2023 NCAA Inclusion Forum Recap
The 2023 NCAA Inclusion Forum welcomed more than 600 member administrators, coaches and student-athletes from across the country to Indianapolis, Indiana for the first in-person event since 2019. Attendees experienced the “Power of Proximity” as they gained knowledge about the importance of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging initiatives on member campuses and in conference offices. The eleventh annual forum introduced a new feature, the ADID Summit, which is a series of education sessions specifically designed for athletics diversity and inclusion designees. Also, for the first time, Division II offered an Enhanced Attendance Program for administrators and student-athletes to participate in the forum. The program included 26 schools who each sent teams of four to six staff members and student-athletes.
To view the 2023 NCAA Inclusion Forum agenda, please click here.
Featured 2023 Inclusion Forum presenters included:
- Bryan Stevenson, founder & Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative, and author of best seller "Just Mercy"
- Emily Ladau, Disability Rights Activist, Writer and Speaker
- Dr. Harry Edwards, Professor Emeritus at UC Berkeley, Civic Activist & Author
2022 NCAA Inclusion Forum Recap
The 2022 NCAA Inclusion Forum, which took place virtually in June, welcomed close to 3,000 registrants to educate, inform and inspire higher education and athletics leaders to improve and enhance their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts for student-athletes, coaches, administrators and staff. This year’s theme was “It’s Time: Delivering on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging.” The tenth-annual experience featured a special celebration of Title IX’s 50th anniversary and engaging keynote sessions, alongside a focus on each of the office of inclusion’s five core areas: disability, international, LGBTQ, race/ethnicity and women/gender equity.
To view the 2022 NCAA Inclusion Forum agenda, please click here (PDF).
Featured 2022 Inclusion Forum presenters included:
- Billie Jean King, Sports Icon and Champion of Equality
- Candace Parker, Basketball Legend, Entrepreneur and NBA Broadcast Analyst
- Haben Girma, Graduate of Harvard Law School and Disability Rights Advocate
- Yorri Berry, Spoken Word Artist and Global Children’s Rights Advocate
2021 NCAA Inclusion Forum Recap
The 2021 NCAA Inclusion Forum, which took place virtually in June, gathered more than 4,300 registrants for three days of engagement on activism, diversity, equity and inclusion. The higher education and intercollegiate athletics leaders and student-athletes in attendance engaged in programming which offered useful knowledge, engaging dialogue, and practical takeaways to empower efforts on equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives on their campuses.
The theme, “A Vision for Change: Empowering Voices and Rising to Action,” was inspired by two late civil rights leaders: award-winning author Maya Angelou and U.S. Rep. John Lewis. To learn more about the inspiration, we encourage you to read Angelou’s “Still I Rise” and Lewis’ “Across that Bridge: A Vision for Change and the Future of America.”
Programming focused on each of the office of inclusion’s five core areas of disability, international, LGBTQ, race/ethnicity and women. In addition, the Inclusion Forum featured special sessions for student-athletes, presidents and chancellors and Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Designees (ADIDs).
Featured 2021 Inclusion Forum presenters included:
- Yorri Berry, Spoken Word Artist and Global Children’s Rights Advocate;
- Tamika Catchings, Vice President of Fever Basketball Operations and General Manager of WNBA Indiana Fever, and Renee Montgomery, Part Owner & Vice President of the WNBA Atlanta Dream;
- Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, President Emerita of Spelman College & Bennett College for Women, and Howard Ross, Unconscious Bias and Diversity Expert;
- Caylin Moore, Author, Rhodes Scholar and Aspiring Professor.
2019 NCAA Inclusion Forum Recap
More than 530 higher education and intercollegiate athletics leaders and student-athletes joined the NCAA office of inclusion in Atlanta at the Omni at CNN Center for the 2019 NCAA Inclusion Forum April 26-28. With a theme of “Dreaming Out Loud: Transforming Passion to Action,” this eighth annual gathering provided dynamic programming, engaging dialogue and practical takeaways to empower participants’ efforts on equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives on their campuses.
Inclusion Forum programming centered 23 student-athletes and more than 55 athletics administrators, higher education professionals and industry leaders as presenters on a broad range of topics related to policy, research and best practices that support international student-athletes, LGBTQ student-athletes and administrators, racial and ethnic minorities, student-athletes with disabilities and women.
To view the 2019 NCAA Inclusion Forum program booklet, please click here.
To view the 2019 NCAA Inclusion Forum agenda, please click here.
2018 NCAA Inclusion Forum, Indianapolis, IN
More than 470 higher education and intercollegiate athletics leaders and student-athletes joined the NCAA office of inclusion in Indianapolis at the JW Marriott for the seventh annual NCAA Inclusion Forum April 14-16. Sessions engaged on a broad range of topics related to policy, research and best practices that focused on core identities such as race/ethnicity, women/gender equity, LGBTQ, disability sport and international students. The various sessions were designed to educate and empower attendees, enhance diversity-and-inclusion competencies, provide practical takeaways and foster opportunities for dialogue on campuses and across conferences.
To view the Inclusion Forum program booklet, please click here.
