The first grants in Division II's Strategic Alliance Matching Grant Enhancement Program have been awarded to a regionally diverse set of institutions and conferences to provide more opportunities in athletics administration for women and minorities.

A four-person selection committee awarded a total of $241,789 in grant money to the following institutions and conferences: California State University, Dominguez Hills; the University of New Haven; the California Collegiate Athletic Association; Emporia State University; the University of South Carolina at Aiken; Western Oregon University; and the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

In all cases, the money will be used to help fund positions designated for women and minorities over a five-year period. The NCAA will pay 75 percent of the expense in the first year, 50 percent in the second year and 25 percent in the third. Institutions and conferences will fully fund the positions in the fourth and fifth years.

"Division II should take great pride in providing this opportunity for women and people of color," said Clint Bryant, athletics director at Augusta State University and chair of the Division II Management Council. "We identified a problem with administrative diversity in our division, and we have taken a major step to address it."

The most recent demographic study by the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee showed that Division II not only trailed the other divisions in administrative hiring for minorities, it had in fact regressed over the previous reporting period.

The Division II Project Team to Discuss Issues Related to Diversity conceived the matching-grant program 18 months ago and eventually gained approval from both the Division II Management and Presidents Councils.

"What is most impressive about this first class is the importance of the positions," said Mike L. Racy, Division II chief of staff. "Many of them are assistant athletics director-level positions, with meaningful duties. Those filling the positions will be exposed to a broad range of responsibilities, including event management, contract work, scheduling and coaching supervision."

A total of 24 institutions and conferences submitted proposals. The winners were selected by a committee that included Alfreeda Goff, associate commissioner of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference (and a former member of the Division II Management Council); Adam Herbert, chancellor of the State University System of Florida (and former chair of the Division II Presidents Council); Stanley D. Johnson, former NCAA director of professional development; and Nancy L. Mitchell, former NCAA Division II chief of staff.

Although the program is in a pilot stage, the plan is to renew it annually, resulting in a constant flow of new minority and female administrators.

The grants have no strings attached, beyond the necessary requirement that each institution or conference commit to funding the position for the full five years.

In fact, Division II has knowingly assumed a risk in this program since the grant recipients are under no obligation to remain in Division II.

"We recognize that Division II may become something of a training ground for women and minorities and that they might be inclined to move on toward positions in Division I," Bryant said.

"But in our minds, the issue is much bigger than the interests of any single division. If this program can improve the environment for minority athletics administrators throughout the NCAA, then we will have done our job."

In time, Bryant hopes that the program will grow into an Association-wide function that will help address minority administrative access concerns that have been voiced by a number of constituents, most recently the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

"There is no substitute for institutions doing the right thing and hiring more minority administrators," Bryant said. "I agree with that wholeheartedly, and I hope that the NABC's recent appeals will help institutions make that decision.

"But while we need our member schools to help us from the top down, we need to be developing programs that will build from the bottom up. The NCAA can't mandate the hiring practices of its membership, but it can help with developmental programs, such as this matching-grant initiative.

"I know I'm very proud that we have taken a significant portion of our limited resources in Division II and directed them toward this important purpose."

In selecting the winners, the committee gave priority to these considerations:

* Full-time permanent positions.

* Administrative positions without coaching or athletic training responsibilities.

* Positions with substantive management/coordination responsibilities that afford clear opportunities to develop a comprehensive overview of athletics operations and administration.

* Clear evidence of long-term institutional support.

* The potential to expand the pool of experienced minority and women athletics administrators.

The committee also considered the quality of the proposal and its desire to distribute the awards over a wide geographic area. No more than one position could be funded at any institution.

Grant recipients

University of New Haven

Assistant Athletics Director for Student Development and NCAA Compliance: This person will oversee the planning and implementation of strategies conducive to the academic, athletics and personal development of student-athletes. The program will encompass, but not be restricted to, counseling, advising and monitoring the development and academic progress of the university's student-athletes.

Grant amount: $40,125.

California Collegiate Athletic Association

Administrative Executive: This person will undertake and assist in an array of outreach responsibilities to better serve the league membership, including (but not limited to) compliance and enforcement, championships, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and media relations.*

Grant amount: $24,825.

*The selection committee agreed to ask the CCCA to rethink the title of the position to better reflect the administrative responsibilities of the position.

Emporia State University

Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance and Student-Athlete Services/Senior Woman Administrator: This person will serve in compliance and student-athlete services and have oversight responsibilities in all department administrative areas and sports supervision.

Grant amount: $31,500.

University of South Carolina at Aiken

Assistant to the Athletics Director for Business and Alumni Affairs: This person will be responsible for managing the financial and business matters of the athletics department, serving as an advisor to student organizations associated with the athletics department (such as the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee), representing South Carolina-Aiken as the NCAA senior woman administrator (if appropriate) and serving as a liaison to the alumni and supporters of the South Carolina-Aiken athletics department.

Grant amount: $38,822.

Western Oregon University

Untitled: This person's primary responsibilities will include compliance, student development/educational programs, game and event management, and coaching, if applicable. Secondary responsibilities may include academic advising, multicultural programming and mentoring, and recruitment.**

**The selection committee agreed to ask Western Oregon University to withdraw the coaching responsibilities and restrict the position to administrative duties only.

Grant amount: $30,375.

University of Nebraska at Kearney

Assistant to the Senior Woman Administrator: This person will assist the senior woman administrator in developing and managing programs and policies in all aspects of internal administration, including the following: Manage the academic enhancement program, sponsor the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, support efforts in evaluation and implementation of Title IX and gender-equity goals, and perform tasks in support of a comprehensive NCAA compliance program to include education and training of staff.

Grant amount: $30,992.

Alternates

Humboldt State University, media relations assistant, $30,576.

Fort Hays State University, assistant to the senior woman administrator/compliance coordinator/assistant volleyball coach, $24,412. A condition would be to eliminate the coaching responsibilities from this position.

University of Southern Colorado, assistant athletics director for compliance, study skills and academic advising/senior woman administrator, $30,000.