ROI offers online diversity and inclusion courses designed for college athletic departments

BEVERLY, Mass. – The Endicott Athletics & Recreation Department has partnered with Return On Inclusion™ (ROI) as part of its ongoing effort to further enhance a welcoming environment for its student-athletes.

"Through reflection and ongoing conversations with athletics staff members, coaches, student-athletes, alumni, and the Endicott community, we are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Return On Inclusion as it will enhance all of the great work the entire athletics department has committed themselves to over the last twelve or so months," said Assistant VP and Director of Athletics Dr. Brian A. Wylie. "This inclusive leadership modeled by members of the athletics staff has really enabled difficult, but rewarding and enlightening conversations surrounding attitudes, behaviors, injustice, racism, and bias that has really strengthened and provided growth in areas that we so desperately need. We are all looking forward to working with ROI and challenging ourselves to continue to grow personally and professionally."

Divided into six self-paced online modules, ROI'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. 

As coaches and administrators complete the training, they will be better equipped to support and mentor student-athletes from diverse social and cultural backgrounds. 

"I am thrilled to share ROI with the community I care so deeply about," said Caple. "We should all have access to the tools we need to do our jobs most effectively. I hope ROI will serve as a catalyst for many institutions to prioritize learning for coaches, athletic administrators, and staff as they embark on their inclusive leadership journey."

In addition to today's ROI partnership announcement, the Endicott Athletics & Recreation Department would like to share insight into its other internal efforts over the past year. These initiatives were established based on conversations and feedback from athletics staff members, coaches, student-athletes, alumni, and the Endicott Community.

Athletics Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives

• Bi-weekly staff DEI meetings focused on attitudes, behaviors, injustice, racism, and bias

• Increased athletics staff involvement with our campus DEI Committee

• Enrolled staff members in a 16-hour training course on Intergroup Dialogue with the University of Michigan

• Continue to actively listen and learn through guest speaker events, highlighted by a staff-wide conversation with Rev. Andre Bennett

• Involved in Common Ground Training and SafeZone Training 

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 Chair Resa Lovelace (Maryland), DaWon Baker (Nebraska), Isa Berardo (Pomona-Pitzer), Cherish Burks (Alabama), Clyde Doughty (Bowie State), Kim Doran (Ohio State), Jessica Duff (Bates), Jaide-Hinds Clarke (Richmond), Katie Harbert (Oregon), Noah Knight (Kansas City Athletics), Yannick Kluch (Rowan), Jacqie McWilliams (CIAA), John Square (GW), Maria Sanchez (Northwestern), Whitney Johnson (NCAA). 

Visit roinclusion.com or follow @ROInclusion on Twitter for more information.