Achieving Excellence Through Diversity and Inclusion

A REPORT FROM THE DIVErsITY LEADERSHIP STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE

More than three decades after the passage of Title IX, women coaching women’s teams still does not represent the majority of coaches in women’s sports and are almost nonexistent in men’s intercollegiate sports. In the fall of 2006, excluding coaching positions within historically black colleges and universities, there are only five (out of 119) head football coaches in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, six (out of 122) head football coaches in Division II and three (out of 229) head football coaches in Division III who are racial or ethnic minorities. In 2004, African-Americans were so underrepresented as head coaches that the percentage of women coaching men’s teams actually exceeded that of African-American coaches in Division III.

The status quo of homogeneity within the ranks of senior athletics administration is similar. Since 1995, the total percentage of women in athletics administrative positions has increased by only six percent. The percentage of African-American senior level athletics administrators has remained virtually unchanged since 1995.

The distribution of valuable traits, such as leadership and creativity, is not restricted to a particular race, ethnicity or gender. Thus, it is vital to include racial or ethnic minorities and women in decision-making groups and positions in order to reap the benefits of additional talents and innovative perspectives.

Although conversations about diversity typically revolve around race, ethnicity and gender, it is important to recognize that diversity is much broader. Diversity also encompasses dimensions such as (but certainly not limited to) creed, color, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity, in addition to dimensions such as religion, marital status, education, income, geographic location and work experience.

Athletics administrators, coaches, officials and student-athletes who learn and work in diverse athletics departments, conference offices, and teams perform better and excel at higher levels. However, to be truly effective, groups not only need to be more diverse – they need to be inclusive. Inclusion is a process that creates an environment that not only recognizes and values the talents, skills and perspectives of every individual, but also uses these attributes to reach academic and organizational objectives.

In January 2006, NCAA President Myles Brand established the Diversity Leadership Strategic Planning Committee (DLSPC) and charged it to identify strategies and recommendations that will enable the NCAA to foster the diversity of student-athletes, promote a climate of inclusion within intercollegiate athletics, enhance equitable career opportunities for underrepresented athletics administrators, coaches and officials, and strengthen the support, integration and promotion of women’s sports within intercollegiate athletics. The DLSPC, chaired by Andy Geiger, former director of athletics, Ohio State University, and Charlotte Westerhaus, NCAA vice president for diversity and inclusion, was convened for the short-term calendar year 2006.

The DLSPC membership included more than 40 athletics administrators, coaches, student-athletes and others who care sincerely about the Association’s responsibility and commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion. In addition, the committee conducted a comprehensive survey of intercollegiate athletics conference offices, more than 1,300 senior woman administrators, leadership within the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and Divisions I, II and III directors of athletics in order to ascertain pertinent diversity-related issues and to learn from current best practices and programs used within the Association to improve diversity and inclusion.

The work of the committee is detailed into two types of proposals: 1. programmatic recommendations and 2. governance and legislative recommendations. “Programmatic recommendations” are those that may be implemented by the national NCAA office, conference offices, and member colleges and universities with the collective leadership from presidents, chancellors, governing-board members, directors of athletics and coaches. “Governance and legislative recommendations” are concepts that will need to be well-vetted through NCAA processes, deliberated within NCAA governing board structures, and presented to constituents for consideration and input.

This report is inclusive of all entities that compose the NCAA. In this document, these key terms are used with the following meanings:

1. The “Association” is the “corporate entity” composed of member institutions, conferences, the governance structure (for example, boards, cabinets, committees) and affiliated entities (such as coaches associations), as well as student-athletes, coaches and athletics administrators.

2. The “membership” of the Association is primarily the colleges and universities. It is campus-based.

3. The “national office” is the staff in Indianapolis and Washington, D.C., who makes up the infrastructure of the Association.

Throughout the course of its work, the committee recognized the complexity and importance of the issues. Although the committee has now completed its charge, it hopes that the Association will continue to consistently measure the progress of diversity initiatives, policies and practices that result in a positive change from the current status. In sum, an NCAA membership that is committed to being inclusive of every student-athlete, coach, administrator and official will lead to a better and stronger Association.

