DEI Review Framework available to membership

The NCAA office of inclusion has released its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Review Framework to assist members across all divisions with self-evaluations of their DEI efforts.

The DEI Review Framework offers a sample guide that athletics departments can use to conduct a collaborative and meaningful DEI review, adjusting it to best serve the individual campus. Members are not required to use this resource to complete a DEI review, and its use is not subject to a formal NCAA assessment or approval.

The framework, which can be downloaded here, was built to allow for a broad-based campus team to ask questions and consider information during its DEI review. Suggested action items are offered if a school self-identifies shortfalls and/or areas where it is striving to continue progress. 

"Ultimately, we want the best possible experience for student-athletes and those who coach and lead them," said Amy Wilson, managing director of the NCAA office of inclusion. 

"An essential way to achieve this goal is through collaborative, thoughtful and action-oriented DEI strategic planning and reviews. This resource is another tool that can empower athletics departments to foster cultures of belonging in which all of their student-athletes and staff feel truly valued, as well as supported and encouraged to reach their full potentials."

This resource was created as a result of membership feedback and aligns with the priorities expressed in the NCAA Board of Governors inclusion statement, which focuses on equitable participation, inclusive cultures, the learning environment, programming and education, and hiring practices. 

During the development of the resource, NCAA staff interviewed membership and sought feedback from the four NCAA DEI membership groups: the Committee to Promote Cultural Diversity and Equity, the Committee on Women's Athletics, the Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee and the Gender Equity Task Force. 

Northeast Conference Commissioner Noreen Morris, co-chair of the Gender Equity Task Force and chair of the Division I Strategic Vision and Planning Committee, expressed appreciation for the collaboration in creating the resource and hailed the benefits it will provide.

"Institutions can choose to utilize all or only parts of this resource, depending on their current campus DEI review policies and procedures," Morris said. "Some institutions might find this resource to be a confirmation that their DEI review structure covers each of the foundational areas, whereas other institutions might choose to adopt the review structure in full. The flexibility to utilize this resource as needed will be a tremendous benefit to all NCAA institutions."

Marco Barker, Nebraska's vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion and a member of the NCAA Committee to Promote Cultural Diversity and Equity, sees this as a significant resource for athletics programs and schools.

"In a social and political environment where there are increased expectations for greater transparency and accountability and a call for addressing systemic inequities, having a tool that can identify gaps and opportunities is critical," Barker said. "As a senior diversity officer, I often encounter leaders and departments looking for a framework to better assess and understand their organization. This framework provides a first step in identifying your organization's barriers and issues, bringing others into the process, and addressing those issues in a data-informed, organized way."

At the Division I level, each member school and conference is responsible for conducting a DEI review every four years, as outlined in NCAA Bylaws 20.2.4.3 (institutions) and 20.3.4.2 (conferences). The deadline for schools to complete their initial review is Aug. 1, 2023. For conferences, the deadline is Aug. 1, 2024.

Division II and III schools do not have a legislative requirement to conduct a DEI review but are welcome to use this resource as part of any self-guided efforts. The NCAA recognizes that the substance of each review will vary by division, school, conference, public/private and other affiliations, region, and state.

The office of inclusion is planning to share a similar resource specific to conference offices in spring 2023 before the Aug. 1, 2024, deadline.

More information about DEI reviews for the membership will be available during an office of inclusion session at the 2023 NCAA Convention on Jan. 11-14 in San Antonio and at the NCAA Inclusion Forum on April 21-23 in Indianapolis.

Additional questions and comments about the DEI Review Framework can be submitted to inclusion@ncaa.org.