By Dr. Stephanie Dohrn

Stephanie Dohrn, PhD, is a freelance writer and researcher based in Chicago. She is a former Class Dean at Columbia University and Student-Athlete Counselor at Iowa State University.

Over the past year, there has been much discussion about the role of Senior Women Administrators (SWAs) at NCAA institutions. Schools have struggled with the best way to legally define the position: Is it a title or a role? There has been a call for an educational campaign to clarify the job's responsibilities. And an NCAA Division I legislative proposal adopted in December gives SWAs the right to vote on rules changes at schools with female athletic directors.

But what has created the most buzz is a study by Bonnie Tiell, Assistant Professor and former SWA at Tiffin University, which found that athletic directors and SWAs often have different perceptions of the SWA's role. While the vast majority of athletic directors in Tiell's study agreed that the SWA is a part of senior management, SWAs surveyed felt differently. They believed they had less power in the athletic department hierarchy than their athletic directors thought they did.

Tiell's study indicates that most athletic directors understand that their SWA should be a decision-maker. The sticking point seems to be in making that happen.

For my recently completed PhD dissertation, I spoke with SWAs and athletic directors (who will remain anonymous) on how to help the SWA fulfill her role. For this article, I present their advice and insight, which provides valuable information for athletic directors about how to better utilize their SWA, enabling her to be a more effective member of the athletic department staff.

POSITION WITH A MISSION
The SWA position was designed to get women into boardrooms with the idea that, if given the right information and power, they could strengthen athletics at the institutional, conference, and national levels. How can an effective SWA strengthen your individual athletic program?

First, she can be an expert on Title IX issues. No athletic department is immune to Title IX complaints, so it's important to have a plan for handling them and more importantly, for preventing them. An SWA who understands the overall strategies of the department can be very effective at solving the gender-equity issues of coaches and athletes. She can also help recognize potential Title IX problems before they arise.

Another benefit of a strong SWA is that she can supplement your thought processes and offer a different perspective on all sorts of issues. Diversity equals strength. If half of your constituents are female student-athletes, it makes sense to have a female's input in the decision-making process. The two of you may not always agree, but as the athletic director, your decisions will be better if you consider her point of view.

The SWA can ease your workload to give you more time to manage the department and fundraise. If the SWA is informed on all department issues, she can handle problems and step in whenever needed. As one SWA said, "I can make decisions on anything, at any time, about anything. That's because my athletic director has exposed me to all the business. I have access to all the business, and I'm in meetings about all the business."

In addition to her role on campus, the SWA is a voting member for the institution at the conference and national levels. Therefore, her input into decisions, mastery of the issues, and understanding of what is best for the department are essential. One SWA commented: "If you are required to hire someone who is going to be a decision-maker and who is one of the few voting members on your campus--at the NCAA convention or within the conference--she had better know what is going on. But I think we have very few situations where athletic directors are actually cultivating SWAs to do this."

THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT
The most productive AD-SWA partnerships begin with the right philosophy and the right environment. To start, the athletic director must support Title IX and understand the benefits of gender equity in athletics. He or she must also demonstrate that women's issues are departmental concerns and not just details for the SWA to worry about.

Simple things like being present at women's athletic competitions can go a long way toward creating the right environment. The department needs to see that the athletic director does not promote Title IX just because of the fear of being punished for non-compliance.

A key point of frustration for an SWA can be the lip service given to gender equity by an athletic director or university president. Even if an athletic director publicly says gender equity is important, if he or she doesn't back up those statements with action, it can send the wrong signals to the SWA and others in the department.

Athletic directors also need to understand that without their support, the SWA is put in a no-win situation with gender equity issues. If she fights for gender equity, she can be seen as not being a team player. But if she does not say anything, she is not fulfilling her responsibilities and feels like she is "selling out." She will struggle with this balance if she cannot voice her concerns.

PART OF THE TEAM
It is critical for the SWA to be included in upper-level management decisions. She should be high up in the administrative structure and have oversight responsibilities. She should have the title of senior or associate athletic director. She should be included in strategic planning, and be directly responsible for certain areas of the department. And she should make decisions that directly affect coaches and staff. If these things do not happen, the SWA and the rest of the staff will quickly understand that she has no real power.

The SWA should not be utilized solely on "women's issues," because almost all decisions the department makes will affect women. Rather, she should be seen as a member of senior leadership who has the charge of bringing female athletics issues to the table in addition to her day-to-day responsibilities.

