NCAA sexual violence attestation requirements

In August 2017, the NCAA Board of Governors passed a new policy to further its efforts to address sexual violence on campus. The new policy applies to all divisions of member schools and requires the university president or chancellor, the director of athletics and the Title IX coordinator to make an annual attestation that:

1. The athletics department is fully knowledgeable about, integrated in and compliant with institutional policies and processes regarding sexual violence prevention and proper adjudication and resolution of acts of sexual violence;
2. The athletics department is fully knowledgeable about, integrated in and compliant with institutional policies and processes regarding sexual violence prevention and proper adjudication and resolution of acts of sexual violence;
3. All student-athletes, coaches and staff have been educated on sexual violence prevention, intervention and response, to the extent allowable by state law and collective bargaining agreements.

While the NCAA’s Sexual Violence Prevention Toolkit is an excellent resource to meet the education requirement of the policy, the ultimate determination of the type and manner of education is left to the member school. Thus, if a member school’s student-athletes and athletic department staff already require annual sexual violence education under some other policy, the NCAA’s policy requirement may be met. It’s best to consult with competent counsel for advice on whether training complies with the policy. 

The attestation form is available beginning March 1, 2018, and must be completed by May 15, 2018.