Oakland, CA—November 30, 2009. The Mills College Athletics Department has received a Diversity in Athletics Award in "diversity strategy" from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The annual award is presented by the Laboratory for Diversity in Sports at Texas A&M University, in collaboration with the NCAA.

Mills was among the top 11 award recipients in its category. All 445 NCAA Division III university athletic departments were initially surveyed, with complete data collected from 199 departments in the award process.

In determining awardees, the NCAA examined four main areas: the influence of diversity on each department's processes and outcomes; steps for creating a proactive diversity management strategy; barriers in creating an inclusive work environment and steps taken to overcome them; and steps taken to ensure the diversity-related momentum in the department is maintained.

Departments adhering to a proactive diversity strategy were found to have open lines of communication, flexible work hours, and policies and procedures aimed at capitalizing on individual differences. According to the Laboratory for Diversity in Sports, research has shown that departments with proactive strategies have more favorable diversity-related outcomes. Departments with the top scores for proactive strategies received the top diversity-management scores.

"It's wonderful for Mills to receive this award because it highlights that honoring difference is integral to successful management," said Themy Adachi, Mills Athletic Director. "We have a very diverse, successful student-athlete population. More than half of our student-athletes identify as students of color or multiracial, the rate of retention of student-athletes to non-athletes is approximately 38 percent higher, and the grade point average of student-athletes is consistently higher than non-athletes."

This year, Mills student-athletes qualified for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national championships in cross country and swimming.

Adachi noted, "These successes stem from an inclusive work environment with coaches who are encouraged to understand and honor differences in life experiences so they can bring out the best in our student-athletes. It's not about molding each person to fit into a team system, it's about discovering what makes each person whole, and what makes each one thrive."

In academic year 2009–10, Mills is more diverse than ever. The student body consists of 39 percent undergraduate students of color and 37 percent graduate students of color. One-fourth of all full- and part-time faculty members are people of color.

According to the College's five-year Strategic Plan through 2013, all members of the Mills community will be guided by a shared vision to enhance access for, and retention of an excellent and diverse student body, faculty, and staff.

Social justice and diversity are core to Mills' institutional values. The College supports engagement in thoughtful social change leading to a more just society inclusive of marginalized or underrepresented groups. Mills applies this value in initiatives designed to build a culturally respectful, diverse campus community.

About Mills College
Nestled in the foothills of Oakland, California, Mills College is a nationally renowned, independent liberal arts college offering a dynamic progressive education that fosters leadership, social responsibility, and creativity to approximately 950 undergraduate women and 550 graduate women and men. Since 2000, applications to Mills College have more than doubled. The College is named one of the top colleges in the West by U.S. News & World Report, and ranks as one of the Best 371 Colleges by the Princeton Review. Forbes.com ranked Mills 55th among America's best colleges and named it a "Top Ten: Best of the All-Women's Colleges." Visit us at www.mills.edu.

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