REPORT OF THE
NCAA MINORITY OPPORTUNITIES
AND INTERESTS COMMITTEE
1. ACTION ITEM.
Division III only.
l Committee
Membership ? Term Extension.
(1) Recommendation. That Eugene Marshall, Jr.,
chair, be granted a one-year term extension to the Minority Opportunities
and Interests Committee.
(2) Rationale. During the past two years, the
MOIC has studied several major issues at the request of the NCAA Executive
Committee and the Division I Board of Directors, including:
(a) A detailed study of the lack of diversity in NCAA
football for the NCAA Football Study Oversight Committee of the Division I
Board of Directors.
(b) A detailed study on the use of American Indian mascots
in intercollegiate athletics for the NCAA Executive Committee.
(c) An analysis of the effectiveness
and cost efficiencies of the 16 NCAA diversity initiatives for the NCAA
Executive Committee Subcommittee on Gender and Diversity Issues.
In addition, due to job changes
within the membership and normal attrition, the committee has experienced a
high level of turnover during the same two-year period. During 2003-04, MOIC will retain just five of 15 members present during the
start of work on these important projects.
A one-year term extension for Mr. Marshall will provide the necessary
continuity and leadership to complete the aforementioned tasks during the
2003-04 academic year.
(3) Budget
Impact. None.
12. INFORMATIONAL
ITEMS.
Association-wide.
a.a. NCAA
Diversity Education ProgramProgram.
a.
The committee received an update on the three advanced diversity workshops conducted during the 2003 NCAA Convention addressing race, gender and sexual orientation issues. The workshops complement the fundamental diversity education workshop that provides a foundation in the basic concepts of understanding and valuing diversity. The committee noted the workshops were well attended and met the objective to introduce and explore specific diversity issues in intercollegiate athletics. Participants indicated that the workshops were extremely informative and interactive.
The committee also reviewed the 2002-03 on-campus diversity education workshop schedule and noted 53 fundamental workshops will be conducted for student-athletes, coaches and administrators at 23 institutions and conference offices this year.
b. Review
of the Use Use of American Indian Mascots Mascots in Intercollegiate
Intercollegiate AthleticsAthletics.
The
committee noted that the Executive Committee during its October 2002 meeting
accepted and forwarded its Report report on
the Use use of American Indian Mascots mascots in
Intercollegiate intercollegiate Athletics athletics to
the Division I Board of Directors, the President?s Councils of Division II and
III, the management
Management councils Councils
of each division and the championship Championship committee?s Committees of
each division for review during upcoming meetings. The committee will collect and summarize the comments from the
various governance entities and forward
a final report to the Executive Committee for review
during its April 2003 meeting.
c. U.S. Secretary ?s
of Education?s Commission
on Opportunity in Athletics.
The committee received an
update on the work of the U.S. Secretary?s of Education?s Commission on Opportunity
in Athletics. It was noted that former NCAA
President Emeritus Cedric
Dempsey requested an opportunity
to speak at the Commission?s commission?s final open forum in San Diego. Although Tthe request was denied, although
during the open microphone session President Emeritus Dempsey was able to makemade limited remarks during the open microphone
session. The Commission?s commission?s final meeting
has beenwas delayed until in late January with a final report expected by the end of February. The committee also received information
regarding the potential impact of various proposals discussed by the Ccommission has discussed.
d.
Diversity InitiativesInitiatives.
The committee
reviewed a preliminary draft review overview and evaluation of NCAA initiatives
to promote gender and ethnic diversity in intercollegiate athletics. When finalized, thisthe document will provide
the history, purpose, budget allocation, and program accomplishments for each
NCAA diversity initiative. The document
will also measure the effectiveness of these programs. The committee suggested some additional information
for inclusion in the document. The
review will be forwarded to the Committee on Women?s Athletics and the
Executive Committee Subcommittee on Gender and Diversity Issues for the groups?
summer meetings.
e. President
Brand?s Remarks.
NNCAA
President Myles Brand addressed the committee and noted the commitment of NCAA
resources to issues surrounding increased hiring of ethnic minority head coaches and to the support of diversity
in leadership positions in athletics. He also noted that the direction of the Title IX commission
and the Supreme Court?s review of the University of Michigan case are of great
concern to the Association. The committee
recognized President Brand?s position on diversity issues,
including support of the NCAA coaches'
academy and executive mentor program for ethnic minority football
coaches.
f. Senior
MMinority inority AdministratorAdministrator.
As
supported by the Executive
Committee Subcommittee on Gender and Diversity Iissues,
the committee discussed the concept of a senior minority
administrator position for each member institution similar
to the senior woman administrator position.
The committee agreed to
further explore this concept during its summer meetings.
g. Strategic
PlanPlan.
The committee reviewed its 2000-02 strategic plan and developed
a new three-year plan to focus on the areas of diversity in
intercollegiate athletics. The
committee?s new plan will span from 2003?05 and focus on the following: facilitate and ensure the Association?s
commitment to diversity; provide employment and enhancement opportunities for
ethnic minorities at member institutions and other intercollegiate athletic related
entities; enhance and maintain the MOIC?s visibility in all divisions of the
Association; review information from the Association regarding its compliance
with the principle of nondiscrimination; develop and respond to opportunities
that encourage diversity through ethnic minority and gender enhancement;
encourage and solicit support for ethnic minority enhancement from private and
public organizations; and, develop innovative ways ofto promoteing ethnic minority
student-athlete enhancement at all academic and professional levels.
Division I only.
h. Division I Only - NCAA
Football Study.
The committee reviewed its final report regarding the diversity of football coaching staffs, specifically recommendations to increase the pool of ethnic minority coaches through the creation of additional graduate assistant coaching positions and grants for ethnic minority graduate assistants. The committee noted there might be legal risks associated with the aforementioned graduate assistant initiatives and agreed to eliminate all of the recommendations related to the number of graduate assistant coaches. Based on the current format of its report, this action eliminates the first four recommendations under the ?Increasing the Pool? initiatives.
a.Division III Only ?Committee
Membership.
The committee reviewed the current roster and noted
the term expirations for its members.
Due to the appointment of several new committee members in the past year
and its ongoing work on issues involving minority football coaches,
the use of American Indian mascots in intercollegiate athletics and the review
of diversity , the committee expressed concern that the
chair?s term will expire September 1, 2003.
The committee agreed to request a
one-year term extension for the current chair in order to provide the
necessary continuity and leadership to complete the aforementioned tasks during
the 2003-04 academic year..
The National
Collegiate Athletic Association
January 28,
2003 RC/KAG/LC:tw