Faculty senators endorsed a framework outlining problems plaguing collegiate athletics yesterday and called on the NCAA and other organizations to find solutions.

The framework calls for tougher admissions standards for athletes, a heightened commitment to academics and less reliance on commercialization, as well as other reforms.

The UA's faculty senate became the 22nd body of its type in the country to back the framework, though seven senators voted against doing so. That's an unusually high number for a body that approves most actions unanimously.

The framework was created by the Coalition on Intercollegiate Athletics, a group of faculty leaders from more than 50 Division I-A schools who are trying to inject faculty input into debates over college sports.

"It is faculty business to be concerned about athletics on college campuses," said Wanda Howell, vice chairwoman of the faculty.

Senators disagreed, however, on whether it was appropriate to endorse the framework when many of the problems it outlines do not apply to the UA.

For example, the framework calls for cost-cutting reforms, but the UA's athletics department boasts of not spending a penny of tax or tuition revenues.

"Are we trying to reform athletics here or are we trying to reform athletics somewhere else?" asked Sen. J. Glenn Songer.

But President Peter Likins says he didn't have a problem with endorsing nationwide reform, even if the UA isn't facing problems with all the issues.

"I think it's become a healthy national movement," he said.

Athletics Director Jim Livengood agreed with senators that the UA doesn't have problems in all the areas the framework addresses, and says he was comfortable allowing the senate to decide whether to endorse the plan.

"I think we stand pretty tall and I think our track record is pretty doggone good," he said.

Livengood also said the UA doesn't have a major problem with admitting academically unqualified students, though Likins said the Arizona Board of Regents' guidelines force the university to admit many students who aren't likely to graduate.

The UA's graduation rate for athletes sits at about 60 percent, nearly 10 percent higher than its overall graduation rate.

"Do we have our stud-athletes that struggle academically?" Livengood asked. "Sure we do, but not any

differently than any other group of students."

The senate also approved a policy prohibiting personal use of university assets and requiring students and employees to report suspected violations.

The policy also allows supervisors to investigate reports alleging misuse of these assets before passing reports along to their bosses, as long as those investigations don't violate the subject's rights.

Under the policy, employees and students are subject to disciplinary action for all but very minor personal uses of university-owned property.

The policy covers acts leading to loss, damage or liability to the university or use of university property to commit crimes. It also requires students and employees to report violations to a supervisor or vice president.

Other university policies that address misuse tend to bury it, prompting the need for a policy that defines it and outlines procedures for dealing with it, said Chestalene Pintozzi, who chairs the senate's Research Policy Committee.

Because the policy extends to students, Likins asked that it be sent to student government for its consideration, and that representative organizations for staff and academic professionals also be made aware of recent changes.

"We should check and make sure that this consultation extends to those groups," Likins said.

The senate's approval came on the same day the university officially adopted a policy requiring anti-virus software be installed and updated on university network computers.