Leadership
Training for Women in Intercollegiate Athletic AdministrationLEADERSHIP AND WOMEN ADMINISTRATORS IN INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS:
AN EMPHASIS ON TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
Dr. Bonnie Tiell - Tiffin University - Tiffin, OH - January, 2003
INTRODUCTION
For decades, intercollegiate athletics was segregated by gender with men directing men’s programs and women directing women’s programs. In the early eighties when most men and women’s intercollegiate athletic programs merged, the male predominately retained the highest leadership position as Director of Athletics and the top females were assigned subordinate positions as assistant directors or they dropped out of the governance structure completely. (Deller, 1993; Phleban, 1998; West, 1999). It has taken decades for women to be considered competent enough to lead a merged program and currently almost 18% of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) programs and 10% of National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) programs are now governed by a woman at the top of the department. (Acosta & Carpenter, 2002; Bereeza, 2002). Examples of strong female leaders serving as directors of athletic programs in 2002-2003 include Peggy Bradley-Doppes at the University of North Carolina in Wilmington, Jean Ponsetta at DePaul University, Diane Murphy at the University of Denver, and JoAnn Harper at Dartmouth University. In a recent interview, Harper acknowledged her presence as a role model to athletes by commenting that, "for the men, (they might say) 'Wow. There is a woman A.D. We're stepping out and moving ahead.' To young women, 'I guess (they might say) I can be an A.D. if I want to be an A.D." (Associated Press, 2002).
Viewing a woman as a competent leader in intercollegiate athletics or any occupation requires a belief that leaders have similar traits that are not gender exclusive. To oversee an athletic department or a business, effective leadership abilities relative to conflict resolution, personnel management, socio-communicative skills, and fiscal responsibility are essential. In a survey of more than 750 readers of a business magazine, the Center for Creative Leadership found that CEOs believe that good leadership is critical to a company’s success with nearly 79% of the respondent’s ranking leadership as one of the five most critical factors in achieving a competitive advantage. People management and other “soft” skills such as adaptable and flexible personalities were also considered critical elements in effective leadership. Cynthia McCauley, Vice President of the Center for Creative Leadership, stated in the report that, “it was clear that executives saw leadership development as a critical factor in developing a competitive advantage.” (Fritz, 2002). The results of the survey reveal a need for professional leadership development programs that help organizations and the key personnel within those organizations to acquire the skills and competencies necessary to be competitive in their respective marketplace.
In the intercollegiate athletic arena, it is especially necessary to develop leaders that can gain advantages over other institutions that are competing for some of the same resources such as on-field athletic talent, staff talent, financial income, media attention, donors, a sound alumni base, and a reputable academic reputation. Intercollegiate athletics is by nature competitive and effective leaders are necessary to help programs reach their potential in ethical and prudent measures supported by the overall mission of higher education. The leadership traits necessary to achieve departmental goals and university demands are traits such as integrity, vision, fortitude, and benevolence that are not gender specific.
Statement of the Problem
For women to make strides in advancement opportunities in these areas from the ranks of coaching or business, training and experience become paramount elements in reversing the trend of fewer and fewer women entering the administrative side of the field. It has been proposed that the dominance of men and the resulting construction of leadership within a masculine frame of reference have influenced the number of women in management. A critical perspective on gender labeling of leadership suggested that, “women are greatly outnumbered by men in positions of formal power and authority, high status, and high incomes.” (Billing & Alvesson, 2000). The situation is appalling at the intercollegiate level whereby only 17.9 percent of Division I athletic programs and 10% of junior college athletic programs are under feminine leadership. (Acosta & Carpenter, 2002; Bereeza, 2002). There is a concern that women and minorities are not considered viable leaders in the world of intercollegiate sports. (Doppes, 2001). Deep-rooted cultural paradigms have created a masculine association with leadership that transgresses into the world of the sports industry. Historical precedent has created an image that men are more appropriate for certain occupations such as Directors of Intercollegiate Athletics. There is a greater than ever need to enhance public perceptions of women’s capabilities to lead and foster leadership positions in intercollegiate athletics. There exists a need to break down barriers slowing the progress of women advancing in leadership positions include positions as directors of intercollegiate athletic programs and conference commissioners.
Women face one major barrier of conscious and unconscious biases in most search committee evaluations. Women face barriers because of a perceived and real lack of accumulated expertise compared to men who have naturally gained on-the-job experience. Given a male and female with fifteen years of experience in athletics, the male most often will have more administrative experience than the female candidate. One means for someone to overcome a gap in direct administrative experience is to become better trained in specialized areas. Leadership training is a challenging endeavor with programs attempting to provide the educational skills and networking opportunities necessary to close the gap on the experience factor. Leadership training for women in intercollegiate athletics often focuses on the value of networking because the “Old Boy’s Network” has created an overwhelming bias in hiring practices. Some may refute that notion because female presidents do not overwhelmingly choose female athletic directors, however, the barrier in the selection of the best candidate is often biased by popular perceptions that a male makes for a more persuasive leader. Training and development serves to change cultural perceptions of women’s inadequacies in leadership positions in male dominated professions.
Operational Definitions
Operationally defining leadership is complicated by the abundance of theoretical research on the construct ranging from trait perspectives, behavioral approaches, universal definitions and contingency theories. Joseph Rost (1993) provides a contemporary definition of leadership as “an influence relationship among leaders and followers who intend real changes that reflect their shared purposes”. Leadership is distinct from administration in so much that administrators are authorities who hold formal positions that give them the power to direct the behavior of their subordinates. Administrators may or may not be considered leaders, depending on the relationship of their influence on others. According to Linda Carpenter, co-author of the Longitudinal Studies of Women in Intercollegiate Athletics, athletic administration positions were defined as being held by those “who participate in the decision making process for athletics.” (Carpenter, 2002).
It is also noteworthy to operationally define gender as one-dimensional with femininity and masculinity as opposite ends. Feminization in relation to leadership is defined as the occurrence of women disproportionately entering a traditionally male occupation (Vecchio, 2002).
The NJCAA, NAIA, and each level of the NCAA (I, IA, IAA, II, and III) are operationally defined by their operating bylaws that establish membership participation regulations ranging from scholarship and equivalencies limitations to sport sponsorship requirements. Many recruiting and eligibility rules distinguish each governing body and their associated levels within the make-up of each national affiliation.
Scope of the Paper
A review of literature will identify strong feminine leaders in a variety of positions, and explore leadership and gender studies in respect to gender advantage, gender labeling, leadership identities, leadership traits, and gender differences in mid-level managerial careers. A literary review will examine these leadership and gender issues specifically in the sport arena with a focus on intercollegiate athletics. Finally, a review of specialized leadership training for women in business and politics will be examined and then compared with leadership programs for women in sport careers, especially intercollegiate athletic administration.
Culture and the media have the immense power to shape our perceptions of gender and occupations. The White House Project is a special interest group that advocates the need to create positive media images of women leaders to assist in shifting the political and cultural climate so that women in powerful roles become commonplace and more widely accepted in today's society. Debbie Yow, Athletic Director at the University of Maryland, is a strong female leader who has successfully tackled a major budget deficit, overcome media-scrutiny lingering after the death of Len Bias, and has seen her share of Bowl Games and Final Four appearances. (Keech, 2002). Debbie Yow, Brigid DeVries, and other women in leadership positions in athletics need to be viewed not as an exception to the organizations leadership structure, but as a natural incumbent to successfully administering sport programs. The White House Project’s website provides a statement that offers an explanation of why women are not seen as natural leaders in certain occupations such as intercollegiate athletics or politics.