FOSTER THE DIVERSITY OF STUDENT-ATHLETES

Intercollegiate athletics departments are designed to be a vital part of the educational system and the student-athlete to be an integral part of the student body. The following recommendations are made to support NCAA member institutions’ efforts to increase the participation of historically underrepresented student-athletes, as well as cultivate new and additional best practices that will further foster and support diversity throughout the membership.

1. Increase the participation of historically underrepresented identity groups in sports lacking diversity.

a. Programmatic recommendations.

(1) Develop partnerships with for-profit corporations, national governing bodies, U.S. Olympic Committee, National Youth Sports Corporation and civic and community organizations to help fund and develop programs for youth.

(a) Promote sports lacking diversity among underrepresented identity groups with the intent to identify prospective student-athletes at an early age and increase the awareness of educational opportunities within intercollegiate athletics.

(2) Create diversity and inclusion student-athlete forums at NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee meetings, as well as national and regional student-athlete leadership conferences.

(3) Introduce or enhance feeder and grass roots programs for elementary and middle school students.

b. Governance and legislative recommendations.

(1) Encourage integration of athletics department into the total campus community.

(a) Athletics departments will integrate intercollegiate athletics into the general off-campus community by identifying community service ideas that promote, foster and support diversity and promote inclusion.

PROMOTE A CLIMATE OF INCLUSION

Diversity and inclusion goes beyond merely increasing representation. Intercollegiate athletics must also promote a healthy respect and sense of community within a diverse Association. The following fundamental recommendations will aid in supporting an inclusive environment that is welcoming and accepting of all – athletics administrators, coaches, officials and student-athletes.

1. Expand present divisional NCAA diversity education and programs so that they are available at college athletics conferences and additional NCAA member institutions for athletics administrators, coaches, student-athletes and officials.

a. Programmatic recommendations.

(1) Integrate present campus and university diversity-related resources with intercollegiate athletics department programs (for example, academic affairs; university diversity and multicultural affairs; disability support services; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual resource offices; and women’s resource centers).

(2) Enhance the development and identification of resources (such as time, internal and external funding, staff, human resources, grants, and establishment of groups to support) for educational initiatives and programs to accommodate the needs of the diverse student-athlete population.

(3) Produce educational and marketing materials to assist the membership in broadening its knowledge of diversity and inclusion (such as an NCAA DVD featuring student-athletes and coaches discussing diversity and inclusion).

(4) Create a marketing plan to promote and celebrate efforts to enhance diversity and inclusion within the NCAA membership.

(5) Develop public service announcements and print advertisements for all NCAA and conference championships promoting diversity and inclusion.

(a) Create an NCAA diversity and inclusion communication plan directed at student-athletes – maximize all communication opportunities (print, television, Internet, and media).

(b) Solicit student-athletes’ support to develop a diversity and inclusion tag line.

(6) Foster a supportive campus community and culture that is more welcoming and understanding of various identity groups among student-athletes.

(a) Use internal and external resources to develop campus mentorship programs for student-athletes (such as peer-to-peer, cross sports, community-based mentorships).

(b) Develop and implement a campus diversity and inclusion exit interview process with graduating student-athletes.

(7) Provide annual diversity and inclusion-related education to take place at a specific meeting place for member institutions’ presidents and chancellors (for example, American Council on Education, National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges, American Indian Higher Education Consortium, and Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities) and a specific diversity and inclusion educational piece during the NCAA outreach program for university presidents and chancellors.

(8) Collect and share, with the membership, intercollegiate marketing plans that are targeted to encourage and increase the number of racial or ethnic minorities to attend campus sporting events.

b. Governance and legislative recommendations.

(1) The Association will commit to increasing the present pool of funds available for distribution to athletics conference offices which will then be allocated to member institutions to provide additional diversity-related programming for athletics administrators and student-athletes.

(a) Institutional representatives will compile and submit a summary that demonstrates how institutional allocations are used to intercollegiate athletics conference offices for review. Thereafter, the summary will be submitted to the NCAA national office for final review.

(b) Develop assessment tools that measure the success of the additional diversity-related programming.

