DeKALB, Ill. – While managing the Northern Illinois University Athletic Department through the challenges brought on by COVID-19 since March and inspired by the renewed emphasis on social justice across the nation, NIU Associate Vice-President and Director of Athletics Sean T. Frazier took on an additional challenge in 2020 on behalf of the LEAD1 Association (LEAD1) which represents the 130 athletic directors of the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
 
In August 2020, Frazier and Dr. China Jude, senior associate athletic director and SWA at the University of Wyoming, were asked to chair LEAD1's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Working Group with the goal to produce a white paper which would design an actionable plan for FBS institutions to help create more opportunities for people of color to advance in athletics administration, thereby increasing diverse senior leadership at the highest levels of intercollegiate athletics.
 
"In my over 30-year career in intercollegiate athletics, these recommendations represent the most passionate, focused and comprehensive athletics diversity, equity and inclusion action items I have ever been involved with," Frazier said. "I am humbled to have helped lead the working group alongside some of the best practitioners, researchers and scholars in this field! This was a complete joy and another important part of my life's work supporting all things diversity, equity and inclusion."
 
Over the summer, NIU Athletics released its Social Justice Athletics Education initiative, a part of the department's Diversity and Integration Group's overall athletic department plan.  Those efforts are detailed on the NIU Athletics Diversity & Inclusion page on NIUHuskies.com.
 
The paper, on behalf of the 35-member working group, was released Monday by LEAD1 and is addressed to all stakeholders in FBS college sports including all conferences, institutions, the NCAA, the College Football Playoff (CFP), relevant search firms, and others. The paper has already been endorsed by the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA).
 
Some of the paper's notable recommendations include:

• Tethering diversity hiring to financial incentives, particularly through employment contracts within the enterprise;
• Creating a highly selective, year-round, diversity program that can help sponsor more diverse senior-level candidates;
• Grading relevant search firms based on their annual success in presenting a diverse pool of candidates to institutions;
• Adding a layer of attestation, through the NCAA, with respect to college sports leaders receiving requisite training related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, particularly regarding implicit bias; and
• Giving the Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Designee (ADID), typically within FBS athletics departments, the power to influence and shape policies across campus.

"As we continue to observe the current diversity, equity, and inclusion challenges that our colleges and universities are experiencing, these LEAD1 actionable recommendations, developed by FBS practitioners, researchers, and scholars, provide a much-needed road map for measurable change," said Frazier. "I am appreciative to all those who will take accountability for this extremely important leadership."
 
"Our white paper is an example of our commitment to being a positive influence in the national dialogue on race and equality," said Tom McMillen, President and CEO of LEAD1. "We are proud of our work product after a several month process of working group calls. We thank our co-chairs, Sean [Frazier] and China [Jude], and all of our working group members, for their tremendous work throughout this process."
 
Frazier and Jude will be joined by several other members of the working group that produced the white paper during a LEAD1 virtual forum on Thursday, January 7 at Noon (CT).  The forum will explain the group's processes and recommendations and is open to the entire college sports community at no charge.  Registration is available HERE.
 
For a complete roster of the LEAD1 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Working Group, click here.
 
-- NIU --