Featured 2018 Inclusion Forum presenters included:
- Katrice Albert, NCAA Executive Vice President of Inclusion and Human Resources and co-editor of “Trayvon Martin, Race, and American Justice: Writing Wrong” and “Racial Battle Fatigue in Higher Education: Exposing the Myth of Post-Racial America”
- Derek Greenfield, co-editor of “Exploring Issues of Diversity Within HBCUs” and Co-Founder of the Higher Education Leadership Foundation
- Brian Hainline, NCAA Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer and co-author of “Drugs and the Athlete”
- Janet P. Judge, Higher Education & Litigation Partner - Holland & Knight LLP, co-author of the NCAA's guide "Equity and Title IX in Intercollegiate Athletics," and member of the NCAA’s Commission to Combat Sexual Violence
2017 NCAA Inclusion Forum, Providence, Rhode Island
The 2017 NCAA Inclusion Forum was held April 21-23 in Providence, Rhode Island.
Session topics included:
- Seeking Common Ground: LGBTQ Inclusion and Religion in College Athletics
- Title IX at 45: An Overview of Key Issues Impacting Campuses
- Unpacking the Asterisk: Intercollegiate Athletics Experiences from Often Untold Racial and Ethnic Perspective
- Scoring Goals On and Off the Field - A Collaboration between Disability Services and Student-Athlete Support Services
- “Cómo Se What?!” Helping Translate the Cultural Divide for International Student-Athletes
2016 NCAA Inclusion Forum, Indianapolis, IN
The 2016 NCAA Inclusion Forum was helo April 16-18 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Session topics included:
- Closing Keynote: Tamika Catchings (@Catchin24)
- Facilitating Courageous Conversations: Why is Race So Difficult to Discuss, 2.0.
- Title IX and Athletics: Participation, Financial Aid and Equal Treatment.
- Put Yourself in the Shoes of a Person With Dyslexia.
- Supporting Students and Staff: Developing LGBTQ Inclusive Policy and Best Practices.
- Exploring the International Student-Athlete Experience Through Data and Real Conversations.
2015 NCAA Inclusion Forum, La Jolla, CA
The 2015 NCAA Inclusion Forum was held April 24-26, 2015 at the Hilton Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California.
Session Topics included:
- Opening Keynote: Simon Bailey.
- Why is Race so Difficult to Discuss?
- Hispanic-Serving Institutions: Through the Eyes of Campus Presidents.
- Sexual Harassment and Violence Prevention.
- Supporting Transgender Athletes with Chris Mosier, GO!Athletes.
- Sitting Volleyball Experiential Opportunity.
- Pursue Your Potential and Advance in Athletics Administration with Patti Phillips, NACWAA.
- Transition from Overseas: The International Student-Athlete Experience.
2014 NCAA Inclusion Forum, Orlando, FL
The 2014 NCAA Inclusion Forum was held May 1-3, 2014 at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin on Disney Property.
A few of the speakers and session topics included:
- Dr. Bertice Berry, Award winning entertainer, lecturer and author
- Amy Herman - The Art of Perception, former Head of the Frick Collection Education department and Ted Talks speaker
- First Wave Spoken Word and Hip Hop Arts Learning Community
- Pat Griffin - LGBTQ Inclusion and Religion
- Janet Judge - Title IX and OCR Sexual Harassment and Violence guidance
- Jeff Orleans, Judy Sweet and members of the Gender Equity Task Force will hold a Town Hall meeting
- Student-Athletes and Mental Health; Disability Sport Best Practices; Social Media Discrimination Prevention; Title IX Compliance; Women and the Media; Diversity Leadership Strategies for Conferences and SAAC; Working with Chief Diversity Officers
2013 NCAA Inclusion Forum, Indianapolis
The NCAA 2013 Inclusion Forum brought together intercollegiate athletics leaders passionate about improving the educational and professional environment for student-athletes, coaches and staff. Sessions engaged participants on a broad range of topics related to policy, research and best practices for racial and ethnic minorities, women, international student-athletes, LGBTQ and disability-access to sport.
Featured Speakers:
Listed below are some of the additional speakers and sessions held on topics related to women, race/ethnic minorities, disabilities & sport, LGBTQ communities and international student-athlete participation.
- Wade Davis Jr., Former NFL Player
- Global Novations, Consultants workshop to help develop your institutional inclusion plan.
- Jeff Orleans, Alden & Associates
- Pat Griffin, Professor Emirata University of Massachusetts, Amherst
- Janet Judge, Sports Law Associates, Sexual Harassment & Assault; Retaliation Issues.
- Floyd Keith, Black Coaches & Administrators
- Scott Lewis, National Center for Higher Education Risk Management.
- Rosalyn Taylor O'Neale, Diversity and Inclusion Management Expert.
- MJ Tocci, Heinz Negotiation Academy for Women.
- Bob Smith, Author of The Way of Oz.
- Erin Buzuvis, Professor of Law, Western New England College
- Nancy Hogshead-Makar, Women's Sports Foundation
- Nevin Caple, Br{ache the Silence
Agenda topics included:
- In-depth Title IX training discussing the law, EADA and audits.
- Equitable pay and personnel policies.
- Office for Civil Rights Guidance regarding sports opportunities for disabled students.
- Student-athlete inclusion and leadership.
- Developing policy on inclusion, hiring practices and LGBTQ accommodations.
- Divisional hot topics including Division I presidential retreat initiatives and NCAA IPP certification.
- Mentoring and retaining coaches.
2012 Equity & Inclusion Forum, New Orleans
2011 Gender Equity Forum, Bethesda
2010 Gender Equity & Issues Forum, Chicago
