Kansasuniversity Athletic Corporation (Kuac)

Appendix 57

Appendix 57

KANSASUNIVERSITY ATHLETIC CORPORATION (KUAC)

Ethnic Minority Opportunity Plan (2000)

Note to reader: Since the second-cycle review in 2000, the Department’s AD changed twice within a short time span, with Lew Perkins being hired in 2004. As well, staff members who were charged with the responsibility of implementation and completion of the 2000 Ethnic Minority Opportunity Plan are no longer with the Department. The responses below are accurate to the extent that the Department had records or current staff has knowledge of what has been done. Importantly, since Lew Perkins became AD in 2004, the Department has made significant strides in executing this plan, along with developing its Strategic Plan 2006-2011 and the Diversity Issues Plan 2009-2014.

The Kansas University Athletic Corporation is committed to the following goals in implementing its ethnic minority opportunity plan:

1.To maximize its programmatic resources in the provision of services and programs to meet the needs of staff and student-athletes from all ethnic backgrounds; and, further to ensure that ethnic minorities are included on appropriate oversight and advisory committees that provide input regarding the programs and services;

2.To anticipate the needs and opportunities of the future as related to the needs of student-athletes and staff who add diversity to the University community and athletics program;

3.To employ the most effective approaches in the recruitment and retention of ethnic minority student-athletes and staff;

4.To offer sports programs and support services that reflect our commitment to providing a quality athletics opportunity and rewarding college experience to all students;

5.To be successful in creating a climate within the athletics program that is supportive of all backgrounds and is free from discrimination;

In an effort to achieve the aforementioned goals, the plan below will be implemented. The athletics director has oversight of this plan; however, the individual and/or staffs who are responsible for implementation of each component are noted below as are the completion or implementation dates. Although a number of the below components can be tied to several of the goals, each component has been specifically identified with the goal it primarily serves to accomplish.

Goal No. 1: To maximize its programmatic resources in the provision of services and programs to meet the needs of staff and student-athletes from all ethnic backgrounds; and, further to ensure that ethnic minorities are included on appropriate oversight and advisory committees that provide input regarding the programs and services;

• A member of the Office of Multicultural Affairs will be invited to make a presentation to the coaches at a monthly coaches meeting to inform them of the services available to their student-athletes.

Staff Responsible:Coordinator of Coaches Meeting Agendas

Timetable:2000-2001 and every other year thereafter

Institutional action: The Director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs made a presentation to the coaches at one of their monthly coaches meetings in 2001. The Office of Multicultural Affairs has not made any presentations made to coaches since 2001.
Explanation for noncompletion: Due to the change in AD leadership two times after the second-cycle review, there was no clear directive for continued yearly implementation or completion of this action step. Moreover, for all intents and purposes, the 2006-2011 Strategic Plan superseded this plan.

• The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee should continue to maintain the ethnic minority representation on the committee at a percentage equal to the percentage of ethnic minority student-athletes in the athletics program.

Staff Responsible:Director of Student-Athlete Life will work with teams/coaches to ensure percentage is maintained.

Timetable:Ongoing

Institutional action: At least since 2004, the Department has made sustained efforts to increase participation of SAs across all demographics (including gender, ethnicity, sport, graduation year) on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
Explanation for noncompletion: NA

• The representation on the KUAC Board of Directors should include more diversity. The Board of Directors of the Alumni Association shall make its best effort to achieve diversity among the five non-faculty alumni of the University who are appointed to the Board, given that the remaining members of the Board are either elected or are members due to their job position.

Responsible Persons:Athletics Director and Alumni Association President

Timetable:Fall 2000 and ongoing

Institutional action: The KUAC Board of Directors was restructured and is now known as the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee for Intercollegiate Athletics. The racial makeup of the Committee is 16 males and 11 females, of whom 25 are Caucasian and 2 are minorities (1 African American, 1 Hispanic).
Explanation for noncompletion: NA

Goal No. 2: To anticipate the needs and opportunities of the future as related to the needs of student-athletes and staff who add diversity to the University community and athletics program;

• A departmental survey will be administered to identify areas of sensitivity or insensitivity related to diversity.

Staff Responsible:Director of Student-Athlete Life for student-athletes and Human Resources Manager for staff

Timetable:Fall 1994 and thereafter completed annually for student-athletes; and beginning 2000-2001 and completed every even year thereafter for staff

Institutional action: A climate survey was conducted of both SAs and Department staff in 2001 and 2004. In 2008, another survey relating to diversity (including gender) was administered to first and third-year SAs.
Explanation for noncompletion: Due to the change in AD leadership two times after the second-cycle review, there was no clear directive for continued yearly implementation or completion of this action step. Moreover, for all intents and purposes, the 2006-2011 Strategic Plan superseded this plan.

