Academic compliance at the College of Staten Island functions within the scope of the college’s academic guidelines to coordinate, monitor, and verify compliance with all NCAA requirements, and to educate the various constituencies of the college and the athletic community regarding NCAA and College of Staten Island regulations governing academic compliance.
The office of athletics offers prospective student-athletes a variety of resources concerning NCAA regulations and compliance issues. Our function is to oversee and verify the accurate and timely completion of NCAA-required procedures.
For the most part, the NCAA is a self-regulatory body which relies on the integrity and accountability of those involved in any way with the program.
To this end, there are many questions regarding NCAA rules and regulations, especially those relating to eligibility for prospective and currently enrolled students who wish to become student-athletes at CSI. Those students are encouraged to contact their respective coaches and the compliance office at (718) 982-3169, or may refer to the FAQ below. Prospective transfer student-athletes who wish to come to CSI from another two- or four-year collegiate institution should contact their current compliance office FIRST. Although we do try to answer basic questions regarding compliance on our website, please use the information listed here as a general guide for informational purposes only! All cases are truly individual in nature and your questions are important to us. Don’t be afraid to ask questions by phoning or e-mailing our compliance office.
Who are we?
Vernon Mummert
Director of Athletics
(718) 982-3160
Katie Arcuri
Assistant Athletic Director (Compliance Officer)
(718) 982-3170
Frequently Asked Questions
I am a high school junior or senior looking to play at CSI. What do I do?
Fill out a Prospective Athlete Form located on our website or visit us at the Sports & Recreation Center (1R-204). From there, a coach or staff member should contact you with sport-specific information you’ll need to know.
How do I know if I’ll be eligible to compete?
Any student-athlete who wishes to compete in intercollegiate sports must carry a full-time load of course work (12+ credits) to be eligible for participation throughout the playing season. Initial eligibility for incoming students is achieved in two parts. In part one, incoming students must meet the CSI Index (achieved through a mathematical formula) to determine whether they are immediately eligible upon entry to the college. The index is determined by weighing a prospective student’s High School average and SAT score together. Part two requires successful completion of CSI’s Reading, Writing, and Math Assessment exams. Some incoming students may be exempt from taking these exams. Contact the CSI Admissions & Recruitment Office, (718) 982-2010, for details.
Can I play at CSI on an athletic scholarship?
No. The College of Staten Island is a NCAA Division III institution, and does not offer any athletic scholarships for play.
I’m currently a student at CSI. I’m thinking about joining a team. What do I do?
Contact the CSI Intercollegiate Athletics Office at (718) 982-3160, or fill out a Prospective Student-Athlete Form located on this website. The respective coach for your sport will contact you and give you more information concerning try-outs.
As a student already enrolled for over a semester at the college, how do I know if I’ll be eligible to compete?
Any student-athlete who wishes to compete in intercollegiate sports must carry a full-time load of course work (12+ credits) to be eligible for participation throughout the playing season. Returning students to the College of Staten Island, whether they are sophomores, juniors, or seniors, must adhere to the same continuing eligibility requirements. Returning students must maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 or greater. A student-athlete must have also completed at least 12 credits in his/her academic career. These credits consist of those which carry value. Credits earned in remedial courses do not count. Returning Student-Athletes must have completed at least 8 equated credits in the semester previous to the one in which they compete to maintain satisfactory progress. For example, a student-athlete who competes in the spring semester must have passed and completed a minimum of 8 credits during the fall semester. Finally, returning student-athletes must have semesters of eligibility remaining. Student-athletes can only compete four years over a span of 10 full-time semesters. Students who have already enrolled in 10 full-time semesters have no eligibility remaining no matter how many years they played a sport.
What do I do about missed class time when I’m on a team? Do I have to miss class for practice?
Student-athletes can only miss academic classroom time for intercollegiate competition. Under no circumstances is a student-athlete to miss class time for team practices, whether or not the team is in its championship season of play. Student-athletes cannot, in addition, miss class time for intercollegiate contests played during the non-traditional season of their respected sports (softball fall-ball, etc.).
Students are required to make up all academic work, as deemed appropriate by their professors, for classroom time missed as a result of intercollegiate contests played in-season. Students must inform their professors of missed time prior to missing class, and a signed Class Excuse Form signed by the Director of Athletics, must be presented to the instructor, on each missed occasion. Every effort possible is being made to ensure student-athletes will not miss excessive classroom time for intercollegiate competition; however, it is important for student-athletes to consider their academic schedules when registering for classes.
What happens if I’m struggling with my classes or life in general? Is there help available?
The CSI Counseling Center is always available to all students who need help. Whether it is specific course tutoring, or help with time management, the Center offers counseling which is free and easily accessible. Visit the Counseling Center in 1A-109, or phone (718) 982-2391 for more information. In addition, during the course of a student-athlete’s academic career, student-athletes may be required to attend and complete a mandatory academic counseling session should their overall Grade Point Average (GPA) fall below a 2.25. Those students who do not complete their academic counseling sessions will be mandated through the Athletic Office to be held from intercollegiate activities.
