A variety of programming at the 2008 NCAA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, will focus on diversity issues, including a symposium on women of color in college athletics and a hazing prevention summit. The Convention is January 10-14 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center.

The January 11 Symposium on Women of Color in College Athletics aims to foster leadership from women of color in intercollegiate athletics administration and coaching, provide insight into campus and cultural issues affecting racial/ethnic minority female student-athletes and address the perceptions and realities of Title IX for women of color. Participants can register for the symposium during registration for the Convention.

The symposium will include panel presentations followed by roundtable discussions and then a recounting of the roundtable discussions during the symposium wrap-up. A variety of women from differing backgrounds will serve as panelists and facilitators at the event, including Tina Sloan Green, co-founder and president of the Black Women in Sport Foundation; Alpha Alexander, athletics director at Lane College; Gloria Nevarez, associate athletics director at the University of Oklahoma; and Keri Gaither, athletics director at the University of Detroit Mercy.

The event is the result of the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee’s request for special programming. The MOIC will receive a summary of the symposium and determine if new initiatives or programming should be created.

Charlotte Westerhaus, NCAA vice president for diversity and inclusion, said the symposium should benefit all NCAA members, not just women of color.

In addition to the symposium, other diversity-related programs at the Convention include an Association-wide session entitled “Issues Affecting Historically Black Colleges and Institutions,” which will address a range of issues impacting HBCUs, including the role of their history in today’s environment and the challenges facing their programs.

Another Association-wide session focuses on inclusion for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender student-athletes in athletics. That session, called “Time Out! A Conversation about Including LGBT Student-Athletes,” features Jill Pilgrim, general counsel for the Ladies Professional Golf Association as moderator and panelist. Other panelists include John Amaechi, former NBA player and a former student-athlete at Pennsylvania State University; Neil Giuliano, president of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation; and Laurie Priest, athletics director at Mount Holyoke College.

The session will address homophobia and the Association’s commitment to an inclusive culture that fosters equitable participation for student-athletes and career opportunities for coaches and administrators. In addition to Pat Griffin’s “It Takes a Team” DVD that is available to all member institutions, the Association also provides sessions on sexual orientation as part of its advanced diversity education program.

Jaime Fluker, NCAA assistant director of diversity and inclusion, said people walk away from the diversity education sessions realizing that they “didn’t know what they thought they knew” about sexual orientation (or any of the other topics).

“There was a time when it was difficult to talk about race. People have become more aware of the value of those conversations and feel more comfortable with them,” Fluker said. “I think that time will come for sexual orientation, through talking about some of these issues and driving home the point about teamwork, about getting better as a group.”

With the session and other inclusive programming, the NCAA hopes to help athletics departments be more diverse and inclusive of all student-athletes. The session will provide awareness of how homophobia adversely affects student-athlete well-being and the climate within athletics and share effective strategies that responsibly address homophobia in college athletics.

The HBCU session will be Saturday, January 12, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The LGBT session follows at 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

The Convention also provides a forum to discuss hazing prevention. The January 10 summit will showcase recent research about hazing, suggest prevention strategies and describe useful resources for developing policies and programs on campuses.

Like the other sessions, interested delegates can register for the summit during the Convention registration process. Online registration for the Convention closes December 17. Delegates can register for the Convention on-site in Nashville.

Association-wide sessions

Friday, January 11, 1:30-3 p.m.
Knight Commission Reports on Faculty Perceptions of Intercollegiate Athletics, Presidential Ballroom D

Accidents Happen: Athletics Event Incident Prevention and Response, Presidential Ballroom B

Reaching the Public and Media Through New Technology, Presidential Ballroom A

Athletics Department Marketing and Promotions Best Practices, Presidential Ballroom C, E

Friday, January 11, 3:15-4:45 p.m.
Meet You at the Crossroads, the Intersection of Athletics Avenue and Student Affairs Street, Presidential Ballroom D

Dollars and Sense: Successful Athletics Fund-Raising Strategies, Presidential Ballroom C, E

Life and Work Balance Strategies and Resources, Balancing Act — Effectively Managing Your Life and Your Life’s Work, Presidential Ballroom A

Improving Your APR ASAP: Academic Progress Rate Improvement Plan Guidelines and Best Practices, Presidential Ballroom B

Saturday, January 12, 9-10:30 a.m.

NCAA Eligibility Center Purpose, Transition and Customer-Service Philosophy: The Evolution of the Eligibility Center, Presidential Ballroom B

History Repeating Itself: Issues Affecting Historically Black Colleges and Institutions, Presidential Ballroom A

Relating to Today’s Student-Athletes, Presidential Ballroom D

The Student-Athlete Perspective of the College Experience, Presidential Ballroom C, E

Saturday, January 12, 10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
U-Tube: Resources for Maximizing a School’s Online Presence, Presidential Ballroom C

Somebody’s Watching You: Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct, Presidential Ballroom D

Time Out! A conversation about including Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Student-Athletes, Presidential Ballroom B

Crisis Communication Planning Strategies and Tools, When the News isn’t so Good, Presidential Ballroom A

Saturday, January 12, 12:45-2:15 p.m.
Game On — Changing the Game Environment to Better Reflect the Division II Purpose, Presidential Ballroom D

It’s Not Just an Event, It’s a Happening — Elements of Bidding For and Hosting Successful NCAA Championships, Presidential Ballroom C

What to Expect when a Student-Athlete is Expecting: Legal, Medical and Treatment Aspects of Student-Athlete Pregnancy, Presidential Ballroom B.

Don’t Bet On It: Sports Wagering, Presidential Ballroom A

Expectations Among Division III Presidents, Deans and Athletics Directors, Governor A/E