CHARLESTON, S.C. – Continuing the department's mission of being a respectful and open community that supports and encourages diversity, College of Charleston Athletics has formed its own Inclusion, Equity & Diversity Action Council (IEDAC) as well as created initiatives and on-going programming for student-athletes, coaches and staff.
 
The IEDAC was formed to focus on ensuring a strong commitment to celebrate diversity, while always striving for inclusion and equity. The goal of the IEDAC is to continue to develop an inclusive culture within the athletics department through additional training opportunities with each team and department to reinforce The College's ongoing commitment to diversity.
 
The effort is being driven, in part, by CofC's new 10-year strategic plan, which identifies student experience and success as one of the institution's three main pillars and includes diversity, equity and inclusion as one of  The College's seven core values.
 
"Our athletics department embraces a culture of diversity, inclusion and respect," Director of Athletics Matt Roberts said. "I am proud of the leadership role our student-athletes, coaches and staff continue to take – on our campus and in our community. We will continue to value, expand and learn from the diversity of our community to make the College of Charleston a better place for all."
 
With more than 350 student-athletes, some representing 26 countries and many ethnic, religious and socio-economic backgrounds, the athletics department recognizes that diversity is an essential component in understanding culture, space, embodied experience and human values. It embraces the opportunity to learn about different cultures and traditions as the Cougar Family continues to expand.
 
The first step was recognizing the need for more education and collaborating with the Office of Institutional Diversity (OID) on campus. Over the last three semesters, coaches and staff members have been heavily involved in the OID's Department Equity Education Program (D.E.E.P.).
 
"The athletics department has taken an impressive lead in educating students, coaches, staff, and faculty about advancing equity and inclusion," said Dr. Charissa M. Owens, CofC's Director of Diversity Education & Training. "Athletics Director Matt Roberts took the initiative to pilot the OID's Department Equity Education Program starting with a thought leader training for all staff, coaches and student-athletes followed by monthly faculty & staff trainings and embedding equity training in Paws To Claws and Student-Athlete 101 (transitional programs for new student-athletes) as well as Pathways to Success, a personal and career development program for student-athletes.
 
"This triangulated approach set the platform for (Associate Athletics Director) Jamaal Walton – who recently was named the NCAA Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Designee – and other staff to take action in designing and implementing an intradepartmental equity committee and listening sessions with their students to identify and address equity gaps. While there is still considerable work to be done to close the equity gaps, Matt Roberts has taken a big step in the right direction."
 
Aside from diversity and inclusion training for coaches and staff, the IEDAC, in partnership with CofC's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), has created programming for student-athletes to get more involved and having a voice within the athletics community when it comes to racism and social injustices.
 
An intense focus in this area emerged over the summer, when SAAC formed an Ad hoc Social Justice Committee to begin to plan for the Fall 2020 semester. This group was led by SAAC President Eileen Vedder of women's cross country/track & field as well as SAAC members Cate Ambrose of women's cross country/track & field, Naya Boualany of women's soccer, and Sajon Belser of baseball.
 
The Social Justice Committee invited all student-athletes and senior staff to participate in a listening session about being Black at CofC, in response to the arrest and death of George Floyd. The forum was moderated by former men's basketball team captain and NBA point guard Joe Chealey ('18).
 
In addition, the group was instrumental in the athletics department inviting inspirational guest speaker Chris Singleton, a Charleston native and former professional baseball player, to speak on love and unity. With the upcoming elections, SAAC participated in the "CAA Votes" initiative to increase voter registration amongst student-athletes, students and the community.
 
CofC student-athletes believe assisting with the issue of food insecurity on campus, makes the college experience more accessible to all. SAAC led the athletics department's Second Annual Food Drive benefiting the Cougar Food Pantry. More than 3,500 food items were donated to the student-run pantry on campus.
 
Prior to the start of the school year, the IEDAC partnered with OID to hold the first "Eggshells to Propel" series with the aim to educate and learn about the diverse backgrounds within the athletics community. The athletics department watched former NFL linebacker and FOX Sports analyst Emmanuel Acho's "Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man" videos as a learning tool.
 
On Oct. 27-29, the athletics department along with member schools across the country will participate in the Third Annual NCAA Diversity and Inclusion Social Media Campaign. The goal of the campaign is to use social media to create a dialogue surrounding diversity and inclusion and to communicate the need and benefit of creating inclusive environments.
 
This year's themes include: "My Story Matters" exploring student-athletes' identities, perspectives and experiences; "I've Got Your Back" showcasing student-athletes supporting each other to foster inclusive environments; and "Together We Rise" outlining personal action steps to inclusive excellence and celebrating collaboration across the campus community.
 
Proposed Future Programming:

• School Supply Drive for Memminger Elementary (Title 1 school in Charleston County).
• Continuation and expansion of the "Eggshells To Propel" series to student-athletes.
• Safe Zone Ally Training for coaches and staff.
• Improvement of employee onboarding and education.
• Continued partnership with the Cougar Food Pantry.
• Continued commitment by Student-Athlete Academic Services (SAAS) to engage and incorporate diversity and inclusion education into existing programs.
• Continued commitment by the NCAA Compliance Office to engage in financial-aid education in order to expand access for student-athletes on the Charleston campus.

"This is a year of action," said Rénard Harris, CofC's Vice President of Access and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer. "We want to make the campus better for everyone: Black, White, students, faculty, staff and alumni."