The NCAA has partnered with researchers at Texas A&M to enhance diversity and inclusion efforts across the membership.

This first-of-its-kind alliance between the NCAA national office's diversity and inclusion staff and the Laboratory for Diversity in Sport at Texas A&M provides financial support for the laboratory's research, which supports the annual Diversity in Athletics Award.

The award has been presented only to Football Bowl Subdivision colleges and universities since it was established in 2005-06, but under the new partnership, the honor will be given to schools in each of the NCAA's three divisions. Divisions I and II universities and colleges will be honored this spring for the 2007-08 academic year and Division III schools will be recognized in 2008-09.

Researchers at the Laboratory for Diversity in Sport also will interview athletics directors, assistant athletics directors, coaches, staff and student-athletes at Diversity in Athletics Award-winning institutions and produce best practices for athletics departments that will be shared online and mailed to ADs in the respective division.

In addition, the laboratory will randomly select 30 marketing directors from FBS schools to help develop best practices for increasing diversity within the college athletics fan base. Those results also will be shared online and mailed to ADs.

Charlotte Westerhaus, NCAA vice president of diversity and inclusion, said the partnership helps broaden the membership’s knowledge of diversity and inclusion, which helps fulfill a recommendation from the NCAA Diversity Leadership Strategic Planning Committee established by NCAA President Myles Brand in 2006 to identify enhancement strategies.

"The Diversity in Athletics Award will not only educate, but inspire others to support and replicate exceptional practices in their athletics departments," Westerhaus said. "The Diversity in Athletics Award is a uniquely relevant for the membership because it encompasses evaluation and recognition."

Texas A&M's George B. Cunningham said the alliance opens the door for more comprehensive analysis of diversity and inclusion. Because research will be shared with the entire membership, the benefits of the initiative will be Association-wide.

"There are many advantages of people knowing the benefits of diversity to their workplace and how to make it work in their particular context. This research will allow for such an understanding," Cunningham said.

Cunningham said his ultimate vision of the partnership is to positively influence change in the area of diversity and inclusion.

"In addition to broadening the scope of the Diversity in Athletics Award, we are assessing best practices in a number of areas, including recruitment and selection of personnel, managing the department's culture of diversity and marketing and promoting athletics events," Cunningham said. "Having access to this material will allow administrators to make more informed decisions concerning diversity and inclusion."

For more information about the Laboratory for Diversity in Sport, visit http://lds.tamu.edu/.