Equity and Discrimination in NCAA athletic Departments: Perceptions of Senior Women Administrators

Abstract

Perceptions of Senior Woman Administrators (SWAs) were sought regarding areas of equity and discrimination in NCAA Athletic Departments. A five point agree/disagree Likert-scale survey was electronically mailed to all NCAA Senior Woman Administrators (SWAs) throughout the United States. Of the 841 surveys mailed, 406 were returned for a 48.3% return rate. To determine differences in the distribution of Likert-scale questions by demographic variable the Kruskal-Wallis rank test was used at a 0.05 nominal significance level. Significant differences with regards to Likert-scale items of agreement/disagreement were found between the following SWA demographics: marital status, reporting structure, and highest level of education completed. Significant differences between demographic variables were noted for eight of the twelve areas of equity and discrimination. Overall, the top three discrimination factors were: family responsibilities disadvantage women more than men, women are paid less than men for comparable positions, and it is more difficult for women to advance than men.