1. How does the NCAA encourage collegiate football programs to develop a culture of ethics and compliance?
The NCAA encourages collegiate football programs to develop a culture of ethics and compliance by setting and enforcing standards of conduct. It has set up a hierarchy of checks and balances to ensure a proper code of ethics are followed.
NCAA is divided into three Divisions, I, II, and III. Universities and colleges decide which Division to belong to, contingent on the level of competitiveness in collegiate sports they wanted to compete in. Each Division is governed by the President of the NCAA and the Executive Committee. Beneath the Executive Committee, there is a Legislative Committee and the Cabinets and Boards of Directors in each Division. Each Division establishes a group of presidents or other university officials with the authority to write and enact policies, rules, and regulations for their Divisions.
The NCAA helps universities and colleges establish an ethics system of compliance and control. NCAA examines the sanctions that are imposed due to infractions objectively when colleges impose sanctions on their football programs. NCAA either accepts the sanctions as sufficient or adds more penalties that match the misconduct.
Ultimately, the responsibility lies with the university to monitor the actions of the football program. It doesn’t matter where the cover-up begins or ends. If the ethic culture of the university or college covers up misconduct it will most likely become a scandal. It will turn a molehill into a mountain. If they monitor their programs and confront minor violations, they are less likely to be involved in scandals.
2. Is it a valid criticism that the NCAA is based more on compliance than ethical values?
The NCAA is a compliance-oriented organization. So, it should be used as a minimum mark for ethical values and conduct. NCAA guidelines are to serve as a frame of reference on how collegiate sports programs should be run, and the consequences for noncompliance, when the set rules and regulations are broken. It does, however, use ethical values to promote equal competitiveness amongst universities and colleges competing in college-level sports. It also uses ethics of, what I see as, sustainability, to ensure a good education for the athletes is had, due to the fact, most will not compete at the professional level. The college athletes will need a good education to compete in the work world upon graduation. The NCAA encourages certain ethic values the universities and colleges should apply when starting new sports programs. Although the NCAA is based more on compliance than ethical values, Universities and colleges have come to realize the importance of emphasizing ethics and compliance in their sports programs.
In the name of ethics, the NCAA did set up ethical corrective sanctions to find and stop the unethical behavior, when Penn State football’s former assistant coach sexually assaulted many young boys. The NCAA mandated Penn State to hire a compliance officer for the athletics department, create a compliance council and a full disclosure program, add an internal accountability and certifications for this accountability, implement an external compliance review/certification process, draft an athletics code of conduct, conduct ethic training and education, and appoint an independent athletics integrity monitor. So, it appears to me, when there is a gross neglect of ethical values and NCAA compliances aren’t enough, the NCAA will, step in and step up, on ethics for the Universities and colleges.
3. How can student-athletes, coaches, and university administrators demonstrate a proactive response to ethics and compliance?
To demonstrate a proactive response to ethics and compliance, student-athletes, coaches, and university administrators shouldn’t tolerate the smallest of infraction of unethical behavior. This is the best way to prevent unethical infractions of a large proportion. Violations should be reported as they happen. It is very important for university administrators and football program officials directly acknowledge opportunities for misconduct. This way they can promote ethical conduct and demonstrate a proactive response to ethics and compliance. Student-athletes, coaches, and university administrators should hold themselves to a high standard of code of ethics. They should use the NCAA regulations as a base only, for ethical conduct.
The responsibility lies with the universities to monitor the actions of the football programs. This act of self-reporting demonstrates a concern with ethical behavior and accountability for their actions. Universities have expectations for the student-athletes, including showing up on time to practice and behaving responsibly, that go above and beyond NCAA rules.
Honesty and sportsmanship are the basis of ethical conduct. Betting, withholding information, and fraud are unethical behaviors. The Head Coach is responsible for making it easy to comply and monitor the behavior of his or her subordinates, including assistant coaches and players. Their proactive response to ethics and compliance with not tolerating the smallest of infraction of unethical behavior will establish the program’s code of ethics and ethical values.
CITATION
Ferrell. Business Ethics . 11th ed., 2017.