National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - News and Features

June 9, 1997

Minority opportunities committee, BCA discuss representation issues

The NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee met with representatives from the Black Coaches Association (BCA) to discuss common issues and also finalized goals and objectives within the committee's strategic plan during its May 19-21 meeting in Miami.

The committee met with the BCA's executive board to discuss issues relating to minority representation in the NCAA governance structure and increasing the number of minority coaches and administrators in intercollegiate athletics.

The groups reviewed minority representation currently in place within the Association's new governance structure and identified ways to develop the pool of candidates for future positions.

Both groups also discussed ways to monitor diversity issues and ethnic-minority enhancement initiatives at NCAA member institutions. In that regard, the BCA expressed interest in increasing the distribution of certification information so that prospective student-athletes have more access to a school's certification status.

It was agreed that the BCA forward those concerns to the NCAA Committee on Athletics Certification.

Strategic plan

In other actions, the Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee also finalized its strategic plan and refined several goals and objectives as they relate to the strategic plan for the entire Association.

Among the initiatives in the plan are an expanded review of circumstances surrounding ethnic minority student-athletes' graduation rates; recommendations regarding policies that will enhance ethnic-minority student-athletes' opportunities for access and success; an increase in the delivery of the diversity education awareness component through the NCAA Conference Grant Program, NCAA committee orientation process and regional seminars; and the development of links from the NCAA World Wide Web site as avenues for information regarding ethnic-minority enhancement opportunities.

"Now that restructuring is well underway, it is imperative that this committee continue to forward initiatives it has developed for increasing ethnic-minority opportunities in athletics," said Charles Whitcomb, faculty athletics representative at San Jose State University and chair of the committee.

"The strategic plan allows the committee to ensure that important issues such as diversity education and access and upward movement for minorities in athletics are kept at the forefront of the Association's goals and objectives."

The committee discussed several issues related to diversity education, including a summary of the "train-the-trainer" component that was submitted to the NCAA Executive Committee in May. The Executive Committee deferred action on the proposal, opting not to forward any new initiatives until the new governance structure is in place.

The committee was concerned with this response and agreed to aggressively advance this program as a top priority for the Association. The committee will forward its concerns to the Division I Board of Directors and the Divisions II and III Presidents Councils.

In other issues relating to diversity education, the committee reviewed an NCAA Presidents Commission response to the committee's request that issues facing minorities be given a higher priority. The Commission indicated its support for diversity concerns by requesting that all members of the new presidential governing groups attend a diversity workshop scheduled in conjunction with those meetings.

The committee also reviewed a financial summary of the Conference Grant Program and noted that while a majority of funds were allocated to salaries and benefits, few were devoted toward ethnic-minority enhancement opportunities.

The committee was concerned not only with how funds are currently being allocated, but with the apparent lack of accountability within the program. The committee agreed to forward these concerns and recommendations to members of the new Division I Business/ Finance Cabinet.

Other highlights

Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee
May 19-21/Miami

  • Selected 12 recipients of postgraduate scholarships through the NCAA Ethnic-Minority Enhancement Program. The program, in its ninth year, was established to increase the pool of and opportunities for ethnic-minority candidates in intercollegiate athletics. In previous years, the committee has awarded 10 scholarships, but the NCAA Executive Committee in May approved a request to increase the number of scholarships to 12.

  • Reviewed and revised a survey targeting individuals at institutions that have participated in previous diversity education workshops.

  • Reviewed language regarding minority issues within the NCAA Committee on Athletics Certification's self-study instrument regarding governance and commitment to rules compliance.

  • Agreed to forward a chronology of committee actions to the Division I Strategic Planning Cabinet, the Division I Board of Directors and the Divisions II and III Presidents Councils for purposes of reference.

  • Reviewed the NCAA national office's 1997 affirmative action report and encouraged the office to develop a written strategic plan that strives for greater equity in personnel, outlines steps necessary to ensure a qualified and diverse applicant pool and establishes targets to determine future progress.

  • Discussed with BCA representatives hiring practices within the NCAA as well as within specific national governing bodies.

  • Reaffirmed the importance of having a member of the Division I Management Council serve on the Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee.