The Committee on Women's Athletics (CWA) and the Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee (MOIC) are concerned that the NCAA strategic plan, as it now stands, does not go far enough in addressing issues of diversity, gender equity and inclusiveness.

In a letter to Executive Committee Chair Carol A. Cartwright, president of Kent State University, the committees' chairs said they commend the Association and President Myles Brand for the strategic plan and for recognizing inclusiveness as a core value, but they do not believe it is touted as a significant factor in the plan.

"The Committee on Women's Athletics and Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee seek to work within the plan to implement this critical goal," states the letter, which is signed by CWA Chair Lynda Calkins and MOIC Chair Eugene Marshall, on behalf of their respective committees. "Additionally, we seek to strengthen the plan pertaining to this core value and we encourage enhancement of the budgets of the committees that give material life to these important issues."

The CWA and MOIC discussed the strategic plan at their joint meeting January 26 in Indianapolis.

Members of both committees questioned how the work of their groups fits into the strategic plan and how their proposed budgets would be affected by the strategic plan. The top budget priorities for the two groups, who present a joint budget to the Executive Committee Subcommittee on Gender and Diversity Issues, are coaches academies for ethnic minorities and women.

The MOIC and CWA are jointly requesting $550,000 for these academies in their next budget, and an additional $220,000 the following year to expand both academies.

In the letter to Cartwright, the CWA and MOIC recommend institutional accountability for supporting the strategic plan and propose budget allocations that support the plan, including presidential initiatives and requests from Association-wide committees that work toward those goals.

In addition, the committees expressed some concern with certain language in the portion of the plan that talks about demographics, noting that some statements may be interpreted as stereotypical or discriminatory.

The first point under demographics, for example, discusses the need for more opportunities for female college students, as that segment of the population grows. The plan states, "This responsibility will carry with it the obligation to attract more female fans and to engage more women alumni."

The CWA and MOIC suggest that the Association should work toward increasing the fan base at women's events, not merely increasing the number of women who are fans.

In closing, the letter states, "The CWA and MOIC believe it is imperative that the NCAA Executive Committee stay vigilant in establishing meaningful metrics for the plan's 'Next Actions' section that will measure the Association's progress in achieving its stated goals and upholding its commitment to its core ideology."

Other highlights

Committee on Women's Athletics
January 26-27/Indianapolis

The committee heard a report from Christine Grant, former director of women's athletics at the University of Iowa, about the decline in women's sports, women coaching women's sports and Olympic sports. Grant noted that in 1972, more than 90 percent of women's teams were coached by women, but by 2002 that figure had dropped to 44 percent. Grant also stated that according to NCAA data, Division I has lost the highest number of men's teams between 1981 and 1999, with Division I-A losing 109 teams. Much of that loss took place, she said, during a time when Title IX was not enforced, meaning the equity law cannot be the scapegoat to explain the loss of teams. With some coaches making more than $1 million a year at those top schools, Grant said, "The money's there; it depends where you want to spend it."

Jennifer Alley from the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators presented an update of the NACWAA/HERS program. NACWAA is celebrating its 25th anniversary this fall at its conference in New York. Alley also discussed the success of the Women Coaches Academy, which was conducted for the first time in spring 2003. The academy will be held in two locations this spring. Funding for the academy is a top priority for the committee.

The 14th NCAA Title IX seminar will be May 17-18 in Chicago. The first 200 registrants from NCAA member institutions may qualify for a $100 room grant. See www.ncaa.org for detailed registration information.

The CWA also heard reports from various NCAA staff members on a variety of subjects, including promotion of championships, an update on the Office of Inclusiveness, a review of the Woman of the Year awards and an update on emerging sports.