UW-OSHKOSH ATHLETICS PHILOSOPHY & SPORTSMANSHIP

VISION
We envision a culture where student-athletes are proud of UW-Oshkosh and have positive personal, social and civic values that foster academic and athletic success.

MISSION
The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics supports and extends the missions of the UW-Oshkosh by shaping an environment that promotes excellence in student achievement, academic success and personal growth; and identifies and communicates the needs and concerns of student-athletes to the University community and beyond. The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is committed to providing an equitable multi-sport athletic program for male and female students.

CORE VALUES
We believe the promotion and enhancement of student learning and personal development is the primary purpose of Intercollegiate Athletics.
We believe student learning and personal development includes the development of intellectual, emotional, social, physical, spiritual and ethical capacities.
We value a diversity of people and culture and believe a diversity of ideas and values should be promoted and sustained in our campus community.
We value collaboration and partnership with students, each other, and with all segments of the University and larger Oshkosh community.
We have a high regard and high expectations for all individuals associated with intercollegiate athletics at all times. We expect that they conduct themselves ethically, with dignity and honesty, and in accordance with all institutional, conference, NCAA and other appropriate rules and regulations.
We value providing a clean, safe, attractive, and accessible campus environment to ensure the health and welfare of our student-athletes.
We believe that all work is valuable, all work has dignity and all workers deserve respect.

RECRUITING REGULATIONS

When do I become a prospective student-athlete?
When you start ninth grade classes. Before the ninth grade, you become a prospective student-athlete (or PSA) if a college gives you (or your relatives or friends) any benefits that the college generally does not provide to all prospective students.

When is a college considered to be recruiting me?
Recruiting is any solicitation of a prospect or a prospect’s relatives [or legal guardian(s)] by an institutional staff member or by a representative of the institution’s athletics interests for the purpose of securing the prospect’s enrollment and ultimate participation in the institution’s intercollegiate athletics program.
What does a coach or athletics representative do to cause me to become a recruited prospective student-athlete?
Any one of the following activities:
•Provide you with an official visit;
•Place more than one telephone call to you or any member of your family;
•Visit you or any member of your family anywhere other than the institution’s campus.

RULES FOR ALUMNI & FRIENDS

UW-Oshkosh is committed to operating its athletics programs with the highest degree of integrity, and in compliance with all the rules and regulations of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Alumni and friends of UW-Oshkosh are expected to adhere to the rules and regulations of the NCAA and WIAC with the same degree of integrity.

The sections below are intended to give alumni and friends a basic understanding of NCAA and WIAC rules and regulations, which pertain to them. However, the list is not comprehensive. Please contact the athletic department with any questions or concerns you have pertaining to NCAA or WIAC rules and regulations.

Institutional Control
It is the responsibility of all NCAA member institutions to control its intercollegiate athletics program in compliance with all of the rules and regulations set forth by the NCAA and the WIAC.

Responsibility
UW-Oshkosh accepts responsibility for the conduct of its athletics program. This responsibility includes the actions of its staff members and any other organization or persons engaged in activities in activities promoting the athletic interests of the institution. (Alumni & Friends)

Compliance
Institutions must monitor its program to assure compliance and to identify and report to the NCAA instances in which compliance has not been achieved. An institution found to have violated NCAA or WIAC is subject to disciplinary and corrective actions as determined by the NCAA or WIAC conference office. Any individual engaging in conduct that is determined to be a violation on NCAA legislation can lose their benefits and privileges he or she receives from their association with his/her respective institution.

Definitions To Know …

A prospective student-athlete
A prospective student-athlete (“prospect”) is a student who has started classes for the ninth grade. In addition, a student who has not started classes for the ninth grade becomes a prospective student-athlete if the institution provides such an individual (or the individual’s relatives or friends) any financial assistance or other benefits that the institution does not provide to prospective students generally. An individual remains a prospective student-athlete until one of the following occurs (whichever occurs earlier):

(a) 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 (excluding summer); or

(b) The individual participates in a regular squad practice or competition at a four-year collegiate institution.
A representative of an institution’s athletics interests is defined as:
A “representative of the institution’s athletics interests” is an individual who is known (or who should have been known) by a member of the institution’s executive or athletics administration to:
(a) Have participated in or to be a member of an agency or organization promoting the institution’s intercollegiate athletics program;
(b) Have made financial contributions to the athletics department or to an athletics booster organization of that institution;
(c) Be assisting or to have been requested to assist in the recruitment of prospects;
(d) Be assisting or to have assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families; or
(e) Have been involved otherwise in promoting the institution’s athletics program.

A representative of Athletics interests
Once an individual is identified as such a representative, the person retains that identity indefinitely.

The act of recruiting
This is any solicitation of a prospect or a prospect’s family member (or guardian) by an institutional staff member or by athletics representative of the institution for the purpose securing the prospect’s enrollment and participation in the institution’s intercollegiate athletics program.

An extra benefit
This is any special arrangement by an institutional employee or an athletics representative to provide a student-athlete or the student-athlete’s representative or friend a benefit not expressly authorized by the NCAA legislation.

PRINCIPLES OF SPORTSMANSHIP

Standards of Honesty and Sportsmanship
Individuals employed by (or associated with)) a member institution to administer, conduct or coach intercollegiate athletics and all participating student-athletes shall act with honesty and sportsmanship at all times so that intercollegiate athletics as a whole, their institutions and they, as individuals, shall represent the honor and dignity of fair play and the generally recognized high standards associated with wholesome competitive sports.

FAN CODE OF CONDUCT STATEMENT

The NCAA, WIAC and UW-Oshkosh promote good sportsmanship by student-athletes, coaches and spectators. We request you cooperation by supporting the participants and officials in a positive manner. Profanity, racial or sexist comments or other intimidating actions directed at officials, student-athletes, coaches or team representatives- as well as public intoxication, the consumption or possession of alcoholic beverages and tobacco products are grounds for removal from the site of competition and other disciplinary actions.