Contents

Preamble

Principle I - Responsibilities to Student-Athletes

Principle II - Professional Responsibilities

Principle III - Relationships

Implementation

1. Enforcement
2. Informal Resolution
3. Formal Resolution

Code of Ethics Committee

1. Membership
2. Chairperson
3. Hearing Panels
4. Lobbying Ethics Committee Members Prohibited; Recusal Permitted
5. Size of Hearing Panel

Complaint and Response

Hearing

Decision of the Hearing Panel

Possible Penalties

Right to Counsel

Appeal

Preamble

The WBCA Code of Ethics provides a framework of principles and behaviors within which the game of women’s basketball should be conducted. The success of the Code rests upon the coaches’ ability to embrace and endorse ethical behavior that prioritizes the education and well-being of the student-athletes they serve, and demonstrate the honesty and respect toward colleagues. The following principles shall be upheld by all categories of membership of the WBCA.

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Principle I - Responsibilities to Student-Athletes

1. Exhibit acceptable professional behavior that serves as a role model for student-athletes, recognizing the influence you have as a coach.
2. Maintain appropriate coach-athlete relationships that remain professional in nature, not personal or social, both on and off the court.
3. Place the health and welfare of student-athletes above team goals, respecting the advice of trainers and medical personnel. Take an active role in the education and treatment of sports wagering, eating disorders, and drug, alcohol, and tobacco abuse among student-athletes.
4. Show respect to all student-athletes by treating them with integrity and honesty in both verbal and non-verbal behavior, regardless their role/contribution on the team. Maintain confidentiality with student-athletes when appropriate and comply with all laws and institutional policies respecting the privacy of student-athletes with regard to health, education, and discipline.
5. Demand respectful behavior of student-athletes toward teammates, staff, opponents, officials, and others associated with the program and game.
6. Prioritize the academic performance and commitment of student-athletes, avoiding undue conflicts between basketball and academic responsibilities.
7. Demonstrate and promote respect for diversity among student-athletes and staff. Avoid discrimination based on ethnicity, social status, religion, gender, national origin, age, or sexual orientation.

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Principle II - Professional Responsibilities

1. Be knowledgeable about NCAA, conference and playing rules, adhering to both the letter and intent of the rules. Ensure both student-athletes and staff are knowledgeable as well.
2. Recruit players within the rules and regulations of all sports governing bodies, and with honesty and integrity. Avoid negative recruiting by refraining from derogatory and/or slanderous statements about other institutions, coaches, administrators or players, including remarks based on race.
3. Continue personal and professional growth through educational opportunities, as well as sharing with professional colleagues.
4. Remain active and involved in the WBCA as a voice for women’s basketball at all levels.

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Principle III - Relationships

1. Maintain appropriate relationships with faculty/staff, athletic administrators, and support personnel. Avoid undue influence on institutional personnel to illegally and/or unethically promote student-athletes or the basketball program.
2. Develop a professional relationship with game officials, treating them with respect on and off the court. Recognize the coach’s and student-athlete's behavior towards officials influences not only the student-athletes, but also the spectators’ behavior toward officials. Coaches should accept responsibility for positive behavior that influences the integrity of the game.
3. Demonstrate respect and honesty in dealings with media personnel while protecting matters of privacy within the team. Refrain from inappropriate comments about game officials and/or opponents. Efforts to promote media coverage of women’s basketball through positive relationships with the media are highly encouraged.
4. Develop positive relationships with fans, boosters and the student body within the letter and intent of the rules. Encouraging spectator support of women’s basketball is highly desirable, thus coaches are expected to be pro-active in representing their program in the community and on campus.
5. Demonstrate loyalty and support to members of the women’s basketball coaching staff. Maintain open and honest communication among staff, support staff and supervising administrators.

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Implementation

Acceptance of the Code of Ethics shall be a condition of membership in the WBCA. All members shall receive a copy of the Code of Ethics with their membership application. This Code of Ethics must be signed and returned to the WBCA office with each membership application or renewal, or agreed to via appropriate internet approval processes.

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Enforcement

1. Informal Resolution:
Member Coaches are encouraged to seek an Informal Resolution of complaints about conduct of other Member Coaches that they believe constitutes a breach of the WBCA Code of Ethics. The first step in seeking an Informal Resolution would be for a Member Coach to have a personal conversation with her/his Coaching Colleague about the information that he/she has received which leads them to believe that the Colleague's conduct may have breached the WBCA Code of Ethics. Two possible outcomes of this discussion would resolve the matter. If the Colleague provides additional information and/or clarifies misinformation such that the inquiring Coach is satisfied and that no ethical breaches occurred, no further inquiry is necessary. Second, this discussion may alert the Coaching Colleague to a problem that he or she was not aware of, and could cause the Coaching Colleague to cease any further such conduct, and/or to instruct his/her Coaching Staff to cease such conduct, which normally would satisfy the inquiring Coach. If the matter cannot be resolved through personal communication with the Coaching Colleague, Member Coaches also are encouraged to seek resolution with the perceived offender's superior, (i.e., Athletic Director, Senior Women's Administrator, or University President) before initiating a formal Complaint with the WBCA. However, if resolution through these informal channels cannot be reached, or if the complaining Coach genuinely believes that such inquiry and discussion would be futile, the complaining Coach may seek a Formal Resolution of the issue.

