designated representative per institutional program may cast a vote. This designated representative need not be the head coach. Coaches may not cast a ballot for institutions that have no representatives present at the official voting session(s).
Action
- The Division II Cross Country President, along with the USTFCCCA national office, is responsible for ensuring that appropriate action is taken following the annual convention/business meeting, particularly as necessitated by the results of Division II cross country voting sessions.

Conference Calls

Purpose
- Division II Cross Country conference calls serve to inform Division II Cross Country Officers, Conference Representatives, and other members of the Executive Committee of issues affecting the Division II Cross Country membership. These calls also provide a forum for proposal presentation, discussion, and action on Division II Cross Country issues.
Schedule
- Division II Cross Country scheduled conference calls take place once per month during the months of January through November. Calls are held on the second Wednesday of the month at 10:00 AM Central Time. Special conference calls may be scheduled by the President at any time during the year, as needed.
Attendance Requirement
- Attendance on conference calls is mandatory for all Division II Cross Country Officers, Conference Representatives, and other members of the Executive Committee. Those who will not be able to attend should notify the Division II Cross Country President and Secretary as soon as possible.
Business
- Monthly conference call agendas shall be of the following format:
  - Roll Call
  - Proposal Presentations
  - Discussion of proposals
  - New Business
  - Informational Items
  - Announcements
  - Comments from the national office
- The Division II Cross Country conference calls follow the Bylaws of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, the Operating Bylaws of the Division II Program Membership Divisions, and this Handbook. When a procedural question is not defined within these documents, the Division II Cross Country conference calls follow Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised.

Voting
- The Executive Committee may vote during or in conjunction with a regularly scheduled or special conference call, as necessary. All members of the Executive Committee should be notified in advance of the call, and a quorum must be established in order for a vote to take place.
Action
- The President, along with the USTFCCCA national office, is responsible for ensuring that appropriate action is taken following conference calls, particularly in preparing the agenda for the annual convention/business meeting. Conference Representatives are responsible for informing the coaches in their conference of any items discussed during conference calls that affect Division II Cross Country generally or the coaches of their conference specifically.

Division II Cross Country Rankings

Regional Rankings

Division II Cross Country Regional Rankings are released by the USTFCCCA national office on Tuesdays
during the cross country season. Dates are predetermined by the Division II Cross Country Polls
Committee. The top ten (10) teams in each gender and region are ranked. Only programs that are
members in good standing with the USTFCCCA shall be ranked.

Preseason Ranking: Released the Tuesday immediately preceding the Preseason National Ranking.
Regular Rankings: The schedule will be released prior to the start of the cross country season at the discretion of the Division II Cross Country Polls Committee. The regular season regional rankings will occur on Tuesdays with a minimum of six dates.

Philosophy

Pre-Season Rankings
Pre-season Division II Cross Country region rankings should serve primarily as a projection for the end of
the current season. Rankers should use the following criteria, with “1” being highest priority, “2” second
priority, etc. to establish rankings:

1: Information provided by coaches prior to season including: number of returners, quality of
returners, and quality of new comers.
2: Historical data: previous year’s region and/or national finishes.

Week 1-7 Rankings
Week 1-7 Division II cross country region rankings (to include first week of countable, at-large
competition) should reflect the current status of DII cross country, based primarily on week-to-week
results. Rankers should use the following criteria, with “1” being highest priority, “2” second priority, etc.
each week to establish the rankings:

Head-to-head results
Common opponents
Total body of work: earliest contest-current results and absence of top performers
- Once the at-large consideration period begins, the absence of top procedure performers is no longer considered for rankings

Procedure

The members of the Cross Country Polls Committee determine the regional rankings for the top ten (10)
teams in the region/gender they represent. Men’s rankings must be submitted to
[email protected] by 12:00 Noon Central Time on Monday prior to each Tuesday release. Women’s
rankings must be submitted to [email protected] by 12:00 Noon Central Time on Monday prior to
each Tuesday release.

Only schools that are up-to-date, paid members of USTFCCCA may be included in regional rankings.
Programs that are currently in the provisional years of moving into Division II membership will not be
eligible for rankings.

Each regional ranker should provide a brief summary explanation in addition to the region rankings each
week in the interest of transparency and insight to methodology. This allows for each ranker to convey their thoughts as it pertains to their region, as well as adding knowledge depth to each ranker outside of
the region (when it comes to voting on the national poll). The summary should include head-to-head
matchups that occurred during that week for teams ranked, region crossover matchups that occurred
with ranked teams from other regions, and other pertinent information that would help guide the reader
inside the rankers thought process for the week’s poll.

