A study by a special Iowa State committee concluded that efforts to improve intercollegiate athletics at ISU are making substantial progress.

The committee’s report is in response to a movement by the NCAA to ensure that all major college athletic programs are operated with integrity. Certification is based on meeting strict standards in governance and commitment to rules, academic and fiscal integrity and commitment to gender equity.

About 100 faculty, staff, students and community leaders participated in the self-study, which was released yesterday.

The study points out ISU’s efforts in a number of critical areas, including gender equity and financial integrity, to improve the athletic department.

“Iowa State is making good progress, but there are still additional things to be done and expanded in women’s sports,” said Edwin Lewis, associate provost and chair of the self-study steering committee.

The committee recommended additional efforts to expand athletic opportunities for women and raise the graduation rates for male minority athletes.

Although the graduation rate of black male student-athletes, at 29 percent, is higher than the rate of 18 percent for all ISU black male students, the report notes improvement is needed in that area.

“That’s a serious concern,” Lewis said. “I think that reflects concerns about the graduation rate of minority men in general.”

The ISU self-study reported that the university “is genuinely committed to fair and equitable treatment of men and women in its intercollegiate athletic programs,” but pointed to a few areas of concern.

ISU has more varsity women’s sports, 11, compared to the nine men’s teams, but more males compete in ISU sports because of the large rosters on squads like football and track. The report also suggests increasing operating budgets for women’s teams and developing a plan to improve salaries for coaches of women’s teams.

Lewis said the report does not raise major issues that haven’t already been identified. The committee recognized the athletic department’s efforts to address those issues through upgrading marketing programs, a strategic financial plan and plans to address equity and market value in staff salaries and gender equity.

In November, a review team of academic and athletic representatives from other institutions will come to ISU to assess the athletic program. ISU officials will be told early next year whether the university is certified, certified with conditions or not certified. If ISU is not intially certified, it is given additional time to correct any problem areas, Lewis said.