(2) The Association will implement an annual diversity and inclusion report for member institutions and conference offices.

(a) The report will track member institutions’ and conference offices’ progress in promoting diversity and inclusion (template to be developed and may include diversity statistics, training, campus programs and best practices). The report will be signed off by both institutional and conference representatives and submitted to the NCAA national office for final review.

(3) Promote open and visible communication between Association stakeholders (athletics administrators, senior woman administrators, faculty athletics representatives, campus athletics councils, coaches, student-athletes and college and university boosters and alumni).

(a) Reward appropriate behavior for those institutions and conference offices demonstrating a commitment to diversity and inclusion.

(b) Encourage the importance and need of open communication by incorporating it as part of continuous campus education.

(4) Require each member institution to create a diversity education program that targets athletics administrators, senior woman administrators, faculty athletics representatives, campus athletics councils, coaches, and student-athletes.

2. Enhance NCAA diversity and inclusion education programs for student-athletes.

a. Programmatic recommendations.

(1) Develop a DVD with a Web-based survey as a part of the NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills program.

Recruitment, Hiring and Retention

Pursuant to the NCAA Strategic Plan, the Association shares a belief and commitment to an inclusive culture that fosters equitable participation for student-athletes and career opportunities for athletics administrators and coaches from diverse backgrounds. The following recommendations are made in support of the goal to enhance career opportunities for underrepresented athletics administrators, head coaches and officials.

1. Demonstrate that the Association is committed to effectuating a consistent and effective search process that results in the increased hiring of racial or ethnic minorities and women as senior athletics administrators and coaches.

a. Programmatic recommendations.

(1) Create a restructured version of the NCAA Division II Best Hiring Practices brochure to be used by the NCAA membership (including NCAA Divisions I and III).

(2) Develop a diversity and inclusion communication plan that informs the membership of various diversity education, career, personal and professional development, educational and networking resource opportunities (such as Pacific-10 Conference programs, Division 1A Athletic Directors’ Association Institute; and the NCAA diversity and inclusion programs).

(3) NCAA member institutions should establish an open and objective hiring process consistent with their institutional goals and procedures that will facilitate the institutions’ opportunities to interview and hire underrepresented athletics administrators and coaches.

(4) Encourage the Association to discuss strategies that will increase diversity (racial or ethnic minorities and women) within candidate pools for all open positions within intercollegiate athletics. In addition, the Association may want to consider strategies that other sports organizations use in the areas of recruitment, hiring, retention and diversity that are designed to increase the representation of racial or ethnic minorities and women in athletics.

(5) Encourage those presidents, chancellors and athletic directors who use search firms to identify racial or ethnic minorities and women as candidates for senior-level athletics administrators and head coaches.

(6) Maintain the viability of NCAA-funded programs to develop candidates among racial or ethnic minorities and women for leadership positions in intercollegiate athletics.

(7) Encourage member institutions to increase (hire, appoint, promote and retain) the number of racial or ethnic minorities to serve as senior woman administrators and faculty athletics representatives.

(8) Educate student-athletes about potential opportunities within intercollegiate athletics, coaching, athletics administration, officiating and encourage
athletics departments to make this a part of the campus student-athlete orientation, NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills program and the national NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

(9) Encourage athletics administrators to notify student-athletes of networking and career opportunities within intercollegiate athletics.

b. Governance and legislative recommendations.

(1) Require athletics departments to demonstrate that they follow institutional campus hiring and employment policies. NCAA members should report this information during the Division I certification or Divisions II and III institutional self-study process.

(2) Encourage the NCAA Committee on Athletics Certification, Divisions II and III Membership Committees to discuss the idea of designating one person (university or college general counsel, faculty athletics representative, diversity officer, equal employment officer, and Title IX coordinator) at each institution with the responsibility of managing institutional plans for improvement in the areas of gender equity and minority and diversity issues.

(3) Increase the number of racial or ethnic minorities and women who serve on NCAA councils, cabinets and committees based on a comprehensive evaluation of NCAA governance units.

support, integrate and promote women’s sports

The following recommendations focus on education and training; assessment and accountability; and rewards and incentives that will bolster the positive benefits and sustainability of women’s sports as well enhance the knowledge and support for gender equity within the Association.

