Hope College President James E. Bultman has been elected vice chair of the Division III Presidents Council of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The Presidents Council directs the general policies of Division III and is responsible for establishing a strategic plan for Division III which has 420 member institutions, the largest of any of the association's Divisions.

Dr. James T. Harris, president of Widener (Pa.) University will become chair of the Council. The new officers will take office in January.

Dr. Bultman became the 11th president of Hope, his alma mater, in 1999, after serving for 14 years as president at Northwestern College (Iowa).

During a stint as an education faculty member at Hope beginning in the late 1960s, he coached the school's baseball team for 14 seasons and also was an assistant football coach.

He also chaired Hope's education department and was dean of social sciences before his selection for the presidency at Northwestern.

Bultman has served as chair of the board of directors of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, and has previous experience in governance of intercollegiate athletics, having served on the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' Council of Presidents.

He served on the Division III Presidents Advisory Group before joining the Council in 2009.

Bultman holds a master's degree and doctorate in education from Western Michigan.

 

WHAT IS NCAA DIVISION III
Courtesy of the NCAA

° Division III athletics offers student-athletes the opportunity to become well-rounded individuals who successfully integrate athletics and academics.  Student-athletes are integrated into the student body, and they experience the full range of college life.

° Division III athletics departments place special importance on the impact of athletics on the participants rather than on the spectators.  The student-athlete's experience is of paramount concern.

° Division III athletics feature athletes who receive no financial aid related to their athletic skills and athletic departments that are staffed and funded like any other department in the university.  Division III athletics encourages the development of sportsmanship and positive social attitudes.  Coaches and players treat each other with respect, and administrators work to foster a positive competitive environment.

° Division III athletics is committed to providing equitable athletics opportunities for both genders and gives equal emphasis to men's and women's sports.

° Division III athletics encourages participation by maximizing the number and variety of athletics opportunities available to student-athletes, placing primary emphasis on regional in-season and conference competition.