The NCAA Fellows Leadership Development Program is now accepting applications for the 2009-10 class.

Aimed at enhancing the employment and leadership opportunities for racial and ethnic minorities and women at the senior management level in intercollegiate athletics, this 18-month program is open to any racial/ethnic minority or female athletics administrator (associate level or above, preferred) at an NCAA member institution or conference office.

The new Fellows class will begin at the 2009 NCAA Convention in Washington, D.C., in January and finish in June 2010.

As part of the program, participants will be introduced to all facets of athletics administration, including marketing, public relations, budgeting, leadership, compliance, fund-raising and management. Fellows also will gain insight into the industry from athletics directors and conference commissioners through attendance at the NCAA Convention; other Association-related meetings; and personal and professional development workshops, seminars and advances.

In addition, each participant will be assigned an executive mentor from a member school or conference and will complete a project outside of current normal job responsibilities as part of the program.

It is preferred that eligible candidates have a minimum of seven years of experience and are recommended by their athletics director or conference commissioner. Each candidate must also demonstrate support from the institution’s president or conference president or designee.

The NCAA will cover all costs associated with the each Fellow’s participation in the program. Each participant’s institution will be responsible for continuing to pay the Fellow’s full salary and benefits.

The Fellows program was launched in 1997 by the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics and the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee. Since then, 46 administrators have graduated from the program and four program alumni currently serve as athletics directors within the membership, including Georgia’s Damon Evans, who is currently serving as chair of the newly established Division I Leadership Council.

The program is administered by the diversity and inclusion department at the NCAA national office.

The application deadline is October 15. To apply, visit https://web1.ncaa.org/intern/exec/fellows. For more information about the Fellows program, click the Diversity and Inclusion link under the About the NCAA tab at www.ncaa.org or contact Chris Ruckdaschel (cruckdaschel@ncaa.org), NCAA assistant director of diversity and inclusion.