Kent State Announces Partnership with Return on Inclusion

KENT, OHIO – The Kent State athletic department has signed a partnership agreement with Return on Inclusion (ROI), an online sport-specific diversity and inclusion education program geared towards collegiate administrators, coaches and staff.

"The ROI curriculum creates an excellent opportunity to engage our coaches and administrators in meaningful dialogue, prioritizing the betterment of the student-athletes experience," said Director of Athletics Randale Richmond. "With dedicated staff in Athletics to ensure strong connectivity with our overarching university's DEI office, these modules align with our departments' commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, a key pillar within our Play As One Strategic Plan."

ROI employs a six-module curriculum that provides participants the opportunity to implement ROI at their institution and experience personal and professional growth together as a department. The coursework includes self-reflection exercises, case studies, best practices, knowledge retention quizzes and discussion guides for group participation. Participants receive instructions on the following topics:

• Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Foundations
• Cultural Competence & Managing Relationships
• Overcoming Bias, Micro-aggressions & Covering
• Unpacking Racism, Anti-Racism & Privilege
• LGBTQ+ Inclusion & Gender Stereotypes
• Inclusive Leadership & Strategic Plan Development

All coursework is facilitated by ROI founder Nevin Caple, a national thought leader on diversity, inclusion and belonging in sport. She has spent the last decade working as a keynote speaker and a consultant helping college athletic programs to develop inclusion strategies and create more inclusive environments for student-athletes.

"Our team is thrilled to partner with Kent State! I admire the commitment from leadership to prioritize the work of inclusive learning, which is critical to creating a culture of belonging in athletics,"  Caple said. "It's an honor to be on this journey with those who care deeply about providing coaches, administrators, and staff with access to the knowledge and resources needed to lead inclusively."

Since its launch in October 2020, ROI has emerged as an industry leader, helping administrators, coaches, and staff at athletics organizations of all levels develop the leadership skills to support student-athletes across social and cultural differences. Participants who complete all six modules earn the ROI Inclusive Leader Certificate.

For more information, visit roinclusion.com.

About Return on Inclusion

Return On Inclusion™ (ROI) is a sport-specific diversity and inclusion education platform dedicated to developing inclusive leaders and fostering a culture of belonging across social and cultural differences. Our self-paced modules standardize learning methods, deepening our commitment to helping every coach and athletic administrator develop the skills and competencies necessary to support student-athletes and achieve inclusive excellence in programs, policies and practices.

In November 2021, ROI and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) announced a groundbreaking partnership to advance diversity and inclusion in college athletics. NACDA endorsed the ROI platform for individual and department-wide use for NACDA and affiliate members across the country.

Return On Inclusion Press Contact: Kyle Chilton • kyle@roinclusion.com • 801-372-2080