The NCAA awarded more than $800,000 for the 2016-17 academic year to 26 Division III members to encourage access, recruitment, selection and the long-term success of ethnic minorities and women in athletics administration and assistant coaching. Through two diversity grant programs, recipients are selected annually in March by committees of their peers after a review of proposals that were submitted in January.
“As stated in the division’s philosophy, our schools and conferences seek to establish and maintain an environment that values cultural diversity and gender equity among their student-athletes and athletics staff,” said Dan Dutcher, NCAA vice president of Division III. “These two grants support both current and future long-term goals to enhance the diversity of athletics staffs and the governance structure.”
The NCAA Division III Presidents Council approved the implementation of these grants to provide financial assistance to member conferences and schools that are committed to diversity and inclusion efforts within their athletics staff.
In its 15th year, the Division III Ethnic Minority and Women’s Internship Grant is a two-year grant program that provides funding for full-time, entry-level administrative positions. The NCAA provides $22,500 to support the salary of the hired intern and $3,000 in professional development funding.
Also in its 15th cycle, the Division III Strategic Alliance Matching Grant is a program in which the NCAA funds 75 percent of recipients’ proposed salaries and benefits for the first year, 50 percent for the second year and 25 percent for the third year toward new full-time senior-level administrative positions or the enhancement of current positions. The NCAA also provides recipients with professional development and technology funding during the first three years.
“As a core value, the NCAA believes in and is committed to diversity, inclusion and gender equity among its student-athletes, coaches and administrators. These grants not only directly support career opportunities for administrators and coaches but also enhance the student-athlete experience overall,” said Bernard Franklin, NCAA executive vice president of education and community engagement and chief inclusion officer.
For more information, visit www.NCAA.org/scholarshipsandgrants.
Division III Ethnic Minority and Women’s Internship Grant (2016-18)
| Recipient | Position Created |
|---|---|
| Bridgewater State University | Coordinator for athletics external relations |
| Buffalo State, State University of New York | Assistant to the senior woman administrator and assistant athletics director |
| Centre College | Assistant director of external relations |
| Coe College | Athletics communications and operations assistant |
| Delaware Valley University | Assistant to the director of athletics |
| Great Northeast Athletic Conference | Assistant to the commissioner |
| Hartwick College | Sports information assistant |
| Hiram College | Assistant director of sports information |
| Illinois Wesleyan University | Assistant to the athletics director, assistant coach |
| John Jay College of Criminal Justice | Coordinator for academic success, compliance and eligibility |
| King’s College (Pennsylvania) | Assistant to the director of intercollegiate athletics and assistant coach |
| Loras College | Assistant director of athletics communications/assistant volleyball coach |
| Marywood University | Assistant coordinator of student-athlete affairs |
| Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts | Coordinator of academic success and diversity |
| Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference | Assistant director |
| Mount Holyoke College | Athletics communications intern |
| North Central University | Manager of athletics visual media/assistant coach of female sport |
| Northland College | Administrative coordinator for athletics and student-athlete services |
| Ramapo College | Assistant to the director of athletics – sports performance coordinator |
| Roanoke College | Assistant to the director of the Cregger Center/athletics coordinator |
Division III Strategic Alliance Matching Grant (2016-21)
| Recipient | Position Created |
|---|---|
| DePauw University | Assistant athletics director for athletics event and athletics marketing |
| Illinois College | Associate director of athletics and Title IX investigator |
| Knox College | Assistant director of athletics/senior woman administrator |
| Southern Vermont College | Assistant director of athletics |
| Vassar College | Associate director of athletics for facilities and events |
| University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | Assistant director of media relations/marketing coordinator |