If inclusion is a journey that begins with diversity, then the NCAA has created the vehicle to help its members make the trip.

NCAA President Myles Brand recently established an Office for Diversity and Inclusion, which provides the national office infrastructure the tools necessary to effect change as the Association strives for inclusiveness within its diverse composition.

Developed as part of the NCAA strategic plan, the initiative bolsters the Association's ongoing diversity-awareness campaign with the structure to provide leadership, as well as some measure of accountability, as to how the national office and NCAA institutions make decisions that reflect an inclusive approach.

At a structural level, the Office for Diversity and Inclusion will employ a vice-president who reports directly to the NCAA president, and a director who oversees and manages programming. But at the activation level, the office will fulfill the much broader purpose of serving as the primary NCAA contact for representing the Association's position on inclusion to internal and external constituents. That means not only is the office designed to keep the NCAA staff tracking on inclusion, but the membership as well.

The terminology chosen to describe the new office is important. While the word "diversity" has been an agenda item for more than a decade and is likely understood by most people who use it, the word "inclusion" adds an important element that still is in the development phase.

Actually, "inclusion" came into being during the strategic-planning process itself. NCAA President Brand noted that during one of the many membership feedback sessions involving individuals from all three divisions and from various levels and positions within college sports, a discussion emerged about the need to include within the plan a goal for enhancing diversity.

"One of the individuals in the session made the comment that the focus should be less on the differences that diversity provides and more on our effort to include diversity -- put diversity to work -- so that the work product is better," Brand said. "That resonated well with others in the session, and the concept of inclusion was on the table. It was clear to those in the room that this was a breakthrough in the way we think about the benefits of achieving diversity."

Brand said the concept also resonated with Glen Tecker, who headed the firm the NCAA retained to undertake the strategic-planning process. Tecker emphasized that inclusion was an appropriate approach for an organization such as the NCAA.

"Associations are brought together by a strong need to accomplish something that individually the members cannot do alone," he said. "They have a common purpose and share the same values. The concept of inclusion aligns more directly with the structure of an association. Diversity focuses on the differences between people -- inclusion focuses on what is common among the group."

"This initiative, then, is not just linked with the NCAA strategic plan because there are words in the plan calling for it," Brand said. "It actually is a product of the process."

'The teeth behind diversity'

The NCAA has offered diversity-education programming over the last decade to help break down stereotypes that in the past may have contributed to an exclusive environment. While those sessions have focused on the importance of making sure there are people at the table who don't look the same and who have had different experiences, not as much attention has been paid to why that approach is important.

Diversity education has been effective to an extent as most conferences and institutions regularly expose their administrators and student-athletes to diversity workshops. But the race and gender demographics data do not necessarily support the notion that raising awareness to diversity has paid off to the desired extent. In the dozen years that diversity education has been a priority, there has been little movement, if any, in the number of women and minorities in leadership positions. If those numbers are the stick by which diversity is measured, many would say the effort hasn't added up. In other words, while the Association may have a more comprehensive understanding of its diversity, its leadership is yet to reflect an inclusive environment.

Ron Stratten, NCAA vice-president for education services who has a history of working with interpersonal models that emphasize teamwork, said diversity education has provided NCAA members a clearer vision, but perhaps not of the bigger picture.

"We still have a habit of making decisions about people who aren't in the room," Stratten said. "Inclusion means that we are thinking about that, recognizing it as a weakness and doing something about it. It means we recognize that we in fact don't understand enough to make an inclusive decision, and that we need more representation in order to understand. Inclusion translates the differences into behaviors and reflects a quality of thinking at both the individual and organizational levels."

A good example illustrating Stratten's point is the very strategic plan that identified the need for emphasis on inclusion in the first place. Because it was a document that represented values and goals for the entire Association, its development had to be inclusive. During the 18-month period in which the strategic plan was developed, all membership constituent groups and stakeholders at every level of intercollegiate athletics were extended the opportunity to contribute. The NCAA took advantage of its diversity to build an inclusive plan -- all voices contributed to the final version.

"Inclusion builds on the commitment to diversity," said NCAA Senior Woman Administrator Judy Sweet, who called the NCAA strategic plan an example of how allowing diverse expression ultimately leads to a more inclusive outcome. "We value different backgrounds, but diversity gives the impression that we focus on differences as opposed to valuing those differences for what they bring to the table."

Brand called inclusion "the teeth behind diversity."

"People can embrace and appreciate diversity, but it does not hold them accountable for making the composition of their workforce more diverse," he said. "The idea of inclusion is the commitment the NCAA is making to include people from diverse backgrounds as we make decisions and develop future goals. Thus it is diversity and inclusion. We must not forget everything we learned about diversity -- it still holds true -- but inclusion is the activation of the diversity model."

In that sense, Brand said diversity and inclusion should be thought of sequentially.

