The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- March 29, 1999

Student-athlete advisory group targets increased diversity

Following a pattern of concern raised by other Division II governance groups, the Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee focused its attention on promoting diversity during its March 13-14 meeting in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Division II Presidents Council reaffirmed the need to address diversity in athletics administration during a 1999 NCAA Convention forum. The Division II SAAC followed suit during its meeting, citing the need to increase diversity at the national committee level as well as on campus and conference SAACs.

As part of a possible solution, the committee will recommend a change in the nomination process for filling vacancies on the national SAAC.

The committee will recommend to the Division II Management Council that conferences submit four nominations (instead of the current two) to fill future vacancies. Of the four nominees, two must be male and two must be female, and one nominee from each gender must be a student-athlete of color. The committee believes the process will increase the candidate pool and better identify ethnic minorities to serve on the committee.

In addition, the committee believes the larger candidate pool will address the issue of sport diversity.

The consensus of the committee is that too often, student-athletes from the same sports are selected to serve on the committee. A larger candidate pool would help alleviate that problem.

The recommendation, which will be reviewed by the Management Council in April, is one of several initiatives that the committee undertook regarding diversity.

The committee also agreed to explore whether conference and campus SAACs are reflecting a commitment to diversity in their bylaws. Committee members have been charged with collecting documentation, including bylaws and contact information, from those groups to serve as a research tool and information resource for new committee members.

Also, the committee reworked its mission statement to reflect a renewed commitment to diversity, stating that the committee's mission is to enhance the total student-athlete experience by promoting opportunity for all student-athletes with regard to gender, race, ethnicity and sport; protecting student-athlete welfare; and fostering a positive student-athlete image.

The diversity discussion was part of the committee's review of key issues for the coming year. Other issues identified by the group included Title IX compliance, particularly as it relates to sports participation; establishing protocol with faculty members regarding missed class time; and a continued review of the "20-hour" rule.

The committee also heard from Marvalene Hughes, president of California State University, Stanislaus, regarding budget issues. Hughes, the committee's liaison from the Division II Presidents Council, led a review of the Association's budget process and also focused on specific budget issues for Division II. The committee reviewed the unallocated funds and submitted several preliminary recommendations.