Pac-10 adopts diversity initiatives
The Pacific-10 Conference has adopted a recommended policy for its member institutions to include ethnic minorities and females in searches to hire coaches and administrators and has approved annual funding for participation in several quality leadership development programs for current ethnic minority males and female athletic administrators. <p>In addition to approving the annual funding for those programs, 10 nominees have been identified by the Conference to participate in the programs, pending their acceptance into those programs.</p><separator></separator><p>The recommended policies were developed by the Conference's Diversity Leadership Initiative Committee, chaired by Dr. Myles Lynk, Faculty Athletics Representative at Arizona State University.</p><separator></separator><p>The recommended policy for coach and administrator searches is that Conference members make good-faith efforts to include at least one ethnic minority candidate in the pool of interviewees when hiring an administrator or head football or men's or women's basketball coach. In addition, it is recommended that at least one female candidate be included in the pool of interviewees for any head coaching position in any women's intercollegiate sport.</p><separator></separator><p>The Conference approved funding of all tuition and costs for the participation of 10 candidates who are current members of the athletics staff of a member institution in either the NCAA Leadership Development Institute or the Sports Management Institute. Nominees for the NCAA program are Gordon Bayne of California and Jean Boyd of Arizona State. Nominated for the Sports Management Institute are Ashley Armstrong (UCLA), Amy Bair (California), Erica Genise (Washington), Suzy Mason (Arizona), Monica Morita (USC), Dawn Rogers (Arizona State), DeSha Runnels (USC) and Jessica Young (Washington State).</p><separator></separator><p>"The Pac-10 has been in the forefront of the movement to increase the numbers of minorities and women in coaching and administrative positions in intercollegiate athletics," said Commissioner Tom Hansen. "The adoption of these policies should further increase opportunities in both areas, and sponsoring participation in the two leadership initiatives will assist in the professional development of women and minorities already embarked on careers in college athletics administration and make them more attractive candidates for higher level positions in the future. These initiatives have strong support in the Conference, including on the presidential level."</p>