Sep 20, 2010 9:23:14 AM

The NCAA national office this week implemented several structural and personnel changes designed to encourage better communication, collaboration and accountability.

This effort has been undertaken to meet a charge from incoming President Mark Emmert and the NCAA Executive Committee to structure the national office most effectively and efficiently to meet the needs of the membership and of intercollegiate athletics. These changes have resulted in the elimination of positions throughout the organization.

This week's structure and personnel changes affected four areas:

• Communications (what has been Branding and Communications);
• Administration;
• Championships and Alliances (the integrated group that was Championships, Division I Men's Basketball and Corporate and Broadcast Alliances, Division I Women's Basketball, and Division I Football and Baseball); and
• The Student-Athlete Affairs and Leadership Development unit and the Inclusion unit within Membership and Student-Athlete Affairs (formerly called Educational Affairs and Diversity and Inclusion).

Of particular note, Executive Vice President Bernard Franklin has restructured the Educational Affairs and Diversity and Inclusion units of Membership and Student-Athlete Affairs.  Educational Affairs is being re-titled Student-Athlete Affairs and Leadership Development and will have three sub-units addressing Health and Safety Programs and Services, Life Skills and Leadership Development Programs, and Educational Programs.             

These three units will be responsible for the development and delivery of various programs, including some formerly housed in Diversity and Inclusion and some previously part of Educational Affairs, and the management of initiatives around health and safety, and leadership development.

The Association's Diversity and Inclusion efforts will be enhanced with the naming of Dr. Franklin as the Chief Inclusion Officer for the organization with direct policy access to the NCAA Executive Committee through Dr. Franklin's role as primary liaison.  Under the new structure, gender and minority representation issues will be combined in what is being re-titled the Inclusion Initiative with a director of minority inclusion and a director of gender inclusion. The focus will shift from development and delivery of programs to policy development and management. 

As a result of the restructuring of MSSA, the position of vice president for diversity and inclusion has been eliminated, and Charlotte Westerhaus will be leaving the Association October 1.  I want to thank Charlotte for her contributions to establishing diversity and inclusion as a function within the national office over the last six years.

As we commence a new leadership era for the Association – indeed an era in which we significantly enhance the work we do for our members and for student-athletes – we are committed to ensuring the national office is structured right. 

We clearly recognize the continuing need to operate more efficiently and identify ways to do things better.  We'll be vigilant to the need to constantly assess whether our units are structured correctly to meet these expectations.  This is simply being good stewards of our membership's resources. 

As employees of a membership-driven association, our goal is to add value every day.