These submissions should use the Excel file distributed by the USTFCCCA Communications Manager or
assistant.

National Rankings

Division II Cross Country national ranking are released by the USTFCCCA national office on Wednesdays
during the cross country season. Dates are predetermined by the Division II Cross Country Rankings
Committee. The top 25 teams in each gender are ranked. Only programs that are members in good
standing with the USTFCCCA shall be ranked.

Preseason Ranking: Released on the first Wednesday prior to the first permissible date of competition.
Regular Ranking: The schedule will be released prior to the start of the cross country season at the
discretion of the Division II Cross Country Polls Committee. The regular season national rankings will occur on Wednesdays with a minimum of seven dates.

Philosophy

Pre-Season Rankings
Pre-season Division II Cross Country national rankings should serve primarily as a projection for the end
of the current season. Rankers should use the following criteria, with “1” being highest priority, “2” second
priority, etc. to establish rankings:

Information provided by coaches prior to season including: number of returners, quality of
returners, and quality of new comers.
Historical data: previous year’s region and/or national finishes.

Criteria

Ranking of the 30 best teams in the country rather than the predicted NCAA Championships finish.

Week 1-7 Rankings
Week 1-7 Division II cross country national rankings (to include first week of countable, at-large
competition) should reflect the current status of DII cross country, based primarily on week-to-week
results. Rankers should use the following criteria, with “1” being highest priority, “2” second priority, etc. each week to establish the rankings:

Head-to-head results
Common opponents
Total body of work: earliest contest-current results and absence of top performers
- Once the at-large consideration period begins, the absence of top performers is no longer considered for rankings

Procedure

Division II Regional Rankers submit their rankings of the top 25 teams in the country via an online ballot
administered by the National Office, and those choices are compiled to create the national poll for Division II Cross Country. National polls must be submitted to the USTFCCCA Communications Manager by 12:00 noon Central Time on the Tuesday before the Wednesday release.

Each national ranker should also provide a brief summary explanation in addition to the national rankings
each week in the interest of transparency and insight to methodology. This allows for each ranker to
convey their thoughts as it pertains to the nation. The summary should include head-to-head matchups
that occurred during that week for teams ranked, as well as other pertinent information that would help
guide the reader inside the rankers thought process for the week’s poll.

Division II Cross Country Awards

All-Region

Selection
- Awarded to the top 25 finishers at the NCAA Division II Cross Country regional meets in each region and gender.
Eligibility
- Programs must be members of a Division II Program Membership Division who are in good standing with the USTFCCCA and NCAA in order for their student-athletes to be eligible for this award.
- Non-eligible student-athletes in the Top 25 who do not receive awards do not displace other finishers.
Award Distribution
- Student-athletes who qualify for the award receive an All-Region medal at the regional meet. Two (2) All- Region certificates are mailed by the national office to the student-athlete’s program. One of these certificates should be given to the qualifying student-athlete.

Regional Coaches of the Year

Selection
- Selected by a vote of USTFCCCA Division II member head coaches in the respective region and
  awarded to one (1) coach per gender per region.
- Nominees include the coaches of the top four (4) finishing teams in each NCAA Division II region
  and gender as well as a write-in.
- Voting takes place online following the NCAA Division II Cross Country Regional Championship via a ballot compiled by the national office.
Eligibility
- Programs must be members of a Division II Program Membership Division who are in good standing with the USTFCCCA and NCAA in order for their coaches to be eligible for this award.
Award Distribution
- Awards are distributed at the NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championships.

Regional Athletes of the Year

Selection
- Selected by a vote of USTFCCCA Division II member head coaches in the respective region and
  awarded to one (1) student-athlete per gender per region.
- Nominees include the top four (4) finishers in each NCAA Division II Cross Country region and
  gender as well as a write-in.
- Voting takes place online following the NCAA Division II Cross Country Regional Championship via a ballot compiled by the national office.
Eligibility
- Programs must be members of a Division II Program Membership Division who are in good standing with the USTFCCCA and NCAA in order for their student-athletes to be eligible for this award.
Award Distribution
- Awards are distributed at the NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championships.

All-America

Selection
- Awarded to the top 40 finishers in the men’s and women’s NCAA Division II Cross Country Championship races, without regard to citizenship.
Eligibility
- Programs must be members of a Division II Program Membership Division who are in good standing with the USTFCCCA and NCAA in order for their student-athletes to be eligible for this award.
Award Distribution
- Student-athletes who qualify for the award receive an All-American medal at the national meet. Two (2) All-American certificates are mailed by the national office to the student-athlete’s program. One of these certificates should be given to the qualifying student-athlete.