People often mimic the images, trends and ideas they glean from pop culture. Thus, changing the perceptions within the popular culture can be a precursor to challenging and changing stereotypes that hold women back from becoming full political participants. Promoting more positive images of women in leadership roles will be a catalyst to making it absolutely normal in the eyes of the press and the public for women to ascend to the roles of CEOs, governors and ultimately the presidency. (The White House Project, 2002).
There is a perception problem in popular culture of women being viewed as the preferred leader (over a male) in many occupations, including intercollegiate athletics. Michelle Willis, Associate Athletic Director at The Ohio State University, has suggested the problem crosses over to both males and females. In the recent search process for a head women’s basketball coach for the Buckeyes, Willis interviewed the female players who overwhelming prejudiced the hiring of a male coach. Willis addressed their response by soliciting the group about the traits the players most desired within a new hire. The focus on leadership potential was shifted from a metamorphic view of gender to a sociological perspective of personality and value dimensions (Willis, 2002). A male coach was hired, however, the gender preference during the interview process was minimized and a focus on the desirable traits and work ethics of a basketball coach was placed in the forefront of the selection criteria.
There is a need to convince the general public that a female leader can be equally as successful in their job as a male leader. There is a need to publicize the successes women leaders have had in intercollegiate athletics and to refute the notion that leadership traits are gender specific. There is a need to provide information about avenues of promoting women into leadership positions and to document leadership training and development programs especially for those in intercollegiate athletics. Women employed in male-dominated occupations need to be viewed by the public as competent leaders and need to serve as role models to both men and women who aspire to enter similar fields. Popular culture needs to accept the leadership of women in a myriad of occupations as commonplace and not gender-specific.
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Governor Christie Whitman, astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison, and Brown University President Ruth Simmons are examples of high profile female leaders. Research in gender and leadership indicates that these women and women who work as corporate executive officers, college presidents, human resource directors, sport agents, sport owners, entrepreneurs, and athletic administrators share similar personality traits which are not distinguishable by gender.
Research on 30 senior female administrators working at community colleges in the mid-west revealed that adaptation, reconciliation, and resistance were three leadership patterns emerging among the women studied. The research was designed to evaluate the processes women use in the construction of leadership identity at their institution. The three consistent leadership themes emphasized the administrator’s means to read work situations, choose appropriate response means consistent with male oriented styles, and build coalitions in an adaptation to organizational expectations and norms as defined by typical male behavior. Respondents used metaphors to describe their leadership positions such as being a crossing guard helping to lead a group hand in hand across a busy street, or a kaleidoscope responding to ever-changing patterns, or even as the head of a cold and demanding family. The relevance of the study was to help remove barriers slowing advancement opportunities of feminine leaders at community colleges. These barriers range from the assumptions employees hold about women and leadership abilities to the history of the college culture being a bureaucratic male-dominated leadership hierarchy. The author suggests that professional development education programs should help institutions identify and find means to overcome barriers that prohibit women considered as effective leaders (Tedrow, 1999).
Research into the leadership traits of public school principals described the position of a principal as many would describe the role of an intercollegiate athletic director in that both roles are diverse, fragmented, and involve numerous daily decisions. In a study of the leadership traits of nine female principals, the most common themes found among the responses were that all nine women considered themselves driven to achieve, spiritual, and involved in professional organizations. Although the study sample was selected from three different countries and five different ethnic backgrounds, all the participants had similar personal characteristics suggesting that experience levels, cultural differences, and age do not affect the general values and belief systems of public school principals (Holtkamp, L. 2002).
In a study of gender differences in managerial careers, Catherine Kirchmeyer (2002), researched the progression of promotions for men and women who held the similar education and experience background. Her research in career advancement indicated that compared to men, women are less likely to reach top levels and less likely to gain high rates of financial returns from job transfers. After reviewing 292 questionnaires administered to mid-career level managers with Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degrees achieved at relatively the same time, many observations were made. It was determined that women and men earned the same income at the time of MBA graduation, but approximately nine years later, income levels for men rose at a greater rate than women and the gap widened to a greater degree for the next five years researched (Kirchmeyer, 2002). Women, however, were determined to have a higher perception of success in their position even though they tended to earn lower incomes and worked fewer hours than their male counter-parts. The “perception” of success was explained by suggesting that women in male-dominated occupations may compare themselves to women than to men accounting for a difference in their level of professional achievement status. The overall findings were that subtle forms of workplace discrimination in career advancement issues exist for women in mid-level managerial careers.
