NACDA and Return On Inclusion Announce Groundbreaking Partnership

Click here for a general ROI overview  |  Click here to register for the introductory webinar
 
CLEVELAND – The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and Return On Inclusion (ROI) are thrilled to announce a groundbreaking partnership to advance diversity and inclusion in college athletics. ROI is a sports-specific online education platform dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture of belonging.
 
This is a first-of-its-kind partnership for NACDA. The Association is endorsing the platform for individual and department-wide use for NACDA & Affiliates members across the country. ROI's self-paced learning modules strengthen a commitment to provide every coach and athletics administrator with an opportunity to develop the skills necessary to support student-athletes, create healthy team cultures, and implement inclusive programs, policies and practices.
 
"As our intercollegiate enterprise continues to evolve, NACDA's educational mission has become more important than ever. We are continually interacting with various levels of our membership to determine what educational components are needed most to serve our combined constituents," said Bob Vecchione, Chief Executive Officer, NACDA. "Diversity, equity & inclusion education is far and away the number one topic across our Affiliate Associations that we are continuously looking to enhance. We have been searching for a DEI educational platform that is all encompassing, user-friendly and cost effective. ROI is that platform, and we firmly believe that it has the power to change cultures on campus and move college athletics forward in this space."
 
"We are honored to partner with NACDA as ROI is our labor of love to the athletics community," said Nevin Caple, Founder & Principal Consultant, Return On Inclusion. "I am seeing a valuing of difference in college athletics as many administrators and coaches are owning the places within themselves where they still need to grow. It takes courage and compassion to do that. We want to help our leaders who are on that deeply reflective and personal journey."
 
Since its launch in October 2020, ROI has emerged as an industry leader, helping athletics administrators, coaches, and staff at institutions and athletics organizations at all levels of competition develop the inclusive leadership skills necessary to support student-athletes across social and cultural differences.
 
The six-module curriculum provides NACDA and its Affiliate members with an opportunity to implement ROI at their institution, engage staff in the program, and experience personal and professional growth together as a department. The coursework is facilitated by Caple and includes self-reflection exercises, case studies, best practices, knowledge retention quizzes and discussion guides for group participation.
 
Through the partnership, discounted group rates are now available for NACDA and its Affiliate member institutions. The cost per participant decreases as participant enrollment increases. All group members are assigned an account manager with ROI to guide them through the process. Click here for a general ROI overview and to learn more about the NACDA partnership pricing structure.
 
NACDA will host an informational webinar with Caple on Monday, Nov. 8 at 2 p.m. ET that will cover ROI program offerings and benefits, the enrollment process, and best practices for implementing ROI with athletics department staff. Click here to register for the webinar and reserve your seat.
 
As a follow-up to the informational webinar, Caple will host a "Lunch & Learn" open office hours session on Thursday, Nov. 18 at 12 p.m. ET so that NACDA and Affiliates members that are interested in enrollment with ROI can interact with Caple and ask questions specific to their situation.
 
Caple hopes to set a new standard when it comes to how administrators and coaches are trained on diversity and inclusion topics in college athletics.
 
"DEI is a learned skill set," said Caple. "We don't just show up one day knowing what to do. It takes time, practice, and commitment just like learning a sport or anything of importance. This is our opportunity to provide a resource that will make us better humans, center the experiences of our student-athletes, and improve college athletics for generations to come."
 
For more information and to connect with an ROI representative, visit nacda.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.
 
The ROI Advisory Board includes national thought leaders in college athletics who have made significant contributions to fostering inclusive teams and programs. Board members include: Board Co-Chair Kim Doran (Ohio State), Board Co-Chair John Square (George Washington), Kyle Chilton, Clyde Doughty (Bowie State), Jessica Duff (Smith), Jaide-Hinds Clarke (Richmond), Katie Harbert (Oregon), Noah Knight (UMKC), Yannick Kluch (VCU), Maria Sanchez (Northwestern), Whitney Johnson (BYU).
 
About NACDA: Now in its 57th year, NACDA is the professional and educational Association for more than 22,000 college athletics administrators at more than 2,200 institutions throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. NACDA manages 17 professional associations and four foundations. In addition to virtual programming, NACDA hosts five major professional development events in-person annually. The NACDA & Affiliates Convention is the largest gathering of collegiate athletics administrators in the country. For more information, visit nacda.com.