Mid-American Conference

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Mid-American Conference hosted its inaugural Diversity & Inclusion Summit on Thursday, Feb. 8th at the Renaissance Hotel, in partnership with the NCAA Office of Inclusion. Administrators from MAC membership, including Bowling Green, Northern Illinois and Buffalo, along with NCAA leadership from the Office of Inclusion, fostered conversation and discussion of best practices during the full-day summit.

The MAC has long been a leader within collegiate athletics as Bowling Green, Northern Illinois and Buffalo have won the last three consecutive NCAA and Minority Opportunities Athletic Association's (MOAA) Award for Diversity and Inclusion. The annual award is a partnership between the NCAA and MOAA to recognize and celebrate the initiatives, policies and practices of these universities that have embraced diversity and inclusion. These Universities were recognized for efforts which include community service, professional development, hiring practices and programming activities that enhance opportunities for people of diverse cultures, background and experiences.

The keynote speaker was Diane Patton, a speaker, social justice and integrative health advocacy coach, author and attorney. 

The MAC Diversity & Inclusion Program was developed in 2016 under the direction and guidance of the MAC Council of Presidents and MAC Council of Directors of Athletics. The goals of the Program are to develop a pool of diverse candidates for collegiate job opportunities, provide educational opportunities for a diverse group of MAC athletics administrators and coaches, and promote diversity and inclusion in hiring within the Mid-American Conference.
 
The first of its kind Program features 25 annual internship opportunities for MAC students across all campuses, a comprehensive mentoring program for young and diverse administrators, an awards program recognizing outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion, and an annual Summit hosted in conjunction with the NCAA’s Office of Inclusion.
 
MAC Statement on Diversity & Inclusion:
As a core value, the Mid-American Conference believes in and is committed to diversity, inclusion and gender equity among its student-athletes, coaches, staff and administrators. We seek to establish and maintain an inclusive culture that fosters equitable participation for student-athletes and career opportunities for coaches and administrators from diverse backgrounds. Diversity and inclusion improve the learning environment for all student-athletes and enhance excellence within the Conference. 
 
The Mid-American Conference will provide or enable programming, education and outreach which sustains foundations of a diverse and inclusive culture across dimensions of diversity including but not limited to age, race, sex, class, national origin, creed, educational background, disability, gender expression, gender identity, geographical location, income, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation and work experiences.