In terms of competence of women’s characteristics predisposing them as quality leaders in managerial careers, a critique of gender specific leadership perspectives offered assurance that indeed, women are qualified to manage in the world of business. The traditionally masculine and critical feminine perspectives of leadership were examined in a review of gender labeling on leadership traits. Caution was given to warn individuals of the consequences of gender labeling which can create misleading impressions of gender divisions. When using gender labels, women who are perceived as strong leaders may be described in terms of having masculine traits and are thereby subject to a stereotypical judgment that she must be homosexual. The researchers largely believe that cultural shifts have suggested that the same characteristics of feminine orientations that earlier disqualified women from certain leadership positions now are characteristics facilitating the entrance of women in the same leadership positions (Billing & Alvesson, 2000).
Claims of comparative gender advantage based on stereotype, on the other hand, have been described as “overstated” in a study of gender differences in social behavior and leader effectiveness. According to the US Department of Labor Statistics, (1998), roughly one-third of all American businesses are owned by women and the proportion of women in executive, managerial, and administrative roles nearly tripled between 1968 and 1998. Female entry into corporate leadership has been less rapid, however, even though feminization has opened doors for women to positions previously occupied exclusively by males. The author described research suggesting men are more self-assertive, aggressive and coarse in their manner and language than women but questioned whether these identifiable differences are likely to be job relevant. Conclusions with respect to preferences for idealized styles of leadership identified the complexity of biologically based differenced that are reinforced by socialization processes such as role expectations, perceptions, and evaluations (Vecchio, 2002).
The wealth of research in gender and leadership provides a framework to study the same concepts in specific occupations such as intercollegiate athletics. While not all the research acknowledges the efficacy of a woman’s leadership in male dominated professions, none refute the notion that women are a permanent part of the bureaucratic structure of corporate America and higher education.
Leadership and Gender in Intercollegiate Athletic Administration
There are numerous examples of women athletic directors at the college level. Six females are employed during the 2002-2003 academic term at colleges in the central region of Massachusetts including Rita Castanga at Assumption College, Sue Chapman at Worcester State; Sue Lauder of Fitchburg State; Linda Moulton at Clark University; Charlene Robert of Nichols College and Dana Harmon, at WPI. Sports Information Director at WPI commented that, ''the woman AD’s have proven that they can do a great job” (Manzello, 2002).
Female athletic directors can be found across all divisions of the NCAA, NAIA, and the NJCAA. Some of the more recognizable women administrators, however, are those serving at the NCAA Division I level who are profiled through the abundant media attention given to Division I institutions, especially those with football programs. In a review of women in collegiate athletic leadership positions, the Atlanta Journal & Constitution identified that in 1998, only two women were athletics directors at football-playing schools in major conferences. Barbara Hedges is the AD at Washington University and Deborah Yow at Maryland. Only one female, Linda Bruno of the Atlantic 10, was a commissioner for a major conference. The article demonstrated the importance of these and other administrators being viewed as role models so that young women can aspire to follow the same career paths and reap the rewards. The article suggests that are more and more positive female role models are surfacing in intercollegiate coaching, but for all the gains women have been making on the coaching side, “their presence is nearly invisible at the helm of major athletics departments which oversee men's and women's sports (Parker, W. 1998).