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2. Formal Resolution:
When a complaining Coach is reasonably convinced that information he or she has received is accurate and raises a reasonable basis to believe that another Member Coach has violated the WBCA Code of Ethics, a Member Coach may submit a Complaint to the WBCA Code of Ethics Committee for Formal Resolution. Such a Complaint must be submitted in writing, and it shall contain a full description of all facts that caused the Complaining Coach to believe that his or her Coaching Colleague has violated the Code of Ethics. The written Complaint should be submitted to the current Chairperson of the WBCA Code of Ethics Committee, and a copy should be sent to the current CEO of the WBCA. Both the Complaint and the copy should be clearly marked "Confidential."

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3. Code of Ethics Committee:

A. Membership:
The WBCA Code of Ethics Committee shall be composed of a minimum of seven (7) and a maximum of ten (10) Members, and the initial Members shall consist of the following WBCA Members, who are no longer active Coaches. With the exception of this Initial Ethics Committee, Committee Members shall be appointed for three-year terms, and are eligible for reappointment. Future Members of the Ethics Committee shall be appointed by the CEO, upon approval of a two-thirds (2/3) vote by the Board. The Initial Committee Members' terms will be staggered, so that approximately one-third (1/3) of the membership of the Committee shall be open for reappointment each year, with the following members of the Committee's terms expiring as indicated below (Note: Committee members have not confirmed yet):

One-Year Term (expiring at the WBCA Convention in 2008):

1. Jesse Banks
2. Carol Smith
3. Harley Redin

Two-Year Term (expiring at the WBCA Convention in 2009):

1. Joe Ciampi
2. Fran Garmon
3. Cindy Scott

Three-Year Term (expiring at the WBCA Convention in 2010):

1. Jill Hutchison
2. Leon Barmore
3. Chris Weller
4. Betty Jaynes

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B. Chairperson:
Every other year, the Board shall elect a Chairperson and other officers as it sees fit. The Chairperson shall be responsible for assigning Complaints as they are received to a Hearing Panel, in a manner that rotates the Membership on Hearing Panels, and also takes into account the availability of various Committee Members. The Initial Chairperson of the WBCA Code of Ethics Committee shall be Betty F. Jaynes, who shall serve as Chairperson for the first two years (2006-2008), after which time the Committee shall elect a Chairperson for two-year terms. A Chairperson can only serve two consecutive terms.

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C. Hearing Panels:
The Chairperson shall appoint Hearing Panels to hear each written Complaint, trying to rotate Membership on the Panels and also accommodate the schedules of various Committee Members. The Chair, working with the Hearing Panel Members, shall decide whether the Hearing shall be held in person, or by telephone conference, or by a combination of some people appearing in person and others by telephone. Members of the Hearing Panel may participate by telephone conference or in person.

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D. Lobbying Ethics Committee Members Prohibited; Recusal Permitted:
Once a formal written Complaint is filed with WBCA Code of Ethics Committee, the Chairperson shall immediately notify (in writing or by e-mail) all Members of the Ethics Committee, and from the time of receipt of such notification, Members shall refuse to engage in any discussion with the Complaining Coach, the Respondent Coach, or anyone else outside the Hearing Panel or its formal procedures. All members of the Hearing Panel shall hear, read and see the same evidence as presented by both parties, which shall be submitted according to procedures that ensure that both the Complaining Coach and the Responding Coach shall be fully aware of everything presented for consideration to the Hearing Panel. Committee Members who feel they have to recuse themselves from hearing a particular Complaint shall so notify the Chair within five (5) business days of receiving notification of the filing of Complaint, stating, briefly, the reasons for their recusal.

E. Size of Hearing Panel:
The Ethics Committee Chairperson shall determine how many Members shall constitute a Hearing Panel, with a minimum of three (3) and a maximum of seven (7) members sitting on any one Hearing Panel, with a preference for an odd number, although this is not mandatory. Depending on the circumstances, the Chairperson, in consultation with the CEO, may retain the services of an attorney-at-law to assist the Hearing Panel, and such attorney-at-law shall not have any vote or attempt to influence the outcome of the Hearing, but rather render professional legal advice to the Panel and the Committee to ensure that due process is provided to both the Complainant and the Respondent, and that the WBCA's interests are protected.

