UB Earns MAC Diversity and Inclusion Institution Award for Fourth Straight Year
9/10/2021 10:04:00 AM | General, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Cleveland, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference (MAC) announced today that the University at Buffalo has won the MAC Diversity & Inclusion Institution Award for the fourth consecutive year. Once again, UB continues to offer a broad-based program to be inclusive of all the issues that face its student-athletes, athletics staff, campus and the greater Western New York community.
"It is truly an honor to once again be recognized by the Mid-American Conference for our institution's efforts in diversity and inclusion," Vice President and Director of Athletics Mark Alnutt said. "I'm proud of our student-athletes, coaches and staff and this award is a testament to their commitment to disseminating the importance of these issues and wanting to be leaders in this very important initiative. With programs like the Stronger Together Task Force and the Presidential Council on Race, we continue to take a proactive stance in this area while also looking for new ways to create positive experiences for our students and the Western New York community."
UB athletics is committed to the advancement of diversity and inclusion. Each year the administration measures, evaluates and responds to the specific needs of their diverse student-athlete population via a wellness survey to evaluate student-athletes experience with multiculturalism.
In light of social justice issues across the nation, UB established the Stronger Together Task Force. The task force is devoted to creating synergies amongst the department in a collaborative effort with UB student-athletes and staff. Every sport is represented on the task force and staff includes members from a wide variety of subsets that make up the department. The group is charged with identifying areas of priority and helping to perpetuate positive change for the UB athletics department, University campus and the Western New York community.
UB also established the President's Advisory Council on Race to address issues of race and culture at UB, and guide and shape the university's programs, policies, activities and traditions. The council's work informs how the UB community can harness our university's education, research and engagement mission to combat racism and dismantle structural barriers to equality.
In addition, a group known as Student-Athlete Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Ambassadors was developed. The group spearheads initiatives for the greater student-athlete community and overall department based on UB's six core values in the following areas: LGBTQ+ (September), Culture, Race, Ethnicity (October), Masculinity (November), Mental and Physical Disabilities (February), Gender Equity and Women Empowerment (March) and First Generation/International Students (April).
"It is truly a remarkable honor and achievement for the University at Buffalo to be named the recipient of the Mid-American Conference Diversity & Inclusion Institutional Award," said MAC Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher. "I commend the leadership of Buffalo President Dr. Satish Tripathi, Director of Athletics Mark Alnutt, and Senior Woman Administrator D'ann Keller for building and sustaining a program that has fostered diversity and equity in the pursuit of excellence. The Conference salutes all of our member institutions for their continued attention to diversity, equity and inclusion."
In November of 2016, the MAC announced one of the most comprehensive Diversity & Inclusion Programs in Division I intercollegiate athletics to begin during the 2017-18 academic year.
The MAC Diversity & Inclusion Program has positioned the MAC as a leader within collegiate athletics. Through this program, the MAC is working to expand opportunities for minority candidates in coaching and administration with six specific and coordinated program initiatives.
These six initiatives include: establishing a Conference Diversity & Inclusion Statement, the commitment of 25 new annual internships across membership, a collaborative mentoring program, a bi-annual summit, the first of which was hosted by the MAC on Feb. 8, 2018, the creation of a resource webpage and the annual awards platform to recognize one institutional athletic department, individual administrator and student-athlete.
The MAC Diversity & Inclusion program provides career educational opportunities for a diverse pool of candidates, career entry and advancement opportunities, consistent support and career mentoring programs for all levels of professionals, and opportunities for collaboration on best hiring practices and cultural enhancements for member institutions.
In the Fall of 2015, MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher instituted a 15-member working group comprised of university administrators, senior athletic administrators and faculty athletic representatives to present to MAC membership recommendations for a comprehensive diversity & inclusion program. Steinbrecher charged the working group with: "Taking a solution-oriented leadership role in accelerating and growing the pool of minority candidates for collegiate job opportunities in coaching and administration."
"It is truly an honor to once again be recognized by the Mid-American Conference for our institution's efforts in diversity and inclusion," Vice President and Director of Athletics Mark Alnutt said. "I'm proud of our student-athletes, coaches and staff and this award is a testament to their commitment to disseminating the importance of these issues and wanting to be leaders in this very important initiative. With programs like the Stronger Together Task Force and the Presidential Council on Race, we continue to take a proactive stance in this area while also looking for new ways to create positive experiences for our students and the Western New York community."
UB athletics is committed to the advancement of diversity and inclusion. Each year the administration measures, evaluates and responds to the specific needs of their diverse student-athlete population via a wellness survey to evaluate student-athletes experience with multiculturalism.
In light of social justice issues across the nation, UB established the Stronger Together Task Force. The task force is devoted to creating synergies amongst the department in a collaborative effort with UB student-athletes and staff. Every sport is represented on the task force and staff includes members from a wide variety of subsets that make up the department. The group is charged with identifying areas of priority and helping to perpetuate positive change for the UB athletics department, University campus and the Western New York community.
UB also established the President's Advisory Council on Race to address issues of race and culture at UB, and guide and shape the university's programs, policies, activities and traditions. The council's work informs how the UB community can harness our university's education, research and engagement mission to combat racism and dismantle structural barriers to equality.
In addition, a group known as Student-Athlete Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Ambassadors was developed. The group spearheads initiatives for the greater student-athlete community and overall department based on UB's six core values in the following areas: LGBTQ+ (September), Culture, Race, Ethnicity (October), Masculinity (November), Mental and Physical Disabilities (February), Gender Equity and Women Empowerment (March) and First Generation/International Students (April).
"It is truly a remarkable honor and achievement for the University at Buffalo to be named the recipient of the Mid-American Conference Diversity & Inclusion Institutional Award," said MAC Commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher. "I commend the leadership of Buffalo President Dr. Satish Tripathi, Director of Athletics Mark Alnutt, and Senior Woman Administrator D'ann Keller for building and sustaining a program that has fostered diversity and equity in the pursuit of excellence. The Conference salutes all of our member institutions for their continued attention to diversity, equity and inclusion."
In November of 2016, the MAC announced one of the most comprehensive Diversity & Inclusion Programs in Division I intercollegiate athletics to begin during the 2017-18 academic year.
The MAC Diversity & Inclusion Program has positioned the MAC as a leader within collegiate athletics. Through this program, the MAC is working to expand opportunities for minority candidates in coaching and administration with six specific and coordinated program initiatives.
These six initiatives include: establishing a Conference Diversity & Inclusion Statement, the commitment of 25 new annual internships across membership, a collaborative mentoring program, a bi-annual summit, the first of which was hosted by the MAC on Feb. 8, 2018, the creation of a resource webpage and the annual awards platform to recognize one institutional athletic department, individual administrator and student-athlete.
The MAC Diversity & Inclusion program provides career educational opportunities for a diverse pool of candidates, career entry and advancement opportunities, consistent support and career mentoring programs for all levels of professionals, and opportunities for collaboration on best hiring practices and cultural enhancements for member institutions.
In the Fall of 2015, MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher instituted a 15-member working group comprised of university administrators, senior athletic administrators and faculty athletic representatives to present to MAC membership recommendations for a comprehensive diversity & inclusion program. Steinbrecher charged the working group with: "Taking a solution-oriented leadership role in accelerating and growing the pool of minority candidates for collegiate job opportunities in coaching and administration."
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