Goal No. 3: To employ the most effective approaches in the recruitment and retention of ethnic minority student-athletes and staff;

• The department will strive to maintain a percentage of ethnic minorities in professional, administrative or coaching positions in the athletics department that exceeds or is at least comparable to the national averages for Division I institutions (excluding historically black institutions). The department will implement a process to track and compare the national pool of candidates available in specific sports and in administrative capacities by using national data collected by the NCAA. The department will categorize head and assistant coaches in football, men’s and women’s basketball, and men’s and women’s track and field in one group since the number of minority candidates available in those sports exceeds 20 percent. The other sports sponsored by the institution and administrative positions will be the other groups used to compare with the national data.

Staff Responsible:Administrators, Coaches and Human Resources Manager responsible for hiring decisions; Human Resources Manager will monitor the employment percentages and provide a report annually to the Athletics Director.

Institutional action: Since the second-cycle review in 2000 (and probably prior to that time), the University and Department have embraced the importance of diversity. The current AD and senior administrative staff continue to stress the importance of diversity as a core value. This is done by creating a culture of acceptance and tolerance on the many facets of diversity within the SA community and the work environment within the Department. The University’s mission statement on diversity, as well as the Department’s statement on diversity are noted in the SA handbook, the staff policies and procedures manual, the 2006-2011 Stategic Plan, and the 2009-2014 Diversity Issues Plan. Currently, the Department does not have a formal process to track and compare the national pool of candidates available in specific sports and administrative positions by using national data collected by the NCAA.
Explanation for noncompletion: Due to the change in AD leadership two times after the second-cycle review, there was no clear directive for continued yearly implementation or completion of this action step. Moreover, for all intents and purposes, the 2006-2011 Strategic Plan superseded this plan.

Timetable:Ongoing

• KUAC will consult the NCAA vita bank, the Black Coaches Association and other organizations that maintain an ethnic minority membership to identify qualified ethnic minorities who might be available for consideration when administrative and/or coaching vacancies occur. It also will advertise all administrative and coaching positions with the national Association of Collegiate Women Administrators and with the historically-black universities.

Staff Responsible:Human Resources Manager, Administrators and Coaches

Timetable:Ongoing

Institutional action: The Department posts sport coaching vacancies with the NCAA, Women in Sports, Black Coaches Association and sport specific listservs. A recent assessment of applications for all vacancies in the last four years indicates that three applicants found out about the vacancy through the Black Coaches Association, and ten did so from Women in Sports. Another recruiting source,SportsDiversityRecruiting.com, will be utilized starting spring 2009.
Explanation for noncompletion: NA

• KUAC will work aggressively to obtain the most diverse pool of applicants from which to fill its administrative and coaching positions. KUAC will submit all recruitment and selection materials to the University’s Equal Opportunity Office for approval.

Staff Responsible:Human Resources Manager, Administrators and Coaches

Timetable:Ongoing

Institutional action: All employment searches are submitted to the University’s HREO through an online software called PeopleAdmin. The vacancies are then posted on the University’s employment website, as well the Department’s website. University HREO monitors the ethnicity and qualifications of the candidate pool.
Explanation for noncompletion: NA

• Increase the number of ethnic minority students working in the athletics department through the university’s work-study program.

Staff Responsible:Human Resources Manager will work with University Financial Aid Office and Office of Multicultural Affairs to recruit ethnic minorities for positions

Timetable:Ongoing

Institutional action: The Department seeks to annually participate in University’s work-study program and has had good success with it.
Explanation for noncompletion: NA

• Continue to be the leader at the University in the recruitment of ethnic minority students.

Staff Responsible:Coaches and administrators will continue active and successful recruitment of ethnic minorities. The Athletics Director will monitor this component utilizing the data provided annually through the NCAA graduation rates reports

Timetable:The percentages will be monitored annually

Institutional action: This Department is active and successful in the recruitment of ethnic minorities. The Department utilizes the NCAA graduation reports annually to monitor this goal.
Explanation for noncompletion: NA

Goal No. 4: To offer sports programs and support services that reflect our commitment to providing a high-quality athletics opportunity and rewarding college experience to all students;

• Continually review the athletics interests and abilities of the entire student population with regard to ensuring that the offering of sport programs meets the growing and changing needs of the University’s student population.

Steps to Achieve:Include athletic department questions in annual surveys conducted by the recreation department and student affairs to assess the level of athletics interest

Staff Responsible:Associate Athletics Director for Sport Administration

Timetable:Fall 2001

Institutional action: To the extent this goal has been achieved, it has been in the Title IX context where the Department has made significant strides to equalize sports programs for both men and women. There have not been annual surveys, however, conducted by the recreation department and student affairs to assess the level of formal athletics interest.
Explanation for noncompletion: Due to the change in AD leadership two times after the second-cycle review, there was no clear directive for continued implementation or completion of this action step. Moreover, for all intents and purposes, the 2006-2011 Strategic Plan superseded this plan.