Budgeting is one critical area of involvement. If she helps to create the budget, she will take ownership of it and provide her input throughout the process. Because she understands where the money goes and why, she can head off complaints. On the other hand, if the SWA is not involved in the budget, she cannot be an effective advocate for women's interests. Plus, her inability to defend or help explain inequities may create further marginalization and division in the department.

One SWA explained it this way: "It's important for the SWA to have access to all parts of the budget and know where every single dollar in the department goes. I helped build the budget, and when you do that, it vastly changes how you function in your job. Ninety-nine percent of people think, 'Oh they have money, they just don't want to spend it on our sport. We aren't important enough.' Since I'm part of the budgeting process, I can explain to the people in the sports I manage, 'The money's not there--it is not about not wanting to give it to your sport.'"

Some also suggest that the SWA always oversee athletic teams so it is clear she is a decision-maker. As one athletic director said, "The SWA really needs to oversee varsity sports and be in more of an associate role to the athletic director so she can be very hands-on in the day-to-day operations of the program."

And she definitely needs to be included in any strategic or decision-making meetings. By understanding the big picture and the direction in which the department is headed, she is better equipped to address concerns and find ways to work out specific departmental issues.

Making the SWA part of your trusted team will significantly decrease the amount of tension that can emerge within your department. But in order for this to happen, she needs to have input into why decisions are made and how resources are allocated.

MENTORING IS A MUST
Making the SWA part of your team means mentoring her effectively. This is especially true if your current SWA is being under-utilized, if she is a coach with limited administrative experience, or if she was simply appointed as the SWA because she is the only woman in the department. You need to provide her with opportunities for growth at the departmental, campus, and national levels.

At the departmental level, give her work that is outside her area of expertise. Cross-training can come in a variety of forms, including sport oversight, working with game-day operations, and involvement in budget and planning meetings.

Get her to the table, let her see how things work, and make sure she knows who does what. For example, many universities have football game-day operations meetings. Give her a role and let her be involved in the many facets of what goes on behind the scenes.

Another way to expose your SWA to the department's inner workings is to get her involved in donor relations. If she is a former coach, she should have a natural ability to communicate. She can connect with people who have a considerable amount of influence, which will benefit both her and the department.

It is also important for her to gain experience at the campus level. Your SWA should reach out to key campus administrators to develop contacts for the department and help solve whatever issues may arise. In addition, your SWA should form a positive working relationship with the faculty athletics representative. The FAR can help mentor and connect her with other important people on campus.

Another way to mentor your SWA on the campus level is through committee work. Countless university committees welcome and need representation from athletics. This type of involvement will help educate your SWA and create unity and teamwork within the university.

If your campus has the opportunity to host a championship event, give her a primary role in running it. Working with regional representatives, the NCAA, coaches, and the myriad of workers and campus volunteers is certain to be a tremendous experience.

The SWA should be involved in national committees such as the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators (NACWAA), which sponsors annual conventions. The association also sponsors training sessions that offer extremely valuable learning experiences.

Depending on her primary responsibilities, you can encourage your SWA to become a member of the national organization in her specific area of interest. You can also nominate her to an NCAA committee as openings become available.

According to one athletic director, "I would encourage an SWA to be great at something. It's important to get different experiences, but if she can be the best at something--be the president of the compliance association, or on the board of an important committee--she can start to make a name for herself, and that is really what you have to do."

Along with mentoring your SWA by providing meaningful experiences, remember that the most important mentoring happens in her work with you. Do you communicate with her on a regular basis? Do you get her perspective on important decisions? Do you involve her in the daily workings of the department so she knows what is happening and why? Do staff members know that her opinions are valuable and utilized?

To make your SWA the best she can be, give her your time, your wisdom, and your ears. Make sure everyone knows you respect her opinions and trust her judgement. Your athletic department will reap many benefits in the long run.

Sidebar: A Dynamic Duo
At Bowling Green State University, Athletic Director Paul Krebs has worked hard to develop teamwork between himself and SWA Janna Blais, who is the department's Associate Athletic Director. In the following Q&A, Krebs and Blais tell how they make their relationship work.

AM: What makes a good AD-SWA team?
BLAIS: Mutual trust and respect. The relationship I've developed with Paul is based on knowing that he actually wants my opinion, and he's not just asking for it because he thinks he has to. When Paul assigns me to take charge of a committee or put together a gender equity plan, it's because he really cares about my opinion. That's one of the things that makes me work so hard.

