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Note: This story appeared in the Fall 2019 November edition of CoSIDA 360 Magazine. To view the full magazine, click here.
Advocating for You
by Doug Vance – CoSIDA Executive Director
Advocacy can be defined as “public support for or recommendation of a particular cause or policy.” It is a political process by an individual or group which aims to influence decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions.
- Wikipedia
On the surface of its definition, advocacy gives the appearance of a fairly easy-to-understand process.
It’s easier to understand than it is to undertake.
There are essential elements within any effective advocacy pursuit intended to argue for a cause. To be successful, it’s an effort that relies on mobilizing a base of power for the purpose of influencing change, creating awareness and educating the target audience, and, finally direct lobbying of decision makers for your cause.
In a nutshell, those are the needed strategies to achieve success.
Such is the playbook for what leaders of CoSIDA will pursue this year and into the future. Advocacy for our members, our profession and our organization has risen to the top of the priority list.
Clearly, this assignment is a prime responsibility for the CoSIDA staff, board of directors and the new Advocacy Committee. We hope it’s a responsibility everyone who’s a member will also embrace. See “mobilizing a base of power” to understand why.
CoSIDA has its share of strong proponents or champions for causes that afflict our work life. They don’t hesitate to post opinions on social media, seek staff opinions in correcting problems and are comfortable confronting work office issues on their campuses.
Conversely, we have a base within our membership who are uncomfortable speaking on their own behalf.
Sometimes, being a good SID and promoter of others doesn’t always translate into also being an advocate for our own interests. That’s not always what we’ve been trained to do.
One of our responsibilities as an organization is educating the uncomfortable by arming them with the understanding, resources and confidence to stand up for their own behalf. Educating our members on effective advocacy actions is a must for CoSIDA.
Our advocacy prowess as a national crusader can be powerful as we have that national platform to raise awareness. However, our reach has its limits. That’s why educating and empowering our members to be stronger advocates at home is a priority strategy if we are going to move the needle and effect change on any issue.
CoSIDA must be that voice across the landscape of college athletics that elevates the profession and enhances the value of our many contributions. But, all schools have different issues that drive reasons for support and funding.
When an athletic director reviews that department budget pie and determines what percentage of dollars to allocate to each department, it needs to be the SID who makes the case for his or her department needs. That’s where our members can effect needed change.
The blueprint for success revolves around a national campaign by CoSIDA reinforced by a local game plan for each member.
It’s clear that the CoSIDA board and staff have embraced advocacy as a core priority. And the initial step in establishing that priority was the creation of an Advocacy Committee to serve as a catalyst in bringing structure in enhancing how the organization approaches advocacy.
The committee, chaired by CoSIDA past president Shelly Poe of Auburn, was carefully constructed to ensure that it brought an aggregate of voices to the table to represent all factions of CoSIDA membership. The committee is taking its responsibility seriously.
In launching its efforts, the committee is identifying former SIDs who are now influential change agents in the role of athletic directors or high level administrators and potentially enlist their involvement in our advocacy pursuits. In addition, the committee wants to prioritize the most important issues in the profession and determine strategies to effect change.
The committee will also focus on professional development opportunities in the advocacy realm.
The answer in addressing concerns that bubbles up in the profession can vary. Sometimes it requires a loud voice and other times the answer is more of a cautious one.
Recently, the CoSIDA Board and staff was approached by an NCAA working group seeking a formal response to a series of questions on behalf of our membership pertaining to federal and state legislations related to student-athlete name, image and likeness.
The fact that CoSIDA was brought to the table and offered a voice in this discussion speaks to the level of respect we’ve achieved. Yet, the request required a quick turn-around for answers and as a board and staff we weighed our responsibility to give opinions that represented a consensus of our membership.
In addition, we sought legal advice and reached out to other organizations also invited to respond to compare notes on the best approach. Eventually, CoSIDA took the cautious approach and joined several other conferences and national organizations in respectfully declining the invitation to give an opinion.
The responsibility to speak and advocate on behalf of our membership is enormous. But, it’s also one that the board and staff embrace fully.
We are already taking the initial steps in developing comprehensive membership salary survey to help benchmark levels of pay which, in turn, can help our members in negotiating for better wages. A second study will focus on office staffing numbers with a goal of developing helpful data that justifies the need for additional support.
CoSIDA will continue to be represented throughout the year at the NCAA and NAIA national conventions and at NACDA meetings in both the fall and winter. And, of course, the organization will once again be staging its national convention as part of NACDA & Affiliates Convention Week. CoSIDA Membership Recognition Week has evolved into an effective messaging approach in bringing positive attention on our members across the country.
Also from an advocacy perspective, CoSIDA will continue to foster strategic partnerships with national governing bodies, such as the NCAA, NCAA Division II and III, NAIA, NJCAA, U Sports along with NACDA, Women’s Leaders, LEAD1, National Football Foundation, the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, College Football Playoff, bowl games, conferences, national networks, coaching associations, USBWA and FWAA.
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