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4. Complaint and Response:
The written Complaint shall be as specific as possible, and should identify the date or dates of the alleged unethical behavior, and all facts related to the conduct that occurred, including the identification of any others who observed the conduct in question. The Complaint should indicate whether the Complaining Coach has attempted any method of Informal Resolution with the Responding Coach. Upon receipt of a written Complaint from a Member Coach, the Chair of the Ethics Committee shall send a copy of the Complaint to the Respondent Coach (or Coaches) and to the Athletic Director for each Respondent Coach against whom the Complaint was filed. The Respondent Coach or Coaches shall file a written Response with the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee within 14 days after receipt of a copy of the written Complaint. Immediately upon receipt of the Complaint and the Response, the Chairperson shall provide copies of the same to all members of the Hearing Panel appointed to hear the Complaint in question.

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5. Hearing:
Members of the Hearing Panel shall have an initial conference call within ten (10) days of receiving the written Response filed by the Responding Coach, at which time the Hearing Panel will determine whether any further testimony, documents, affidavits, declarations or other evidence may be needed from either the Complaining Coach or Responding Coach in order to reach a decision. The Hearing Panel may rule without further deliberations, but is expected that the Panel will often decide to schedule a conference call with the Complaining Coach and Responding Coach. The Hearing Panel may also choose to hold an in-person Hearing, inviting both the Complaining Coach and Responding Coach to attend and to present witnesses and documents to the Hearing Panel. The Hearing Panel should endeavor to complete its review and investigation, and to have any conference call or in-person hearing within 60 days, if possible, because it is in everyone's best interest to resolve these matters promptly.

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6. Decision of the Hearing Panel:
When the Hearing Panel reaches a decision on the Complaint, it shall issue a written Decision, and a copy shall be provided to the Complaining Coach, the Responding Coach, and the Athletic Director of the Responding Coach.

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7. Possible Penalties:
The Hearing Panel has the discretion to impose any of the following penalties upon a Member Coach when it finds that a Respondent Member Coach has violated a provision or provisions of the WBCA Code of Ethics:

1. Rule that the Member Coach shall be ineligible for any WBCA Board position for a period of time up to five years;
2. Rule that the WBCA Member Coach shall be ineligible for any WBCA Awards for a period of up to five (5) years;
3. Rule that the WBCA Member Coach shall be ineligible to serve on any WBCA Committees for a period of up to five (5) years;
4. Rule that the WBCA Member Coach shall not be allowed to speak at the WBCA Convention or appear at any WBCA- sponsored clinic or camp for a period up to five (5) years;
5. Rule that the WBCA Member Coach shall be ineligible to coach any WBCA teams or in any WBCA programs, including the WBCA All-American Game.
6. Issue a Private Reprimand to the WBCA Member Coach. (In the case of a private reprimand, both the Complaining Coach and the Athletic Director will be instructed not to make the Private Reprimand public.)
7. Issue a Public Reprimand of the WBCA Member Coach in a WBCA publication.
8. Rule that the WBCA Member Coach ineligible to register for the WBCA Convention for a period of up to five (5) years.
9. Rule that the WBCA Member Coach shall not allowed to purchase Women's Final Four tickets through the WBCA for a period of up to five (5) years.
10. Suspend the WBCA Member Coach's Membership for a period up to five (5) years. This penalty shall include a public reprimand, and the Coach shall be ineligible for all the privileges listed above, for the time-period of the suspension.

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8. Right to Counsel:
Both the Complaining Coach and the Responding Coach shall have the right to legal counsel, who will be allowed to participate in any conference call or in-person Hearing, under the direction of the Chair of each Hearing Panel.

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9. Appeal:
If either the Complaining Coach or the Respondent Coach is convinced that the Hearing Panel made a mistake, either through a misunderstanding of the facts, or misapplication of the Code of Ethics, he or she shall have a one-time right to seek a Discretionary Appeal, by filing a Notice of Appeal with the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee, with a copy sent to the CEO of the WBCA, explaining succinctly why the facts were misunderstood, or the Ethics Rules were misapplied, accompanied with an Appeal Bond of $500, which shall be a Cashier's Check made payable to WBCA. It is in the total discretion of the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee, in consultation with the CEO of the WBCA, whether to grant such an Appeal. If an Appeal is granted, it shall be heard by the entire Ethics Committee (with the understanding that some Members may be unable to participate because of conflicts in schedule). If the Appealing Party is successful in overturning the Decision of the Hearing Panel, the $500 Cash Appeal Bond shall be returned to the Appealing Party. If the Appealing Party is unsuccessful in the Appeal, the $500 shall be applied toward the expenses of the Ethics Committee.

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10. Creation of Additional Policies and Procedures:
As the Ethics Committee begins to function, the majority of the Ethics Committee may, by a majority vote, establish Policies and Procedures that are consistent with due process and the fair and effective enforcement of the WBCA Code of Ethics. Such policies and procedures, and any amendments thereto, shall be distributed to Members in a timely fashion. Member Coaches who have suggestions to improve the Committee's functions and/or the Hearing Panel's procedures should submit their recommendations in writing to the Chair of the Ethics Committee.

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