Sept. 11, 2007

River Forest, Ill. - Dominican University has been selected to participate in an NCAA Division III Drug Testing and Drug and Alcohol Education Pilot Program recently approved by the Division III Presidents Council in August. The program, to be implemented for the 2007-2008 academic year, will devote about $400,000 annually during 2007-2009 to an education and testing program involving up to 100 NCAA Division III institutions.

Participating institutions will implement a model educational program for their student-athletes. Student-athletes at those institutions will then be randomly tested for performance-enhancing substances as well as street drugs. However, during the pilot phase of the program, penalties will not be levied for a positive test result.

Survey data will then be collected in an effort to measure the impact of both education and testing on substance and alcohol abuse. As part of the initiative, the NCAA national office will step up efforts to make all Division III institutions, and their student-athletes, more aware of existing educational programs and resources and will allocate additional funds to those programs.