Skip To Main Content

Merrimack College Athletics

Merrimack College Warriors

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives and Events

Academic Year 2021-22:

Nevin Caple - Zoom sessions on Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging: (Sept 14-15, 2021)
As a successful entrepreneur, diversity and inclusion expert and nationally acclaimed keynote speaker, her transformative work creates exploratory spaces for leadership to define their roles as inclusive leaders and center the student-athlete experience, while engaging in meaningful dialogue across differences. Nevin works closely with each client to identify blind spots and develop sport-specific inclusion strategies that align with organizational and institutional values.
  • Athletic Department: Student-Athlete Session
  • Athletic Department All-Staff Session
  • Athletic Department Administrative Leadership Session
Merrimack College Unity in Diversity Days - October 19-20, 2021
 
Check back for more events during the 2021-22 academic year

Academic Year 2020-21:
 
Establishment of the Athletics Diversity Committee (ADC)
  • First established for the 2020-21 academic year
  • ADC's is a student-run organization with weekly meetings during the academic year.
  • Comprised of a leadership council with officers 
  • Membership:  \open to any student-athlete; currently 64 members
  • Support from athletic administration with Deputy Athletic Director, Diane Metcalf serving as an advisor as well as head coaches from men’s and women’s track and field (Mark Connolly), softball (Elaine Schwager), women’s basketball (Kelly Marrone) and the assistant athletic director for strength and conditioning, Mike Kamal.
  • Article on the ADC on athletics website
  • ADC’s mission is to create a community within the athletics department where we better understand one another, celebrate our differences and welcome diversity. 
    • They envision a community within athletics where everyone understands each other better, differences are celebrated and diversity is welcomed. T
    • The committee exists to address the issues of inequality and the importance of its awareness, to ensure that every student and student-athlete feels welcomed on campus, as well as creating an environment in which everyone is equal and feels safe. 
  • ADC plans and executes meaningful initiatives on campus that support this mission
  • ADC engages in dialogue and open conversations about DE&I related to current events, movies, books, etc.
 
Social Injustice T-Shirt Signing Event
  • Date - September 24, 2020
  • The Athletics Diversity Committee organized a t-shirt signing on campus to help educate and raise awareness about the reality of racial injustice and how it disproportionately affects those around us. The event called for members of the campus community to write the names of those they knew who have been affected by or have experienced racial injustice on t-shirts that were displayed in front of the McQuade Library
  • Coverage
  • Full Photo Album
 
“Sports Talk Series” - Washington Football Team
  • Date - Sept. 30, 2020
  • The Merrimack Athletics Department collaborated with the O’Brien Center for Career Development and the Unity House for a discussion focused on the rebranding of the Washington Football Team. Director of Athletics Jeremy Gibson was part of a panel hosting the discussion, which incorporated Ellen Staurowsky, a professor of Sports Management at Drexel University and an internationally recognized expert on social justice issues in sport. 
  • Coverage:
    • Social Media Post publicizing the event
    • An email marketing campaign was also utilized to spread awareness of the event among all members of the Athletics Department as well as to all student-athletes
 
Unity in Diversity Event:  “Stand for Change, Kneel for Justice” Solidarity event hosted by the Athletics Diversity Committee  
NCAA DE&I Social Media Campaign
  • Merrimack College Athletics partnered with the Athletics Diversity Committee as well as the Office of Student Involvement to participate in the NCAA’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion Social Media campaign 
  • Dates: October 27-29
  • “My Story Matters” - The first day of the social media campaign centered around the theme of exploring student-athletes’ identities, perspectives and experiences. The Athletics Diversity Committee created a video that echoed these sentiments, exploring the unity of our department by getting collaboration from members of all 24 varsity programs on campus. The full video is available by clicking the “My Story Matters” link.
  • “I’ve Got Your Back” - The second day of the social media campaign focused on showcasing student-athletes supporting each other to foster inclusive environments. The Merrimack Athletics Department used this opportunity to showcase the Athletics Diversity Committee, which was formed in the summer of 2020 to advocate for inclusivity on Merrimack’s campus. The ADC profile is available by clicking the “I’ve Got Your Back” Link, and additional photography is available below:
  • “Together We Rise” - The final day of the three-day social media campaign outlined personal action steps to inclusive excellence, and celebrated collaboration across the campus community. On the Merrimack Athletics Department official Instagram account, we showcased all the various affinity groups that operate out of the Office of Student Involvement to spread awareness on all the initiatives being celebrated on our campus. The social media coverage is available by clicking the “Together We Rise” link.
 
