Summary
After a yearlong review, William & Mary has developed a thoughtful plan to ensure equity in the operation of W&M Athletics, including participation, scholarships and treatment. Much of the needed work has been underway and will accelerate under the equity plan. There are no plans at present to adjust sport sponsorship.
- Key elements include:
- Participation: Establishing a process to assess interests and abilities of the student body and admitted students per Prong 3 of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights guidance.
- Scholarships: Ensuring athletics scholarships continue to be balanced appropriately to the proportion of student-athletes, recognizing that any change in the composition of the student-athlete population would require adjustment to the existing scholarship balance.
- Treatment: Proceeding with Phase I of the Athletics Complex to improve facilities and enhance the experience for all student-athletes, which is a pillar of the current All In campaign; monitoring scheduling opportunities for practice and competition; providing consistent publicity coverage by the department; and reviewing recruiting budgets and practices, rebalancing as needed to be equitably adequate.
President Katherine A. Rowe:
“Following this thorough review and planning effort, William & Mary will move quickly and assuredly to provide equitable experiences for our student-athletes. Respect is a core value of the university and W&M Athletics, and we will convey it to all who compete for the Tribe.”
Director of Athletics Brian D. Mann:
“The plan maps our path toward gender equity for W&M Athletics. We can now move forward together with increasing confidence, knowing that each step will enhance the quality of the student-athlete experience at William & Mary.”