Joe Vigil Men’s Coach of the Year Award

Selection
- Selected by a vote of USTFCCCA Division II member head coaches and awarded to one (1) men’s Cross Country coach.
- Nominees are the Division II Cross Country Regional Coaches of the Year, the coaches of the men’s national championship team, and a write-in.
- Voting is conducted online the Sunday and Monday after the Division II Cross Country National
  Championships.
Eligibility
- Programs must be members of a Division II Program Membership Division who are in good standing with the USTFCCCA and NCAA in order for their coaches to be eligible for this award.
Award Distribution
- Awards are distributed by the USTFCCCA national office.

Duane Vandenbusche Women’s Coach of the Year Award

Selection
- Selected by a vote of USTFCCCA Division II member head coaches and awarded to one (1)
  women’s Cross Country coach.
- Nominees are the Division II Cross Country Regional Coaches of the Year, the coaches of the
  women’s national championship team, and a write-in.
- Voting is conducted online the Sunday and Monday after the Division II Cross Country National
  Championships.
Eligibility
- Programs must be members of a Division II Program Membership Division who are in good standing with the USTFCCCA and NCAA in order for their coaches to be eligible for this award.
Award Distribution
- Awards are distributed by the USTFCCCA national office.

Doug Watts Men’s Athlete of the Year Award

Selection
- Selected by a vote of USTFCCCA Division II member head coaches and awarded to one (1) men’s
  Cross Country student-athlete.
- Nominees are the Division II Cross Country Regional Athletes of the Year, the men’s individual
  national champion, and a write-in.
- Vote is conducted online via a ballot compiled by the national office.
Eligibility
- Programs must be members of a Division II Program Membership Division who are in good standing with the USTFCCCA and NCAA in order for their student-athletes to be eligible for this award.
Award Distribution
- Awards are distributed by the USTFCCCA national office.

Doris Brown Heritage Women’s Athlete of the Year Award

Selection
- Selected by a vote of USTFCCCA Division II member head coaches and awarded to one (1)
  women’s Cross Country student-athlete.
- Nominees are the Division II Cross Country Regional Athletes of the Year, the women’s individual national champion, and a write-in.
- Vote is conducted online via a ballot compiled by the national office.
Eligibility
- Programs must be members of a Division II Program Membership Division who are in good standing with the USTFCCCA and NCAA in order for their student-athletes to be eligible for this award.
Award Distribution
- Awards are distributed by the USTFCCCA national office.

All-Academic Individuals

Selection
- Awarded to all nominated student-athletes who meet the following criteria:
  - Minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.25 on a 4.0 scale through the end of the
    semester/quarter of competition. Institutions utilizing a different GPA scale must convert the GPA to a 4.0 scale using the standard conversion method [GPA/Scale x 4.0]. Data must be certifiable by the institution’s registrar.
  - Must meet NCAA eligibility requirements in order to be eligible for All-Academic awards.
  - Must have completed at least 12 semester/quarter hours through the end of the semester of competition at the institution.
  - Transfer students and/or graduate students are to include only grades earned at the current nominating institution.
  - The student-athlete must have placed in the top 30% of the total number of athletes eligible to compete at the respective regional championships (total Division II teams in the region multiplied by seven (7) runners per team), rounding up to the nearest whole number (if not a whole number), or in the top 50% of the field at the NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championships.
- Nomination forms are available online at the USTFCCCA website and must be submitted to the
  national office before the deadline published by the national office.
Eligibility
- Programs must be members of a Division II Program Membership Division who are in good standing with the USTFCCCA and NCAA in order for their student-athletes to be eligible for this award.
Award Distribution
- Two (2) All-Academic certificates are mailed by the national office to each qualifying student-athlete’s program. One of these certificates should be given to the qualifying student-athlete.
Late Nominations
- Late nominations will be accepted until 90 calendar days after the deadline published by the
  USTFCCCA national office for All-Academic nominations.
- Late nominations will not be included in the press release announcing All-Academic selections,
  but will be included in official records of All-Academic honorees.
- All late nominations are subject to (1) a flat $50 late fee; and (2) a charge of $20 per set of All-
  Academic certificates printed. Two (2) All-Academic certificates are included in each set.

Scholar Athletes of the Year

Selection:
- Award winners are selected annually as follows:
  - Awarded to one (1) men’s Division II and one (1) women’s Division II cross country student-athlete
    each year.
  - Student-athletes must meet the criteria for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Individual awards for Division II cross country.
  - From among the student-athletes who meet the All-Academic Individual criteria, the men’s
    student-athlete and the women’s student-athlete with the highest individual finishes at the most recent NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships receive the designation of USTFCCCA Cross Country Scholar Athlete of the Year for Division II.
Eligibility:
- Programs must be members of a Division II Program Membership Division who are in good standing with the USTFCCCA and NCAA in order for their student-athletes to be eligible for this award.