Collaboration with Northeast Conference Initiatives:
Merrimack College has collaborated with the Northeast Conference to participate in its various Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives during the 2020-21 academic year:  
DE&I Ambassadors Program
Date - October 16, 2020
 
Robin Muller, Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and Administration was selected to serve as a DEI ambassador for 2020-2021. The roles and responsibilities associated with this position include but are not limited to:
 
  • To actively participate in and help promote DEI initiatives in your unit/department and across campus 
  • To serve as DEI representative on hiring committees
  • To provide regular feedback to the Special Assistant
  • To be a resource for Student-Athletes and Athletic Department Staff regarding DEI initiatives.
 
Advisory Council for Merrimack's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiative
Invitation Extended to Diane Metcalf, Deputy Director of Athletics - October 2020
Responsibilities of the Advisory Council members include:
  • To help develop and implement Merrimack’s DE&I strategic plan
  • To offer regular feedback and advise the Special Assistant to the President for DE&I
  • To actively participate in and help promote DE&I initiatives across campus
  • To provide regular feedback to the Special Assistant and others involved with DEI initiatives
The Advisory Council will meet as a group twice a semester, though the Special Assistant may reach out occasionally to individual members to solicit advice and support.  
 
NEC (Northeast Conference) DE&I Training Session 
Foundational DE&I Training Session with Jen Fry - February 1, 2021 
JenFryTalks is a social justice education firm that uses conversation to educate and empower those within athletics through an anti-racist lens on issues of race, inclusion, intersectionality, diversity, and equity. Merrimack attendees:  Jeremy Gibson, Diane Metcalf, Robin Muller, Tiana Maylor, Mark Connolly (head coach men’s/women’s track and field), Kelly Morrone (women’s basketball) and Conrad Whyte (men’s soccer)
 
Title IX Advisor Training
Date - February 1, 2 & 5, 2021
 
Robin Muller, Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and Administration and Tiana Maylor, Student-Athlete Welfare & Compliance Specialist, participated in a 3-day program focused on training to advise in cases of Title IX Sexual Harassment and/or Sexual Assualt. 
The advisor training was broken up into three parts:
 
  1. Laws and Institutional Policy
  2. Personal Management
  3. Role of Advisors
 
The training was presented by Elizabeth H. Canning, Esq. and delved into the roles and responsibilities of an Advisor in a Title IX case.
 
Diversity Awareness Badge (Focused on Track & Field Program)
Dates:  February 2021
Facilitated by the Office of Student Involvement’s Multicultural Initiatives, this training was a four-day journey into concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Workshops set participants up for success through active listening, self-exploration and awareness, and stepping outside their own cultural comfort zone. Peer groups work together to share their stories, tackle tough conversations, and hold space to celebrate differences through openness and education. See more detailed information about each workshop below.
  • Day 1, 4-6 PM : Workshop 1 (Building a Foundation) - This workshop discusses the building blocks of dialogue and active listening, followed by an exploration of social identity (our own and others’) and intersectionality.
  • Day 2, 4-6 PM : Workshop 2 (Socialization) - This workshop tackles the cycle of socialization, as we walk through the concepts of stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, implicit bias, and microaggressions.
  • Day 3, 10AM-1PM : Workshop 3 & 4 (Power, Privilege, Allyship) - During our last workshop day, we discuss the concepts of power, privilege, and oppression, and how these concepts intertwine to place some people at a systemic advantage or disadvantage. We wrap up by examining how to take action for change through allyship, advocacy, and activism. Participants are then assigned a small group project; We ask everyone to think of an issue within their community, and how they may take action to implement a solution. Within this 8-12 minute presentation, participants tie together all of the concepts we have learned throughout the workshops and apply them to a real-world situation.
  • Day 4, 4-6PM : Presentations - Each group presents their project (which may include a slideshow, activity, or handouts) to the rest of the group. Other participants have the opportunity to ask questions and participate in a discussion on each topic.
 
Total Hours (Remote): 9 hours
Track and Field Student-Athletes - Cohort 1 Attendance:
  • Day 1: 57
  • Day 2: 51
  • Day 3: 28
  • Day 4: 46
  • Badge Recipients: 25 (attended all workshops)
 
Women’s History Month Speaker:  Overcoming Adversity: A Conversation with Noelle Lambert, U.S. Paralympic Athlete
April 15, 2021 (date could not be scheduled in March as originally planned)
Webinar was open to all student-athletes, coaches as well as Merrimack students, alumni and staff.  Head Women’s Lacrosse Coach, Ashley Durepo, conducted the interview with Noelle
 
Hear the inspiring story of Noelle Lambert, former Division 1 women’s lacrosse athlete at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and founder of The Born to Run Foundation. From losing her leg, to learning to run again, and now aiming for the Tokyo Paralympics, Noelle will discuss how she became comfortable with the uncomfortable while building self-confidence in her own way. 
 
Sponsored by the Office of Student Involvement, Merrimack College Athletics & the O’Brien Center for Career Development.
 
 
Skip Ad
Skip Sponsors