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The University of Mississippi Athletics
David Harris Selected As One Of 25 Participants For NCAA Leadership Institute For Ethnic Minority Males
June 26, 2001
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - David Harris, Director of Academic Support at the University of Mississippi, was one of 25 athletics administrators recently selected to participate in the 2001-02 NCAA Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Males.
Harris, a former Rebel defensive tackle, is in his fourth year at his current position in the Ole Miss Athletic Department. A 1993 Ole Miss graduate, Harris also serves as a committee member for CHAMPS/Life Skills and the advisor to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. As a player from 1989-93, Harris was named to the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll three times and was a member of Rebel teams that played in three bowl games (1989, 1992 Liberty, 1991 Gator).
The Leadership Institute will enhance job-related competencies in selected areas through the completion of four professional development sessions, practical work experiences and a week- long intensive workshop. The first professional development session, Leadership and Administration, will take place June 29-July 1, in Indianapolis.
Designed as a model for current athletics administrators to receive training and acquire skill sets necessary to advance to leadership roles in athletics, the program is the result of a recommendation from the NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee to address the critical shortage of senior-level ethnic minority males involved at the campus and conference levels. According to the NCAA's latest study of race demographics in intercollegiate athletics, minority males held only about seven percent of positions in athletics administration.
"The Institute is a comprehensive initiative to provide ways for ethnic minorities at any level to advance within college sports administration," said Rochelle M. Collins, NCAA director of professional development. "Most participants have a pretty good idea of what effective leadership is -- we're just trying to enhance their level of understanding to develop ways in which they can promote their skills."
Three subsequent sessions on Human Resource Management (November 2-4), Finance and Fund-Raising (February 8-10, 2002) and Booster, Public and Media Relations (June 28-30, 2002) also will be held in Indianapolis. The week-long workshop is scheduled for August 5-9, 2002, and will focus on the practical implications of the workshop areas through review and discussion of case studies.
To be eligible for the Leadership Institute, staff members must be nominated from NCAA institutions and conferences. Upon selection, institutions and conferences must provide travel and lodging costs, and assist the staff member in completion of practical assignments that enhance the understanding and application of the content areas. Upon completion of the Institute, participants are eligible to apply for a $2,000 scholarship to defray costs incurred during the 14-month Institute period.
Nominations for the 2002-03 Leadership Institute will be solicited in March 2002. For more information, log on to www.ncaa.org or contact Rochelle Collins at 317/917-6222, at the NCAA national office.