All-Academic Teams

Selection:
- Awarded to all nominated teams who meet the following criteria:
  - The team must have competed AND compiled a team score at an NCAA Division II Regional Cross Country meet during the most recent Cross Country season.
  - Transfer students and/or graduate students are to include only grades earned at the current nominating institution.
  - Cumulative GPA of all student-athletes listed on the institution’s NCAA Squad List, at the end of the most recent semester/quarter, must be at least a 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, computed by the following method:
    - Total the cumulative number of semester hours or quarter hours completed for all
      student-athletes who used a season of eligibility, including the most recent grading
      period;
    - Total the cumulative number of quality points (GPA multiplied by the number of credit hours) earned by all student-athletes including the most recent grading period;
    - Divide the cumulative number of quality points earned by the cumulative number of
      semester or quarter hours completed.
    - Institutions utilizing a different GPA scale than 4.0 then must convert the GPA to a 4.0 scale using the standard conversion method [GPA/Scale x 4.0]. Data must be certifiable by the institution’s registrar.
- Nomination forms are available online at the USTFCCCA website and must be submitted to the national office before the deadline published by the national office.
Eligibility:
- Programs must be members of a Division II Program Membership Division who are in good standing with the USTFCCCA and NCAA in order for their student-athletes to be eligible for this award.
Award Distribution:
- Two (2) All-Academic certificates are mailed by the national office to each qualifying program. One of these certificates should be given to the qualifying student-athlete.
Late Nominations
- Late nominations will be accepted until 90 calendar days after the deadline published by the
  USTFCCCA national office for All-Academic nominations.
- Late nominations will not be included in the press release announcing All-Academic selections,
  but will be included in official records of All-Academic honorees.
- All late nominations are subject to (1) a flat $50 late fee; and (2) a charge of $20 per set of All-
  Academic certificates printed. Two (2) All-Academic certificates are included in each set.

Scholar Teams of the Year

Selection
- Award winners are selected annually as follows:
  - Awarded to one (1) men’s Division II and one (1) women’s Division II cross country team each year.
  - Teams must meet the criteria for the USTFCCCA All-Academic Team awards for Division II cross country.
  - From among the teams who meet the All-Academic Team criteria, the men’s team and the
    women’s team with the highest finishes at the most recent NCAA Division II Cross Country
    Championships receive the designation of USTFCCCA Cross Country Scholar Team of the Year for Division II.
Eligibility
- Programs must be members of a Division II Program Membership Division who are in good standing with the USTFCCCA and NCAA in order to be eligible for this award.

Division II Code of Ethics

Member coaches should not receive COY or regional COY if they are deemed responsible for a program being on probation by the NCAA. Coaches in such a situation are responsible for removing themselves from consideration for COY awards until the probation period has been lifted.
Responsibility to Student Athletes
- Place the academic, emotional, physical, and moral well being of student athletes above all else.
- Maintain strictly professional interpersonal relationships with student athletes, student managers and student trainers.
- Put safety and health considerations above performance strategy, and never force student athletes to train or compete in situations which might lead to injury.
Responsibility to Prospective Student Athletes
- Refrain from any negative recruiting that reflects disapprovingly on another institution, its coach, or student athletes.
- Desist from making any statements or promises to a prospect that, knowingly, cannot be fulfilled
Responsibility to Fellow Coaches:
- Conduct one’s self in such a way to bring credit to the profession, and exhibit professionalism in all words and actions.
- Honor all professional relationships with colleagues, and treat colleagues with dignity and respect.
- Notify the head coach of another institution prior to interviewing or offering a position to one of their staff members.
- Communicate with the head coach of another institution when a student athlete from their institution initiates transfer process.
Responsibility to the Sports of Track and Field and Cross Country:
- Conduct all competition within the spirit and intent of the rules.
- Submit entry marks with complete integrity
- Support and respect competition officials and abide by their judgment, refraining from any form of criticism to student athletes, news media, or the public.
Responsibility of Personal Conduct
- Abstain from public demonstrations or profanity, vulgar language, and obscene gestures and discourage the same among staff members and student athletes.
Championship Code of Conduct
- Coaches should make sure that they and their teams sign and follow the NCAA Code of Conduct document before participating in the championships.

With payment of dues per membership to USTFCCCA Division II coaches agree to the above Code of Ethics statement as written above.