Central Michigan University Athletics
CMU Attorney Appointed to NCAA Infractions Committee
5/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | General
May 1, 2006
MOUNT PLEASANT -- Central Michigan University general counsel Eileen Jennings will add her expert opinions to hearings involving alleged violations of NCAA rules by major athletic programs.
Jennings has been appointed to the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I Committee on Infractions. Her three-year appointment begins Sept. 1.
"I am excited about this opportunity to sit on a major NCAA governance committee," said Jennings, who has been CMU's general counsel since 1983. "We will address athletic compliance issues facing the major athletic powerhouses in the country. I look forward to adding my input to decisions that affect the NCAA institutions. I believe my appointment brings some deserved recognition to CMU and its sports programs.
"I bring knowledge of higher education to this committee as a complement to the expertise of other committee members. This fits well with my professional interests in policy development, legal relations between students and universities, and ethical challenges on campuses. On the other hand, I have a great deal to learn about the NCAA, its rules and its enforcement processes," she added.
Jennings, who has a master's degree in counseling from the University of Oregon and a law degree and a doctoral degree from the University of Nebraska, was nominated by the CMU Athletics Department to the Mid American Conference, which then nominated her to the NCAA.
The Division I Committee on Infractions is one of the most high profile committees in the NCAA, said Derek van der Merwe, CMU senior associate athletic director.
"This committee sets the tone and precedent for how institutions interpret and enforce NCAA rules around the country," said van der Merwe. "NCAA rule enforcement is one of the most challenging issues facing the membership today. Eileen Jennings will be part of a committee that will be facing this challenge head-on and defining compliance expectations in the future.
"After working with Eileen over the years, it is evident that she strives to positively impact everything in which she participates. Her appointment on this committee will be no different. I expect that she will be a critical force in setting the bar for rule compliance in this country for a number of years to come," he said.
The 10-member committee meets six times a year to participate in hearings involving member institutions that are alleged to have violated NCAA rules.
The committee determines the facts of the allegations and what, if any, penalties should be assessed. It also carries out administrative duties associated with bylaws, policies and investigative guidelines.
Jennings' previous work experience includes serving three years as CMU assistant general counsel, a counselor at a Bureau of Indian Affairs school on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and as dean of students at Castleton State College in Vermont.
She is a member of the American, Michigan and Isabella County bar associations. She is a member of the National Association of College and University Attorneys, the American College Personnel Association, and the Michigan College Personnel Association.
