The NCAA News - News and Features

The NCAA News -- August 16, 1999

Committee on Women's Athletics seeks quicker solutions for gender-equity issues

The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics remains concerned about progress on several recommendations identified in the 1999 NCAA Gender-Equity and Diversity Audit, and it continues to encourage the Association to pursue an accelerated timetable toward addressing issues raised in the report.

At its meeting in New York City July 7-9, the committee also reviewed proposed changes in NCAA legislation regarding the senior woman administrator position, and it composed a number of suggestions to increase participation by women athletics administrators on the national, conference and institutional level. The committee also heard from Donna Lopiano, executive director of the Women's Sports Foundation, regarding a number of women's athletics issues.

Review of gender-equity audit

The committee conducted an in-depth review of the original 1999 NCAA Gender-Equity Audit Report as well as the Association's response to the audit.

The committee expressed disappointment that little action had been taken on "fast-tracking" the women's sports identified in the audit (ice hockey, water polo, squash and bowling), and the committee resubmitted a request to the Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet to fast-track those sports.

The committee also indicated the need to raise awareness in the athletics community of the current lack of adequate female and ethnic minority involvement in athletics administration. The committee noted the need to identify more women and ethnic minorities to fill positions athletics director, conference commissioner and faculty athletics representative positions.

The committee reviewed the issue of gender identification and promotional labeling of NCAA championships, and noted that the Association is reviewing a recommended policy change that would treat both genders equally (by using the Men's Final Four and the Women's Final Four, for example), and the committee strongly supports these efforts.

The committee also noted the significant progress of the NCAA marketing, promotions and licensing staff toward achieving audit report recommendations.

The committee also met with Daniel Boggan Jr., NCAA senior vice-president, and discussed the future of the group that requested the audit, the Executive Committee's Ad Hoc Committee to Review Gender Equity and Diversity Issues.

Senior woman administrator

Acting on requests by the Divisions I, II and III Management Councils, the committee reviewed proposed changes to NCAA legislation regarding the senior woman administrator (SWA) position. After a review of the original proposal to mandate SWAs at member institutions, as well as all suggested modifications to the proposal and legal counsel's recommendations, the committee decided to recommend maintaining the existing language regarding the SWA as it appears in the NCAA manuals.

The committee noted that the intent to amend the existing legislation grew out of a desire to strengthen the SWA position, but that amendments to the proposal do not seem to accomplish this goal. The committee will continue to study the role of the SWA, and it also plans to pursue alternative ways to strengthen the role of women in leadership positions within intercollegiate athletics.

Recruiting women and minorities

The Committee on Women's Athletics, responding to requests from several entities, also provided recommendations to enhance the development and recruitment of women and ethnic minorities.

The Division II Management Council had requested the committee's input in developing ways to enhance the SWA position in Division II, and the Division III Management Council, as well as the Ad Hoc Committee to Review Gender Equity and Diversity Issues, also had asked the Committee on Women's Athletics to provide ideas on ways to assist institutions and conferences in the identification and recruitment of women and minorities. The committee combined the requests and developed numerous recommendations -- for the national, conference and institutional level -- to bring to the three bodies.

Among the many recommendations were: providing competitive salaries and multiyear contracts, implementing mentoring programs, funding attendance of SWAs at a variety of intercollegiate athletics conferences and conventions, establishing a formal role for SWAs at the conference level and the continued education of the NCAA membership.

Donna Lopiano, executive director of the Women's Sports Foundation, met with the committee and identified a number of issues that she believes require attention in the intercollegiate athletics community.

Lopiano stated that she thought: