The Division II Project Team to Review Issues Related to Diversity looked at past, present and future initiatives during its August 29-30 meeting in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

The project team evaluated the success of its original program, the Strategic Alliance Matching Enhancement Grant; assessed the status of its current project, the enhancement of the senior woman administrator position; and began an examination of minority and women coaching opportunities in Division II.

Matching-grant program

The purpose of the matching-grant program was to create professional opportunities for women and ethnic minorities through a partnership between member institutions and the NCAA.

The project team tracked the first class of the pilot program, which was created in 2000. Seven positions were established as a result of the pilot program, and three of the individuals who were selected to fill those positions remain in those positions. In three other cases, the original hires have moved on to other positions in college athletics.

In addition, another six positions were created and filled when the program shed its pilot status earlier this year.

Therefore, as a result of the program, 13 institutions and conferences have been able to create new positions, and 16 women and minorities have started or enhanced careers in intercollegiate athletics.

For the pilot class, the NCAA has provided $489,686 in matching funds while the participating institutions and conferences have contributed $985,349 in salaries, benefits and other expenses. The projected expenses for the 2002 class are $539,923 for the NCAA and $1,086,621 for the participating institutions.

As successful as the program has been, the project team is concerned that it is not benefiting as many minorities as originally planned. Currently, eight of the 13 position created through the program are filled with white females. Of the remaining five, three are black males and two are black females.

Because of that disparity, the project team will ask the selection committee to require that institutions and conferences demonstrate a plan to produce a diverse candidate pool.

Senior woman administrator

The project team also reviewed a survey of Division II senior woman administrators (see the accompanying table) that revealed a weak correlation between principles that SWAs perceive to be important -- for example, the opportunity to be involved in significant decision-making -- and the frequency with which those principles are met.

The group also reviewed a $50,000 NCAA commitment to the National Association of Women Collegiate Athletic Administrators to enhance the role of the senior woman administrator. The original plan was to use the money to fund scholarships to the NACWAA/HERS program, but many conferences already have been using Division II conference grant money for that purpose. In the alternative, the project team suggested that NACWAA may work with Division II to develop an assessment program for senior woman administrators modeled after the Compliance Blueprint program. If the model can be developed quickly, it will be presented at the 2003 Convention in Anaheim, California.

Division II will vote in January on legislation developed by the diversity project team to clarify the role of the senior woman administrator. In addition to the principal benefit of developing women athletics administrators, the project team believes the proposal has the potential to strengthen Division II athletics programs by creating an administrative position that would be expected to assist with essential functions such as personnel management, game administration, facility management, fund-raising and community relations.

The project team is in the process of producing a CD-ROM promoting the proposal and will forward it to the Division II membership next month.

Minority and women coaches

The project team also reviewed minority participation rates for student-athletes and compared them with hiring rates for minority coaches in Division II.

The examination showed significant differences between the groups, especially if historically black institutions (HBCUs) are excluded. For example, in men's basketball in 2000-01, almost half the participants were ethnic minorities; however, according to the most recent NCAA race demographics study, only about 20 percent of all head coaches are minorities. If HBCUs are excluded, only about 10 percent of all men's Division II coaches are minority.

The numbers are lower still in football. Only one of 127 Division II non-HBCUs reported a minority football coach in the 1999 race demographics study.

The project team plans to examine why so few football, basketball and track coaches are minorities, even though minority participation in those sports is high. At its recent meeting, the project team considered the possibility of hosting a forum next summer to discuss the issue and to brainstorm on possible solutions.

Division II Senior Woman Administrator Survey Results

Less than 3 years (34.6 percent) * 3-5 years (26.8 percent) * More than 5 years (38.6 percent)

Athletics director (8 percent) * Assistant or associate athletics director (48 percent) * Coach (33 percent) * Other (38 percent)

96.8 percent indicated that it was very important to have the opportunity to be involved in significant decision-making ; however, only 53 percent indicated that they always or frequently have the opportunity on their campus.

96.8 percent indicated that it was very important to have the opportunity to influence key decisions; however, only 48.4 percent indicated that they always or frequently have the opportunity on their campus.

81.8 percent indicated that it was important or very important to have the opportunity to make decisions without approval of immediate superiors; however, only 53.4 percent indicated that they always or frequently have this independent decision-making.

91.2 percent indicated that it was important or very important to have the opportunity to make decisions when unexpected problems arise; however, only 52.5 percent indicated that they always or frequently have this authority.

85.7 percent indicated that it was important or very important to have access to mentors in high positions; however, only 53 percent indicated that they did have access to mentors.

92.1 percent indicated that it was important or very important to have the opportunity for career/professional development; however, only 52.6 percent indicated that occurred on a regular basis.

84.8 percent indicated that it was important or very important to have the ability to attend conferences for professional development; 57 percent indicated that they were able to attend professional development conferences.

82.6 percent indicated that it was important or very important to have the opportunity to attend workshops to enhance abilities; however, only 50.8 percent indicated that they had the opportunity to attend.

The barriers or obstacles that have impacted or could impact a senior woman administrator's career include: inadequate salary (49.6 percent), sense of tokenism (31.8 percent), low expectations by administrators (28.9 percent), and being identified as an official spokeswoman for women's issues only (25.8 percent).