The Mandatory Academic Counseling is put in place to help the student-athletes. It’s designed to “catch” a potential problem before it starts. Often times, student-athletes who are struggling are not identified until they reach the point where they must be held from competition because of ineligibility. We do not want this to happen. With the proper academic counseling, student-athletes are able to target their problem areas and remedy potential problems before they reach the breaking point.
If I get hurt during the season, do I lose that season of eligibility?
A student-athlete who plays in a single contest is considered to have used an entire year of competition in that respective sport. Should a student-athlete get injured or have a personal affect which forces them to step away from the sport prematurely during the season, a student-athlete may have the opportunity to have this year of competition stricken from their record by filing a Medical Hardship Waiver. In order for a Hardship Waiver to be granted there must be an incapacitating injury or illness which forces the student-athlete to miss the rest of the playing season. There must be medical documentation (trainers, doctors, hospital receipts) that states the nature of the injury and establishes the student-athlete’s inability to compete. The injury must have occurred during the first half of the playing season AND the student-athlete must not have competed in more than three contests or one-third of the total number of scheduled contests (whatever number is greater). The waiver is processed through the conference office and is granted or denied based on the application presented.
I keep hearing the term “redshirt” associated with NCAA sports. What does it mean?
The term “redshirt” is one being thrown around at many collegiate campuses with diverse meanings. The NCAA does not officially recognize the term “redshirt” and uses the term to symbolize any full-time academic year in which a student-athlete chooses not to participate. “Redshirting a season” and using a Medical Hardship Waiver are two very different terms. A redshirt season is one in which a student-athlete simply does not participate. Because student-athletes have 10 full-time semesters (or essentially 5 years) to play a sport for 4 years, they can opt to use a year as a redshirt. Although they would otherwise be cleared to play, they have chosen not to use this year for competition. Redshirts can still travel with their respective teams, practice, and enjoy all the benefits that go along with being a member of a team. Therefore, any student-athlete who is ineligible CANNOT be a redshirt, and the term should not be used to categorize them.
I’m thinking about transferring out of CSI, but I’m hesitant about what to do. Help!
If you are seeking a transfer, you should contact your Head Coach or appropriate member of your Coaching Staff, Assistant, Associate or Director of Athletics. If you seek a transfer via the Assistant Director, Associate Director, or Director of Athletics, you should understand that your Head Coach will be informed of your intentions, should you ultimately decide to contact other institutions regarding a possible transfer. However, if you wish to leave CSI for another NCAA Division III institution, you do not need authorization via our athletic department for permission to contact. The NCAA has issued a “Self-Release Transfer Form” specifically for Division III athletes, which will allow release to other NCAA Division III institutions. Normally, the institution in question will contact us to inquire about your eligibility status, so we recommend coming to us first.
Current CSI student-athletes who have intentions of transferring to Division I and Division II institutions MUST have permission through our athletic offices to contact such schools and vice-versa. Should you seek a transfer to a NCAA Division I or II institution, you should inform your coaching staff and the Associate Athletic Director or Director of Athletics at once. Impermissible contact between a student-athlete and an institution that has not been granted permission to contact can lead to eligibility implications for the student-athlete, Therefore it is advised that student-athletes make every effort to comply with these standards.
The College of Staten Island wishes the best for all of its student-athletes. If it is in your best interests to transfer away from CSI, we will do our best to provide a smooth transition the entire way. Don’t be afraid to talk about a transfer!
I’m currently at a different college, and want to learn more about CSI and possibly transfer. What do I do?
Student-athletes wishing to attend CSI via a transfer from another institution can do so along the same guidelines as those leaving CSI (see above). Our Head Coaches are advised NOT to communicate with ANY current students at another institution without first receiving a “Self-Release” (if the student is currently at a NCAA Division III institution) or a release through the compliance office (prepared for the Head Coach by the Associate Athletic Director). So, it is certainly in your best interest to contact your compliance office first. If that is not possible, then contact CSI’s athletics compliance officer at (718) 982-3169, and they will be happy to help you through the process.
I’ve gotten my transfer clearance out of the way, now how do I know if I can play at CSI?
Eligibility for transfer student-athletes follows guidelines set forth by the NCAA governing Division III transfer. Student-Athletes must “sit-out” (spend one full-time academic year in residence) unless they meet one of the following criteria:
- The student has never participated in collegiate athletics in ANY sport, at any other division level, and still has semesters of eligibility remaining.
- The student would have been academically eligible to participate has he/she remained at the institution which they are transferring from, and still has semesters of eligibility remaining.
Of course, as in all cases, the student’s must be registered in a full-time course of study, and must be academically eligible to play at CSI, once this criterion is met.
If a transferring student does NOT fall into one of these two broad categories, they will NOT be eligible to participate. There are a number of waivers or exceptions that can be applied in extenuating circumstances, but these will be handled on a case by case basis.
I have a question concerning some other compliance issue, but it hasn’t been answered here, and I don’t know who to contact.
Below is a list of key contacts at the College of Staten Island who may be able to help. Feel free to contact these departments, and ask the question that fits your needs:
CSI Department of Athletics (718) 982-3160
Office of Athletics Compliance (718) 982-3169
Admissions and Recruitment (718) 982-2010
Bursar (718) 982-2060
College Testing (718) 982-2380
Financial Aid (718) 982-2030
New Student Orientation (718) 982-2529
Registrar (718) 982-2127
