Associate Athletics Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

This position is responsible for promoting the philosophy and objectives of the intercollegiate athletics program. This shall include adhering to the principles of the Athletic Department’s Mission Statement, Diversity and Inclusion Mission Statement, Core Values, Policies, and Procedures, as well as the rules and regulations of the University, the Pac 12 Conference, and the NCAA.

The University of Colorado Boulder is committed to building a culturally diverse community of faculty, staff, and students dedicated to contributing to an inclusive campus environment. We are an Equal Opportunity employer, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are As one of 34 U.S. public research institutions belonging to the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU)—and the only member in the Rocky Mountain region—our goal at CU Boulder is to directly affect Colorado communities through collaborative research, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Our faculty, staff, and students work with the broader community to establish outstanding connections that have lasting outcomes—both across Colorado and around the world.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be--

Planning and Implementation: Lead CUAD in developing and implementing a diversity, equity, and inclusion plan which focuses on recruitment, performance management, leadership development, employee engagement, training, and employee retention. Assesses and monitor the overall tone of an inclusive culture within the department. Observe areas in which further shifts need to be made and how to maintain such gains throughout each year and with new students and staff. Conduct regular diversity audits of CUAD systems. Serve as a strategic leader and subject matter specialist, craft and cultivate a common vision of the Athletic Department’s dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion that can be shared among staff and students as well as with external partners. Assist in the development of strategies and processes that promotes the hiring, retention, staff morale, and success of a diverse and inclusive staff with a focus on underrepresented and historically marginalized populations. Develop a DEI Action Plan to support the effort of the department strategic plan and ensure DEI strategies/priorities are embedded in all the work and levels.

Educational Programs: Provide strategic direction for staff diversity education and training and professional development initiatives to build and sustain a climate of equity and inclusion. Provide diversity, equity and inclusion education and training opportunities to improve cross-cultural competency and awareness for student-athletes and staff. Advise, assist, and support the development and implementation of curriculum related to student-athlete learning communities, leadership, transition, and career-focused programming. Develop program assessment strategies and systems to evaluate the impact, value, and efficacy of programs. Engage with CUAD committees including SAAC (Colorado Student-Athlete Advisory Committee) and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. Partner with ODECE and connect CUAD with resource groups, events, and initiatives to support diversity, equity, and inclusion programming for students and CUAD staff. Ensure DEI is integrated into all student-athlete development efforts, provide support on student-athlete programming, ensure an inclusive atmosphere for all student-athletes, and assist in the evaluation of the program effectiveness and impact. Demonstrate and maintain a professional commitment to current standard methodologies regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion programming for both students and staff. Set up systemic change initiatives using data analysis and metrics; training; employee engagement programming; and policy and procedure updates. Serve as liaison to sport administrators and coaches by addressing team-specific concerns related to DEI. Consult with CUAD supervisors on DEI issues. Manage and guide the Racial and Social Justice Taskforce, and help integrate recommendations from that group into the department culture.

Recruitment and Retention Support: Advise coaches and assess compliance on the development of programs and policies that support the recruitment and retention of diverse and underrepresented populations of student-athletes. Analyze, develop, make recommendations for, and manage a budget for initiatives related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and supporting employee engagement with those values.

External Support: Advise and support external CUAD units (marketing, ticketing, communications, advancement) in utilizing digital and social media platforms with an awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Assist external communications staff in determining public response and messaging on a variety of complex, sensitive, or controversial issues impacting CUAD and the University. Network with NCAA, Pac-12, and other professional organizations related to growing and supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion goals and initiatives.

Administrative Operations: Mentor and support the growth of interns assigned to work with this position. If appropriate, raise issues and concerns to the Athletics Director.