1. Strengthen the support, integration and promotion of women’s sports within intercollegiate athletics.

a. Programmatic recommendations.

(1) Develop, publish and circulate a position paper that articulates why intercollegiate athletics stakeholders (presidents, chancellors, directors of athletics, senior woman administrators, and faculty athletics representatives) should value, support, promote and enhance women’s sports in intercollegiate athletics.

(2) Develop and implement, for the membership, an interactive Web-based gender-equity education training program on the status of women’s athletics.

(3) Develop a customized gender-equity presentation for decision makers and stakeholders to assist the membership with the goal to strengthen, support and promote women’s sports in intercollegiate athletics.

(a) Encourage attendance at an NCAA gender-equity forum and program, or

(b) Encourage attendance at an NCAA-sponsored panel presentation that will be conducted during national conferences or convention meetings (such as American Council on Education, National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators, and College Sports Information Directors of America). Presentations to be developed by the NCAA national office.

(4) Annually publish the gender-equity data collected by the Association on an individual institutional basis and also by division and conference.

b. Governance and legislative recommendations.

(1) Develop legislation to require that each designated individual complete the gender-equity Web-based training referenced in No. 1 above, within the first year of implementation of this program or within the first year of his or her appointment. This would include directors of athletics, faculty athletics representatives, senior woman administrators, Title IX coordinators, administrator(s) with oversight responsibilities for intercollegiate athletics and athletics boards.

(a) Institutions with 100 percent successful completion of the Web-based training program will be published in The NCAA News, organized by conference.

(2) Develop legislation that requires member institutions, on an annual basis, to review and analyze their latest gender-equity data submitted to the NCAA national office in order for the institutions to identify and address in a timely manner any inequities between the men’s and women’s programs.

(3) Encouragement to member institutions to achieve gender equity consistent with the Association’s principles of gender equity as outlined in the NCAA Constitution and certification program.

(4) Expand the Division I gender equity five-year planning process to include Divisions II and III institutions (for example, to have each member institution create and submit to the NCAA national office a gender equity five-year plan demonstrating that it is committed to and progressing toward equitable and fair treatment of both male and female student-athletes).

(5) In addition to current requirements, all institutional gender equity five-year plans should include:

(a) An annual analysis of gender-equity data.

(b) Evidence of member institutions efforts to accommodate the interests and abilities of the underrepresented gender. For the programs focusing on accommodation of interest and abilities, the use of surveys alone does not constitute a thorough review. If an institution chooses to use a survey (a Web

(c) survey or hard copy survey) as one of its sources of data, the five-year plan must include an explanation of the populations surveyed, the survey response rate and the method used to interpret the data.

(d) Data demonstrating annual status and progress, if needed toward the proportionate distribution of funds (such as recruiting, team travel, accommodations, per diem, equipment, uniforms, shoes, etc.) to men’s and women’s programs. Gender-equity plans must review, analyze and address any discrepancies in each of these areas.

(e) Documentation from member institutions to the NCAA national office of the appointment of a person or group outside the athletics department (faculty athletics representative, admissions representative, student affairs, equal opportunities office, etc.) who has the experience, authority and assigned time to ensure the implementation of the gender equity five-year plan (proposed above), and who will produce annual gender-equity status reports.

(6) Create programs to recognize institutions that have made significant progress toward gender equity.

(a) Conference offices will collaborate with member institutions to create a conference competition in each division and subdivision of the NCAA to promote women’s sports to the general public and highlight the value of women’s sports through the creation of radio and television commercials.

(b) Develop criteria for recognition programs for institutions that have made significant progress or maintained excellence in the gender equity program areas as outlined in the NCAA certification program.

c. Additional programmatic recommendations.

(1) Encourage a periodic audit of membership institutions compliance with the gender-equity plan by an individual or group outside the athletics department to help institutions progress between certification cycles.

(2) Encourage that a periodic audit be completed every three to five years in the areas of participation and financial aid. Urge conference offices at all levels to collect, review, analyze and publish data. Conference offices should assist their member institutions with developing plans to correct any inequities that exist.