"You cannot have inclusion until you have diversity," he said. "The correct approach is to first understand and appreciate the diverse elements of the population and then make sure everyone is included in finding a common solution. You cannot go off in separate ways and say that being diverse means there can be different approaches. It's not identity politics; it's just the opposite. It's bringing everyone together with a full understanding of what each has to contribute. That is why diversity precedes inclusion."

What members can expect

Stratten said NCAA institutions should find the Office for Diversity and Inclusion to be a valuable resource for counsel and leadership. He said the vice-president will be available as a membership liaison who can create active dialogue in matters of diversity and inclusion.

"The membership has said it wants to create more inclusive leadership in intercollegiate athletics," Stratten said. "Goal No. 3.5 in the strategic plan says that explicitly, and the Office for Diversity and Inclusion is positioned to help institutions accomplish that goal -- both for themselves and for their Association as a whole."

Stratten said while the office will have only the power of persuasion at its disposal and not something more binding, it still should serve as the desired change agent if institutions use it to its fullest extent.

"Obviously, the vice-president for Diversity and Inclusion won't be going to campuses and telling presidents and administrators what to do," he said. "But he or she can help them facilitate the dialogue we think will get them where they need to go. For example, what is the average age of the coaching or administrative staff and what is the ethnic/racial background compared to the student body? How much do you engage in dialogue with your student-athletes regarding cultural differences? Is it in passing or do you sit down and really address it? How far are you away from really being in touch with your student-athletes?

"Those are the kinds of questions that might lead to a more inclusive approach."

Bernard Franklin, NCAA senior vice-president for governance and membership services, is chairing the search committee charged with identifying the new vice-president. He said member institutions can expect the new hire to provide meaningful counsel in diversity matters.

"We expect this position to be staffed by a person who can collect and share best practices relating to diversity and inclusion, someone who will bring a national voice. I'm hoping the role will be viewed as an active one, one that member institutions can access at the front end of issues instead of responding in a crisis mode. We want to be ahead of the curve with diversity and inclusion and not in a reactive mode."

At the same time, Franklin said, it will be important to set the expectations for the new vice-president at a realistic level. Franklin emphasized that the issues are complex and long-standing, and it might be unreasonable to expect the new vice-president to come to the NCAA and resolve all the issues in a short period. Rather, Franklin said, it might be more reasonable to expect steady and measured improvement over time.

That kind of improvement will take more than just one or two people activating a new office, Franklin added.

"The fact that we have established the Office for Diversity and Inclusion does not mean that all NCAA members are relieved of their responsibilities for ensuring gender equity and diversity," he said. "Each of us continues to have that responsibility, and it cannot be transferred to the new vice-president."

Search under way

The Executive Committee's Subcommittee on Gender and Diversity Issues, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics and the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee will serve the Office for Diversity and Inclusion in an advisory capacity. Darlene Bailey, associate director of athletics at Southwest Missouri State University and chair of the Committee on Women's Athletics, said her committee members welcomed the initiative at their latest meeting. Donald Beggs, who chairs the Executive Committee subcommittee, said there was unanimous support from his group -- as well as anticipation for making a far-reaching difference on a national scale.

"To truly implement diversity and inclusion, it must come from the highest leadership, from the president's position at the national office and from the president's position at each campus," said Beggs, president at Wichita State University. "If this is going to work effectively, it has to be more than an office. It has to start with the NCAA staff and it must be integrated with institutions. The terminology may be different among campuses, but inclusion is more than an office. That will be exhibited through this effort, with assistance being provided to those programs and institutions that wish to receive it."

A national search is under way to fill the vice-president position. Franklin said the search committee he chairs seeks an experienced professional with leadership experience, and mediation and negotiation skills.

"The committee will be looking for someone who can quickly grasp the issues and provide strategic direction to assist the membership and the national office as we move toward addressing issues of diversity and inclusion," he said.

Franklin said the search committee, designed in and of itself to be an inclusive and representative membership group, will be assembled soon and identify a search firm to assist the group by early December. He said he hopes the position will be filled sometime this spring. "That is an aggressive timeline," Franklin admitted, "but at the same time we also know we have to be deliberate in our process and take the time necessary to identify strong candidates."

NCAA Strategic Plan

3- to 5-Year Outcome-Oriented Goals

No. 3.5 -- Enhance hiring practices for administrators, coaches and other athletics personnel, resulting in more inclusive leadership in intercollegiate athletics.

Responsibilities

Among duties to be performed by the vice-president of the Office for Diversity and Inclusion:

• Develop strategies, policies and programs designed to promote diversity and inclusion in intercollegiate athletics, specifically in coaching, athletics administration and officiating at the national, conference and institutional levels.

• Oversee the development and implementation of strategic-plan initiatives related to diversity and inclusion, with special emphasis on membership issues.

• Administer the NCAA Women's and Ethnic Minority Enhancement Scholarship Programs and the NCAA Internship Program.

• Oversee Association-wide diversity and inclusion educational programming.

• Assist in the administration of Division II and Division III diversity initiatives.

• Serve as a national office advocate for diversity and inclusion.