Research has indicated that female leaders in intercollegiate athletics were once successful athletic participants during their academic orientation careers (Pleban, 1998). A research project on college students and the influence of various settings for sports and games on transferring and developing leadership skills focused on gender differences. Specifically, a questionnaire evaluated gender and the relationship between leadership and games and sports learned at home, school, work, and within the community. Although it is a common phenomonan that administrators in intercollegiate athletics were once successful athletes, the research herein does not conclusively support the notion. In fact, part of the results indicated no significant gender differences in men and women experiencing the school as an all around provider of opportunities for leadership skills. The authors cited Judy Mann, a columnist for the Washington Post, as suggesting that,
when school culture changes to provide open ended sports which are ongoing all of the time and which permit any student who wants to play to enter the game, where there are not varsity sports and no compulsory pep rallies, the realization o a society with fairness, equality and appreciation of diversity in leadership will provide better training ground for the leadership potential in all individuals to be more actualized (Mann, 1999; as cited in Rayburn, Goetz & Osman, 2001).
Mann’s comments suggest an idealist view of a model of scholastic athletics that strays from the competitive nature of sports which may have been one of the impetuses in developing the leadership traits of Alfreeda Goff, Associate Commissioner for the Horizon League, or Michelle Willis, Associate Athletic Director at Ohio State University, or Karen Weaver, an Assistant Athletic Director at the University of Minnesota and former Athletic Director at Kean Community College. All three excelled in sports in both high school and college. Some may imply that these leaders lead by virtue of a transformational style that allows them to influence subordinates to support organizational missions.
Research into the leadership traits of fifty junior college athletic directors such as Karen Weaver, formerly of Kean College, revealed that at the junior college level specifically, a transformational leadership style is essential for success. The author of the research into junior college athletic administration cited the perpetual changes in intercollegiate athletics requiring transformational leaders that are able to cope with budgets and human resources that diminish, are able to "do more with less", and are able to inspire individuals to act in the organization's best interest (Davis, 1998). The author does not specify gender differences in leadership traits of athletic directors at selected junior colleges namely because the sample size would be significantly different (approximately 5 of the 50 would be female). The common transformational trait found among the fifty athletic directors suggest that it is a trait that is not gender specific.
Sports Information Directors at junior colleges and four year programs are considered administrative support staff, but in essence, these positions require leadership traits to communicate the perception of the department, oversee statistics, and serve as liaisons with the national office, conference office, and the university athletic programs. In many ways, the sports information director is the pulse of the department. A study of personality traits of 61 Sports Information Directors in the east included only seven females. Instead of focusing on gender differences, the study merely concluded that there was no statistical differences in personality traits of sports information directors dependent upon the type of program (Junior College, NAIA, or any division of the NCAA). Traits such as levels of shyness, willingness to communicate, assertiveness, and compulsive communication styles were ordinal for all sports information directors. It was questioned whether the sports information director was more of a marketer or media consultant for the department, but not whether a male or female was better suited for the position. (Neupauer, N. 1999).
Leadership training programs for women in managerial careers, women in higher education, and women in general are available through a variety of nuances including special interest groups, national organizations, and consultant groups. Many of these training seminars may be researched on the world-wide-web.
The White House Project has advocated leadership training programs for women including a women’s voice series, learning circles, and the National Women's Leadership Summit which was held in Washington DC on May 1 & 2, 2002. The summit addressed the state of women's leadership and the establishment of operational tactics to create greater visibility of women leaders in government in the 21st century (The White House Project, 2002).
The National Institute for Leadership Development (NILD) provides transformational leadership programs based upon a philosophy of inclusiveness and diversity for women and men, especially at the community college level. The NILD offers the “Leaders Symposium” designed for women who want to continue their professional development and network with other leaders from around the nation. The $600 plus program is designed to help women leaders learn to recognize stages of individual development of intercultural sensitivity, analyze cross-gender verbal and non-verbal communication, and assess the impact of cultural and racial privilege in work settings. Almost 4000 women have participated in Leaders workshops since 1981 and ninety-five percent of those have reported they have advanced to leadership positions (National Institute for Leadership Development, 2002). The National Institute for Leadership Development also teams with the American Association of Women in Community Colleges (AAWCC) for an annual conference that centers on popular themes such as “Supplying the Leadership Pipeline”. Cost for the Conference is also in excess of $500.