• Continually review the responses to the annual surveys administered to the student-athlete population to assess whether additional support services for minorities need to be addressed in different ways and incorporate any additional actions necessary into this plan.

Staff Responsible:Associate Athletics Director for Student-Support Services and Director of Student-Athlete Life

Timetable:Ongoing

Institutional action: The last SA survey conducted to assess whether additional support services for minorities were needed was conducted in either 2000 or 2001. One has not been conducted since.
Explanation for noncompletion: Due to the change in AD leadership two times after the second-cycle review, there was no clear directive for continued implementation or completion of this action step. Moreover, for all intents and purposes, the 2006-2011 Strategic Plan superseded this plan.

Goal No. 5: To be successful in creating a climate within the athletics program that is supportive of all backgrounds and is free from discrimination;

• Diversity training for all first-year student-athletes will be conducted annually as part of the new student-athlete orientation program. This program will be administered through coordination between the athletics department and the University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs and any other outside resource group, as necessary.

Staff Responsible:Associate Athletics Director for Student-Support Services and Director of Student-Athlete Life

Timetable:2000-2001 and annually thereafter

Institutional action: The Office of Multicultural Affairs has conducted annual diversity education and training for all first-year SAs since 2000-2001. As well, in February 2008, the NCAA offered diversity education, which included gender identity education, to the SAs.
Explanation for noncompletion: NA

• Diversity training will be a required seminar/workshop for all athletics department staff. This program will be administered through coordination between the athletics department and the University’s Office of Multicultural Affairs and any other outside resource group, as necessary.

Staff Responsible:Associate Athletics Director for Sport Administration/SWA and Human Resources Manager.

Timetable:All staff will participate in the program by June 2001 and thereafter, new employees will complete such a program within six months of employment with KUAC.

Institutional action: The Office of Multicultural Affairs conducted diversity training for all athletics department staff in 2001. Thereafter, the Office of Multicultural Affairs has conducted diversity training for athletics department staff every other year.
As well, in February 2008, the NCAA offered diversity education, which I included gender identity education, to the Department’s staff.
Explanation for noncompletion:Since the Department adds new employees on a ad hoc basis, it is difficult for a diversity training program or seminar to be scheduled. Instead, upon hire the new employee is required to review the staff policies and procedures manual, which includes both the University and department policy on diversity. And staff is required to attend and participate in diversity training presented by the Office of Multicultural Affairs when offered.

• The new student-athlete orientation will incorporate a mini-session specifically geared to ethnic minority student-athletes. At this session, a staff member from the Office of Multicultural Affairs will address the student-athletes to emphasize the programs and resources available to them.

Staff Responsible:Director of Student-Athlete Life

Timetable:Fall 2001

Institutional action: The Department has incorporated a mini-session geared to ethnic minority student-athletes in its new SA orientation, though this is not done so on a consistent basis.
Explanation for noncompletion: Due to the change in AD leadership two times after the second-cycle review, there was no clear directive for continued yearly implementation or completion of this action step. Moreover, for all intents and purposes, the 2006-2011 Strategic Plan superseded this plan.

• Ensure that all ethnic minority student-athletes receive publications produced by the Office of Multicultural Affairs that describe university and community activities for ethnic minorities. These publications will be provided in addition to the information produced by the athletics department to assist ethnic minorities in making a transition to the Lawrence community. Additionally, the annual student-athlete survey will contain a question about this information to monitor its distribution and effectiveness.

Staff Responsible:Director of Student-Athlete Life will coordinate this effort with each coaching staff and through the implementation of the orientation sessions for new student-athletes. The Director also will ensure that the student-athlete survey measures the effectiveness of the information and this process.

Timetable:Ongoing

Institutional action: The Office of Multicultural Affairs produces publications that provide describe University and community activities for ethnic minorities. The information contained in these publications is posted on the University website at http://www.diversity.ku.edu/resources/facultystaff.shtml. Every year, the athletics department requests these publications, which are then given to SAs.
Explanation for noncompletion: NA

• Train all staff of the avenues of redress available to personnel subjected to harassment and/or discrimination.

Steps to Accomplish:Human Resources Manager will include this information in new staff orientation sessions

Staff Responsible:Human Resources Manager

Timetable:Ongoing

Steps to Accomplish:A seminar will be held for all employees by Spring 2001

Staff Responsible:Associate Athletics Director/SWA, Human Resources Manager

Institutional action: It is unknown whether a seminar was conducted by the spring 2001. Section 600 of the employee policies and procedures manual, however, specifically addresses these issues. New Department employees are shown how to access the online version of the manual during the orientation meeting. As well, theses sections are briefly reviewed during a new employee’s orientation.
Explanation for noncompletion: NA

• Review and emphasize to all student-athletes, coaches, and staff annually the core values of the department which include the following: “Diversity: We value and respect the diversity and equality of all student-athletes and staff.”

Steps to Accomplish:Address with staff at All-Staff Meetings