Feb. 1, 2009

"The time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness."
~Taken from President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address - January 20, 2009~

These words were spoken at a critical juncture in the history of our great country as President Barack Obama was inducted into office.  The significance of the moment was not lost on anyone involved, as for the first time in history an African-American individual was elected to have arguably the most influential voice in the free world. The Big Ten Conference has long been at the forefront in the fight for equality and respect for diversity.  With the creation of the Advisory Commission in 1972, the Big Ten provided the platform for African-American student-athletes to promote the same climate of change that is driving our nation today.

The Special Advisory Commission, as it was formerly called, was created under the leadership of former Commissioner Wayne Duke as a direct result of reports that described the racial unrest and academic shortcomings that surrounded African-American student-athletes at the time.  The group, comprised of former African-American student-athletes, was charged with identifying the injustices of their peers on campus and working with the faculty and administrators in the conference to find plausible solutions.

As John Behee of Tri-State College noted in an essay entitled Race Militancy and Affirmative Action in the Big Ten Conference, "Until 1972 there was no collective, coordinated effort by a major athletic conference in the United States to identify common grievances of their minority athletes and move to resolve them.  Each university was expected to handle its own problems."

Although much has changed since the initial meeting in the spring of 1972, the topic of race and diversity is still one of the top priorities for those in the field of intercollegiate athletics.  As the NCAA and Big Ten Conference continue to promote diversity and inclusion initiatives as part of its core values, the Advisory Commission continues to adapt as well.  Carol Iwaoka, the Associate Commissioner for Governance at the Big Ten who has worked with this group for several years, has seen the change firsthand.

"When the Advisory Commission first started, the topic of diversity usually always referred to race," commented Iwaoka.  "In today's world of sports, however, diversity means so much more when you take into account factors like sexual orientation, for example.  That level of diversity allows this group to address a wide-range of issues."

The current Advisory Commission has identified three main focus topics that it would like to address. As recently as its last meeting in August of 2008 meeting, the commission had the chance to review and discuss strategies and approaches to address those topics.  These issues include mental health, campus/city police relations and female student-athlete financial aid, all of which continue to remain as priorities to examine for the group.  Over the past several months, the members of the Advisory Commission have also taken part in their annual campus visits to gain a level of insight into current institutional practices and issues.  During these visits, members are expected to touch base with the Diversity Intern at each of the Big Ten schools, and are also responsible for administering a survey that is intended to address prevalent issues and concerns that African-American student-athletes are facing. 

Robert Vowels, once an Associate Commissioner with the Big Ten and now the Vice President of Educational Affairs at the NCAA, spent an extended period of time working with the Advisory Commission.  As he says, the group has had an important role in the history of the conference.

"We discussed some tough issues; they had a voice and the member schools listened attentively during conference meetings," remarked Vowels.  "When any advisory group is formed, it starts at the top and [Commissioner] Delany was instrumental in continuing the Advisory Commission because he feels that addressing minority and women issues is important. He understands that diversity and inclusion has always been an important part of the Big Ten Conference, society and a major part of intercollegiate athletics."

One of the interesting dynamics that the Advisory Commission has recently been able to take advantage of is the relationship it has with the Big Ten Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).  In the spring of 2007, these two groups met with an opportunity not only to bridge the gap between current and former student-athletes, but also to expand on the level of discussion between the two groups.  The main issue that was discussed at the meeting was the use of text messaging in the recruiting process - an issue that for obvious reasons, the former student-athletes did not have much experience with during their recruiting experience.  The fruitful discussion that ensued, however, paved the way for both groups to agree that the meetings could be productive for all involved.  As such, the two groups will meet every other spring, with the next meeting occurring in April of 2008.

The Big Ten has always prided itself on being the academic and athletic bellwether for conferences across the country.  The creation of the Advisory Commission was one of the moments that gave credence to that statement, and according to Vowels, the Advisory Commission has left an indelible mark on one of the nation's premier conferences.

"The significance of the group for me remains their voice as it relates to the conference's overall mission," he said.  "In order to bring about change, various issues need to be discussed although change may not be the immediate result. The Big Ten Conference was a pioneer in providing intercollegiate athletic opportunities to minority student-athletes when those opportunities were limited because of segregation."

Current members of the group are: Eric Rouse, Illinois; Greg Graham, Indiana; Robert L. Smith, Iowa; Joyce Wilson, Michigan; Herb Washington, Michigan State (chair until 2010); Omar Douglas, Minnesota; Hugh Williams, Northwestern; Karen Alsbrooks, Ohio State; Bruce Ellis, Penn State; Ralph Taylor, Purdue; Von Mansfield, Wisconsin.