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Report: College sports shows dip in gender hiring

By WTOP Staff

KYLE HIGHTOWER
Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A report released Wednesday on the NCAA and its member schools shows fewer women holding jobs in college sports and only a small improvement in racial diversity.

The report, released Wednesday by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, gave college sports a B grade for racial hiring practices and a C-plus for gender hiring. The racial score of 82.3 points in 2013 increased from 81 points in 2012, while the gender score decreased from 81.3 points in 2012 to 75.9 in 2013.

College sports has the lowest grade for racial hiring, and only ranks higher than the NFL for gender hiring, among all college and professional leagues in the study. The Institute also produces report cards on the NBA, WNBA, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer.

“I think that this is an example of where college sport has failed,” said TIDES director Richard Lapchick, the primary author of the report. “It’s unfortunate that it comes at a time when so much is going on in college sports and so much change is coming about. Of course, it calls into question the people who are making those changes.”

The 2013 report card includes racial and gender personnel data at the NCAA headquarters as well as for university presidents, athletic directors, head football coaches, football coordinators and faculty athletic representatives at the 125 institutions in the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision.

It covers the 2011-2012 and 20122013 academic years. It also includes information for conference commissioners and student-athletes throughout all athletic divisions.

Some of the most glaring gender deficiencies Lapchick noted were in the key leadership positions inside conference offices and in university athletic departments.

All 11 FBS conference commissioner posts continue to be held by white men.

The number of female presidents at the 125 FBS schools increased from 18 in 2012 to 19 in 2013, and the number of female conference commissioners in Division I from six to seven.

The same was true among athletic directors, where women showed small gains at the Division I and Division II levels.

But among associate athletic directors, one of the feeder jobs to athletic director, the numbers remained mostly stagnant.

In Division I, women occupied 29.5 percent (499) of associate athletic director jobs, 41.8 percent (125) in Division II and 51 percent (150) in Division III in 2012-13. That was compared to 30 (464), 41.1 (116) and 48.9 percent (136), respectively, in 2011-12.

Women held only 38.7 percent of the head coaching jobs of women’s teams in Division I, and at less than 40 percent across all three divisions combined. Women also held less than 50 percent of the assistant coaching positions of women’s teams in all divisions.

“The pipeline is almost wider than what the pipeline is leading up to,” Lapchick said. “I think the long-term effects are yet to be measured. But it’s a concern to me that decisions being made on college sports at this point are overwhelmingly being made by white men.”

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Online: http://tidesport.org/

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Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/khightower

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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