The Women in Business Leadership Conference is a similar development program designed to cultivate women MBA’s, enhance career networks for women, and recognize the unique strengths women bring to business. The Leadership Conference invites successful female panelists to help build networks within the local and national business communities and focuses discussions around what it means to be a leader in today's workplace and the differences, if any, that being a woman makes in that leadership development (Evers-Hood, 2002). Due to corporate sponsors, there is no cost for attendance to the conference.
Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois has hosted the Women in Business Conference designed to heighten leadership potential and skills of 150 women in management located in metropolitan Chicago through stimulating presentations, challenging role models and affirming networking opportunities. The $75 seminar began in 1992 as a women’s leadership program and developed into a women in business conference in 1998. Topics at the conference have included strategies for leadership, the holistic approach of leadership, and the politics of women’s experience. One of the programs at the 2002 conference, Keys to Success: Qualities of Successful Women that Connect across Borders, examined the personal and experiential characteristics of successful women as revealed in an international study. Another session on networking invited participants to learn to polish personal interaction skills and professional image, to create a powerful verbal business card, and to get the most out of a 10-minute conversation (Brahmbhatt, 2002).
Leadership
Training for Women in Intercollegiate Athletic Administration
There are several leadership-training programs designed specifically for women in intercollegiate athletics. On a global scale, the International Working Group on Women and Sport hosts the World Conference on Women and Sport and supports numerous other leadership seminars from Greece to Beijing. The World Conference is held every four years
The National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators (NACWAA) teamed with the Higher Education Resource Services (HERS-Mid America) in 1995 to create the NACWAA/HERS Institute for Administrative Advancement. The institute is an annual week-long residential program costing approximately $2000 that providing women coaches and administrators intensive training in athletic administration. The success of the institute prompted developers to offer the seminar on both the east and west coast for the first time in 2002 so that instead of 20-30 women and their respective institutions receiving the benefits of administrative training, almost 60 individuals and colleges are annually reaping the benefits. Segments of the training include policy implementation, leadership skills, financial planning, and professional development. The leadership skills specifically include career stages, work and communication styles, team building, negotiations, and dealing with the media (NACWAA, 2002).
NACWAA also designed and implemented the first “Executive Athletics Institute” in 2002 to train and enhance opportunities for women to move into positions as Athletics Directors or Conference Commissioners in Division I. Supported by the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the Executive Institute was a free service to a select group of women who were provided the opportunity to enhance knowledge in the areas of contract negotiations, agents, television packaging, capital campaign funding, facility development, leadership, working relations with university CEO's, and the process for an Athletics Director search. A primary component of the curriculum provided by the Center for Creative Leadership focused on participant’s understanding of what constitutes effective leadership (NACWAA, 2002). The Center for Creative Leadership is a nonprofit educational institution devoted to leadership research and training worldwide.
The NCAA has developed several initiatives to provide leadership training for women in Intercollegiate athletics. The Fellows Leadership Development Program, implemented in 1994, identifies minorities and women who aspire to hold positions such as athletics directors and conference commissioners and to involve them in various senior management level administrative experiences in intercollegiate athletics. Each NCAA fellow is assigned an NCAA executive mentor and focuses throughout the training on gaining an overall understanding of intercollegiate athletics and the impact of intercollegiate athletics within the organization. The fellows also attend the annual NCAA convention and participate in a retreat led by national leaders on the latest theories and practices in athletics administration. Special training at the retreat includes emphasis on marketing, public relations, budgeting, booster relations, leadership, compliance, fundraising, diversity training and management training. The selection of candidates involves a committee review by individuals from the NCAA presidential governance groups, Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee and the Committee On Women's Athletics. Any ethnic minority or female staff who has been recommended by his or her institution's president or conference commissioner and director of athletics may apply for an NCAA fellowship. (NCAA, 2002).
