Permissible Student Activities for Enrolled Student-Athletes

Student-athlete is an individual who has participated in an intercollegiate squad practice or contest under jurisdiction of the athletic department. Permissible activities for enrolled student-athletes is as follows:

1. Telephone Contact - It is permissible for a student-athlete to receive telephone calls made at the expense of the prospective student-athlete at anytime. Student-athlete is allowed to call a prospective student-athlete at the expense of the athletic department for the purpose of recruitment at the athletic departments knowledge. Telephone calls made by enrolled students in accordance with an institution’s regular admission program directed at all prospective students shall be permissible.
2. Official Visits - An enrolled student-athlete may participate as a student host during a prospective student-athletes official visit to the institutions campus. As a student host, the student-athlete may receive the following:
   1. A maximum of $20.00 for each day of the visit to cover all actual cost of entertainment for the prospective student-athlete (guardians, spouse, or individual of comparable relationship), excluding the cost of meals and admission to campus athletic events. These funds may not be used to purchase souvenirs or campus mementos. It is permissible to provide student hosts with an additional $10 a day for each additional prospective student-athlete the host entertains. Only one student host per prospective may be provided a free meal if restaurant facilities are used.
   2. A complimentary meal, provided the student host is accompanying the prospective student-athlete during the prospective student-athlete’s official visit.
   3. A complimentary admission to a campus athletics event, provided the admission is used to accompany a prospective student-athlete to that event during the prospective student-athlete’s official visit.
3. Unofficial Visits - A prospective student-athlete on an unofficial visit may stay in an enrolled student-athlete’s dormitory room, provided the housing is available to all visiting prospective students.

     Effect of Violation - Violations of this bylaw shall be considered institutional violations per Constitution 2.8.1; however, such violations shall not affect the student-athlete’s or prospective student-athlete’s eligibility.

Prospective Student-Athlete

A prospective student-athlete is a student who has started classes for the ninth grade. The students remains a prospective student-athlete until the individual enrolls in a full-time program or attends classes in any term of a 4 year collegiate institution’s academic year or participates in a regular squad practice or competition at a 4 year collegiate institution.

Representative of the Athletics Interest

Representatives of Wittenberg University who have athletic interests are allowed to make in-person, on or off campus recruiting contacts with a prospective student-athlete; however, such off campus contacts may not occur until the conclusion of the prospective student-athletes junior year of high school.

Permissible and Impermissible Activities

Actions taken by staff or athletic representatives can cause prospective student-athletes to become a recruited prospective student athlete. These actions that cause a prospect to become a recruit include:

• Providing a student-athlete with an official visit.
• Having an arranged off-campus meeting, in-person, with prospective student-athlete or any relatives, guardians, or persons with comparable relationships.
• Initiating or arranging a telephone contact with the prospected student-athlete, or any relative, guardians, or persons of comparable relationship on more than one occasion with the purpose of recruitment.

Telephone Calls to Prospective Student-Athletes

An institution may permit a student-athlete, a staff member, or a representative of athletics interest to telephone a prospective student-athlete at the institution’s expense at anytime, provided the call is only for the purpose of recruiting, with the knowledge of the athletics department.

Electronic Transactions

An institution may permit a student-athlete, a staff member, or a representative of athletics interest to e-mail, fax or text message a prospective student-athlete at the institution’s expense at anytime, provided the contact is only for the purpose of recruiting, with the knowledge of the athletics department. Contact initiated by the institution via instant messaging and social media, including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter and similar services, is impermissible.