BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) has announced a partnership with Return On Inclusion, which delivers online sport-specific diversity and inclusion education to coaches, administrators and staff in college athletic departments.
“Diversity, equity, and inclusion continue to be vital discussion topics on campuses and in our world of intercollegiate athletics,” MIAC Commissioner Dan McKane said. “The opportunity to work with ROI in providing athletic-specific resources and reflections in these areas to our 13 MIAC institutions will be extremely beneficial to our administrators as they continue to navigate challenging climates and complex conversations to support of all our student-athletes.”
Divided into six self-paced online modules, Return On Inclusion’s comprehensive diversity and inclusion training is designed specifically for college athletic departments. Participants receive instruction on a variety of topics, including:
- Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging Foundations
- Cultural Competence & Managing Relationships
- Overcoming Bias, Microaggressions & Covering
- Unpacking Racism, Anti-Racism & Privilege
- LGBTQ+ Inclusion & Gender Stereotypes
- Inclusive Leadership & Strategic Plan Development
Instruction in all six modules is provided by ROI founder Nevin Caple, a national thought leader on diversity, inclusion and belonging in sport. The curriculum was developed by Caple in collaboration with the ROI advisory board – a diverse collection of college athletics administrators and scholars from around the country.
“DEI is a learned skill set,” Caple said. “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.”
Since its launch in October 2020, ROI has emerged as an industry leader, helping athletic 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. Participants who complete all six modules earn the ROI Inclusive Leader Certificate.
ROI has partnered with the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) 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.
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.
For more information about the partnership, visit nacda.roinclusion.com.
About the MIAC
Founded in 1920, the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference is home to 13 private institutions, all housed within the borders of the State of Minnesota. The MIAC sponsors 22 NCAA Division III championship sports and is committed to its four core values of Quality Athletics, Academics, Student-Athlete Well-Being, and Integrity.
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.