Honor On & Off The Playing Field Will Determine Your Real Success In Life
Tiffin University's athletic philosophy is based on a commitment to the continued development of our students as members of an institution of higher education in which each student-athlete is recognized as an individual with a unique set of goals for real success in life and in career. TU is committed to the belief that an athlete's success in life is contingent upon your commitment to the principles of honor on and off the field of play.
Tiffin University: A Real Community
TU's Athletic Department promotes a spirit of competition that concentrates on the development of leadership skills, involvement and participation of non-athletic personnel in the support of intercollegiate competitive contests. This enables a sense of unity that creates a real community among all members of the Tiffin University family.
An Emphasis On Your Academic Success
Tiffin University emphasizes academic success for all of our students. In keeping with this philosophy, the athletic program at Tiffin University enforces specific standards of eligibility designed to assist our students in achieving success in the classroom throughout their university career. The successful completion of all degree requirements is considered paramount to the development of the student-athlete at Tiffin University.
The participation in athletic contests further contributes to the development of a well-rounded individual who is fully prepared to meet the demands and challenges of life beyond the confines of one's college career. Only amateur student-athletes as defined by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) will be eligible to participate in intercollegiate athletic contests.
In keeping with the above philosophy, Tiffin University Athletic Department has developed the following criteria designed to assist its members, both staff and students, in the maintenance of the foregoing policies:
- The athletic personnel at Tiffin University will foster an atmosphere that encourages students and staff to conduct their affairs with the utmost in ethics, integrity, and honesty, both on and off the field of competition. It is further expected that all athletic personnel will promote and develop a respect for athletic competition founded on the principles of sportsmanship and fair play within a highly competitive environment.
- All members of the Athletic Department at Tiffin University - both staff and students - will conduct themselves in a manner which is in strict accordance with the code of ethics maintained by the school's national athletic affiliates and by the regional athletic conference within which the University's athletic teams compete. Behavior which reflects negativity upon, or which brings irreparable harm to either the individual or to the school as a whole, is strictly prohibited.
- Student-athletes at Tiffin University will conduct themselves at all times in strict accordance with the statement of conduct contained in the Tiffin University Student Handbook. Failure to perform within these behavioral parameters will result in subsequent disciplinary action on the part of the Tiffin University Athletic Department and, if necessary, on the part of the University Administration.
Tiffin University's Recruitment Policy
It is the policy of Tiffin University that any illegal recruiting activities as determined by the NCAA Division II policy is strictly prohibited by all members of the institution, including but not limited to: boosters, coaches, athletic support staff, and student-athletes.
It is also the policy of this institution that all coaches (and boosters) involved with recruiting will participate in annual education regarding NCAA and conference recruiting rules and the intent of these rules. A continual monitoring system performed by university members who are not affiliated with the athletic program as to the actual extent of compliance with institutional recruiting policies and procedures will be conducted.
In addition to general recruiting regulations, no alumni or representatives of Tiffin University's athletics interests (boosters or representatives) can be involved in off-campus recruiting. However, you may receive letters from boosters, faculty members, students and coaches on or after Sept. 1 of your junior year. In all sports, telephone calls from coaches and faculty members are permissible on or after June 15 before your senior year.
After this, a college coach or faculty member is limited to one telephone call per week to you (or your parents or legal guardians), except that unlimited calls to you (or your parents or legal guardians) may be made under the following circumstances:
- During the five days immediately before your official visit (by the college you'll be visiting);
- On the day of the coach's off-campus contact with you;
- and, On the initial date for signing the National Letter of Intent in your sport through the two days after the initial signing date.
In Division II football, however, unlimited phone calls to you can be made during a contact period and once a week outside of a contact period. Coaches may accept collect calls and use a toll-free number to receive telephone calls from you (or your parents or legal guardians) at any time.
Enrolled students (including student-athletes) may not make recruiting telephone calls to you unless the calls are made as part of an institution's regular admissions program directed at all prospective students. Enrolled students (including student-athletes) may receive telephone calls at your expense on or after June 15 before your senior year.
A college coach may contact you in person off of the college campus, but only on or after June 15 before your senior year.
Any face-to-face meeting between a coach and you or your parents, during which any of you say more than "hello" is a contact. Furthermore, any face-to-face meeting that is prearranged, or occurs at your high school or at any competition or practice site, is a contact, regardless of the conversation. These contacts are not permissible "bumps."
In all sports, coaches may contact you off of the college campus three times. However, a coach may visit your high school (with your high school principal's approval) only once a week during a contact period.
An evaluation is any off-campus activity used to assess your academic qualifications or athletics ability, including a visit to your high school (during which no contact occurs) or watching you practice or compete at any site.
In all sports, coaches may evaluate you an unlimited number of times. In football and basketball only, there are specified periods when a coach may contact you off of the college campus and/or attend your practices and games to evaluate your athletic ability.
Our No-Tolerance Policy On "Gifts"
You (or your family) may not receive any benefit, inducement or arrangement such as cash, clothing, cars, improper expenses, transportation, gifts or loans to encourage you to sign an institutional or conference letter of intent or to attend an NCAA school.
Especially For Tiffin University's Boosters:
We are grateful for your continued support. However, we are concerned about overzealous supporters doing anything that detracts from our main objective. We are committed to complying with NCAA rules and want you to join us in this effort.
Please note that NCAA Bylaw 13.01.5.2 prohibits you as a representative of this institution's athletics interests from making in-person recruiting contacts off-campus with a prospect or the prospect's relatives or legal guardians. On-campus contact is permitted, as are written and telephonic communications. Any violation of this rule (or rules against providing transportation, entertainment, meals or anything else of material value to enrolled student-athlete or their family members), regardless of your intentions, may result in our athletic program being penalized by the NCAA. Also, you may be required to disassociate yourself (temporarily or permanently) from our athletics program. Neither of us want this to occur.
Therefore, we respectfully request that you please do not make an in-person, off-campus recruiting contact with prospective student-athletes at any time. If you know of an athletics prospect, please inform the appropriate head coach, and let the coach be responsible for any personal contact with the prospect off campus. Should you have any questions about what you, as a supporter, may and may not do, please contact the athletic department.
An Education For Real Life
At Tiffin University, we believe in an education for real life. Our student-athletes are ambassadors of the University both on and off the field. We believe that the real opportunities available to TU's student-athletes will translate to real-world success.