CHICAGO – UIC has joined peers from around the country in signing the Collegiate Coaching Diversity Pledge (CCDP), director of athletics
Michael Lipitz announced today.
The CCDP is an opt-in commitment from NCAA Division I athletics directors to include a diverse group of candidates in the finalist pool for head coaching vacancies in men's basketball, women's basketball, and football. The nationwide initiative organized by
AthleticDirectorU reflects a commitment to ensure equal opportunity in the hiring of coaches, and to address barriers that have prevented full participation of underrepresented minority groups.
The CCDP presently counts more than 40 Division I athletics directors as supporters of the initiative. These leaders represent 18 Division I leagues, including the: Atlantic 10, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, CAA, Conference USA, Horizon League, Mid-American, Missouri Valley, Ohio Valley, Patriot League, Southeastern, Southern, Southland, Sun Belt, West Coast Conference and Western Athletic Conference.
"UIC is proud to be an early adopter of the Collegiate Coaching Diversity Pledge," said Lipitz. "We support this meaningful measure towards increasing opportunities for underrepresented coaches."
The University of Illinois Chicago has long been a leader when it comes to diversity on campus. Last month, UIC received the 2020 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from
INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. As a result of its continued dedication and leadership in fostering diversity, equity and inclusion on campus and in the classroom, it is the fifth time UIC has received the prestigious award.
In 2019, UIC was recognized by
U.S. News & World Report as one of the top-20 ethnically diverse national universities, as well as No. 14 in social mobility.
UIC is an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institution (AANAPISI) and has been designated a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HIS) by the U.S. Department of Education. The university is one of only 16 Research 1 HSI institutions in the country.
