Missouri University of Science and Technology recently signed the NCAA Presidential Pledge, which reaffirms Missouri S&T’s commitment to diversity and inclusion in athletics.

The pledge is designed to promote ethnic and racial diversity and gender equity in college sports hiring practices. It is intended to address the low representation of minorities and women in coaching and athletics administration at all levels.

“Our athletes, coaches and staff make tremendous contributions to the university, and we strive to support them in every way possible,” says Missouri S&T Chancellor Cheryl B. Schrader. “I am gratified to sign onto this significant initiative, which reflects Missouri S&T’s commitment to attracting and retaining a diverse community of students, faculty and staff.”

In the coming months, university presidents and chancellors who have signed the pledge will receive a toolkit with best practices and other resources to assist with ongoing diversity and inclusion efforts.

More information, including a list of institutions that have signed the pledge, is available online.

The NCAA pledge states:

“Consistent with our mission and values, our institution, a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, pledges to specifically commit to establishing initiatives for achieving ethnic and racial diversity, gender equity and inclusion, with a focus and emphasis on hiring practices in intercollegiate athletics, to reflect the diversity of our membership and our nation. We recognize and value the experiences individuals from diverse backgrounds bring to intercollegiate athletics. To that end, we will strive to identify, recruit and interview individuals from diverse backgrounds in an effort to increase their representation and retention as commissioners, athletics directors, coaches and other leaders in athletics. As part of this commitment, we will also engage in a regular diversity, inclusion and equity review to inform campus policy and diversity initiatives. We understand this to be a collective responsibility we owe to student-athletes, staff, our athletics programs and the entire campus community.”