As a means to help encourage women to enter and stay in the field of intercollegiate athletics, a group of women administrators in the mid-west are organizing a seminar that mimics the programs of NACWAA and the NCAA, but with an emphasis on making the programs accessible and highly affordable to anyone in the area. The Women’s Leadership Symposium in Intercollegiate Athletics is a two-day seminar to be held at the Ohio State University’s Plaza Hotel and Conference Center in Columbus, Ohio on May 12-13, 2003. According to the registration brochure, the Women’s Leadership Symposium, endorsed financially by the Horizon League, Mid-American, and Big Ten Conferences, is a professional development initiative designed to provide an affordable, educational opportunity for individuals employed or considering employment in intercollegiate athletics. Attendees are expected to enhance their leadership skills, network, and bring creative ideas back for implementation at their respective institutions and conferences. The programs are geared for female Athletic Directors, Senior Woman Administrators, Conference Office Personnel, Compliance Directors, Coaches, Directors of CHAMPS & Life Skills programs, Directors of Campus Student-Athlete Advisory Committees, Academic Support Directors, and Directors of Athletic Development, Fundraising, and Communications. A unique aspect of the symposium is that it is also geared for female students aspiring to enter the exciting field of intercollegiate athletics. The focus of the joint-marketing group is to create the opportunity for students to view role models in the field and to have the opportunity of direct access to women administrators attending the symposium. (Women’s Leadership Symposium, 2002). When asked to provide a support statement for the initial idea, Donna Lopiano, Executive Director of the Women’s Sport Foundation commented that,
The key to increasing the number of women advancing to leadership positions in collegiate athletics is education. Promising female managers and prospective administrators must develop the fiscal, management, policy and other skill sets necessary to succeed in the challenging economic environment of college sports. Seminars that provide top-notch content and successful and inspiring female professional role models are critical elements of this education solution. This seminar promises to fit the bill (Lopiano, 2002).
Through generous sponsorship donations, the Women’s Leadership Symposium in Intercollegiate Athletics is priced at an affordable rate of only $75 for professionals and $45 for students. There are no selection criteria like that found for the Executive Athletics Institute, the NCAA Fellows Program, and other leadership development services offered by the NCAA and the NACWAA. Quality educational programming is also a key consideration of the local organizing committee who has secured commitments from nationally recognized industry specialists such as Claire Van Ummerson, Vice President of the Higher Education, and James Delany, Commissioner of the Big Ten Conference.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Effective leadership is necessary to handle the many tasks and responsibilities of an intercollegiate athletic program. Training and development programs seem to be of a greater necessity to women as a means to help them overcome barriers such as the Old Boys Network and misleading socio-cultural biases in the hiring and promotion process. These educational programs serve as a means to help foster networking, mentoring, and specific knowledge acquisition. The business world has a long reputation of providing educational seminars specific for female managers. The world of athletics is recently discovering the means to help the under-represented gender gain advancement opportunities in college programs. The NCAA been proactive in recent years by assigning special committees the task of researching problematic areas that have prevented women from advancing in administration. The NCAA has assisted in creating internship opportunities for women and minorities to help with training. The NCAA has also funded several developmental programs such as the Fellowship program and NACWAA’s Executive Institute. Division I Conferences have also recognized the need to enhance the education and experiences of women in intercollegiate athletics and have assisted in funding the Women’s Leadership Symposium.
The gender gap in leadership positions in intercollegiate athletics should not widen given the national attention of powerful organizations such as the NCAA, the Women’s Sport Foundation, and NACWAA who are committed to recognizing the need to place more women in leadership positions. Development programs and training sessions must be made affordable and available to women interested in intercollegiate athletics as a career. Emphasizing to the female student population that intercollegiate athletics is a viable career option is paramount to moving ahead with the goals of closing the gender gap in the hiring and promotions of women in leadership position in athletics. More women that begin in entry-level positions mean that there are more women to select from when they have gained the experience and training necessary to assume leadership positions.
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