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Nevin Caple | February 17, 2021

Nevin Caple | February 17, 2021

The Department of Physical Education, Recreation and Athletics (PERA) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, in partnership with LeadBLUE, welcomed Nevin Caple (she/her), a consultant, speaker, and educator on diversity, inclusion and belonging in sport on February 17, 2021 via Zoom. 

The event, that was open to all student-athletes, created space for reflection and dialogue, and explored the impact of bias and tactics to uncover blind spots to create inclusive cultures on teams and within the community.  In addition, captains and team leaders had the opportunity to meet with Nevin in advance of the department-wide student session to strategize and develop a game plan to champion respect on the team, on campus, and in the community. Nevin concluded her visit by speaking with PERA Senior Leadership.

PERA has a lot to be proud of but our efforts are necessary each and every day as we continue on our journey as individuals and as a department to create and maintain an inclusive environment.

Outcomes and Action Steps

Captain/Team Leader Session

  • Through the use of breakout rooms, students were able to discuss how they work to create inclusive environments on their teams and asked what they wanted from the PERA department. That feedback included:
    • Consider adding DEI topics that highlight importance of sense of belonging and updates on DEI committee efforts in the annual eligibility meeting
    • Be more transparent about departmental education efforts
    • PERA should work towards representing our student population in our faculty/staff
    • General consensus that coaches and administrators should recognize any micro-aggressions and work to avoid making statements/inquiries that could cause harm

All Student-Athlete Session

  • Nevin shared her keynote on the importance of creating a safe space for all to feel at home and recognizing that the definition differs for each individual.
  • Students played a virtual game identifying definitions and their importance.  
  • Nevin closed the session by telling her story growing up in a very conservative family environment and breaking out of her shell.
  • Many of our students resonated with her story and were thankful for her vulnerability in sharing.

Senior Leadership Session

Six stages of inclusion were identified:

  1. Setting the Tone
  2. Dept. Culture and Climate
  3. Recruiting, Hiring, Retention
  4. Policy Adoption and Design
  5. Coach/Student-Athlete Initiatives
  6. Communication Strategies

PERA will continue to use our hiring processes to identify diverse candidates for open positions and will be a partner in campus efforts around diversity, equity and inclusion. Moving forward, we are considering department-wide dialogue and potentially developing a climate survey to learn more about our student-athlete population and use those results to drive departmental action.