As Athletic Director, how do you establish that trust?
KREBS: The best place to begin is the hiring process. Hire someone who shares your philosophy. Then, involve that person in critical decisions that affect all your athletes. Janna has eight sports that report to her, including two men's programs: ice hockey and soccer. She's taken the lead in a number of our hirings for administrative and coaching positions. She's been front and center in some very tough decisions about eliminating programs. And she's taken responsibility on student-athlete welfare. Janna is an outstanding administrator, particularly in her ability to work with all kinds of personalities, and she's been involved in every important issue this department has faced.

Why is it important for an SWA to take responsibility for men's teams?
BLAIS: Male athletes need to see a female role model and understand that I'm not only here to handle women's issues. My first day on the job, I was told that I was hired to make a difference in the whole department, and that's what I'm trying to do.

How do the two of you handle disagreements?
KREBS: Janna and I don't always think the same way, but we tend to arrive at the same conclusions. So while there are some disagreements, they're more about the process than they are about the results.

BLAIS: Paul has an open door policy, so I don't have a problem going into his office and saying what I'm thinking. The key is that if we do disagree, I don't just say, 'I don't like how you're doing this.' I think the issue through, examine the other side, and propose a solution.

KREBS: I'll give you an example: I was struggling with an issue about student-athlete welfare, and Janna was convinced about the right course of action. She talked about it very articulately, based on our department's core values and the university's mission, and helped me arrive at the same conclusion.

As Senior Woman Administrator, how do you challenge people without making them feel threatened?
BLAIS: I try to listen to people as much as possible and answer their questions as clearly as I can. I don't tell coaches what to do. I try to come across as someone trying to help them make their programs better. If I'm going to have a conversation that will be particularly difficult, I rehearse beforehand and think about what I'm going to say. If I'm upset about something and a coach happens to walk by, I save my comments until later, when I'll have more control over the situation.

How do you keep Janna in the loop on upper level decisions?
KREBS: We have a senior staff meeting once a week, and after that, Janna and I meet to talk specifically about team, coaching, and sport-related issues. Our offices are right next to each other, and we share an administrative assistant. We're conversing daily, if not hourly, about important issues. And more often than not, she's the one keeping me in the loop.

In the years you've worked together, Bowling Green has had two student-athlete deaths, and has cut four athletic programs. How have these crises affected your relationship?
KREBS: There's a great deal of trust and respect that comes from everything we've been through. We've had teams win championships, we've had some outstanding coaches, and we've had student-athletes do some wonderful things. All the experiences, both positive and negative, and all the decisions we've made have reaffirmed our philosophies and our personal values. It feels like we're teammates.

What's the next step in building this relationship?
BLAIS: I have a very young family, with one child at home and another on the way. So I feel very lucky that I've found a family-friendly Division I institution where I can actually be a high level administrator and a working mom. Although I think I can one day be an athletics director, in the next few years I'd like to continue to find ways to grow in my current job. Right now I'm a member of the NCAA Division I Softball Committee, and however time-consuming that is, it's been a really wonderful experience. But the only reason I can gain that experience is because I have a boss who understands I have to be away from the office in order to handle those responsibilities.

KREBS: In the short term, my role is to recognize that her family is her most important priority. But in the longer term, Janna will continue to serve in critical roles, continue to take national leadership, and continue to grow as a professional. She and I have talked about her interest in development, and we're trying to get her some opportunities to become involved in fundraising. She's ready to be an athletic director, and I'm committed to making her feel as prepared as she could possibly be. That's really how I see my biggest role right now: helping her get to that position.

Sidebar: ADVICE FOR SWAs?
While it is primarily the athletic director's responsibility to establish a good working relationship with his or her SWA, it is the SWA's responsibility to make the most of her role. Here are some tips for today's SWA:

Understand your role: In essence, the SWA is like an assistant coach to the athletic director, and it is the assistant's responsibility to make the athletic director be the smartest person. Know that everything you do and say reflects on the mission of the athletic department. You will become a more effective change agent if you've established that partnership.

Communicate well: Once your athletic director understands that you want what is best for the athletic program as a whole, it helps create a leadership structure that is more diverse and open to the needs of all student-athletes. Issues that were once gender-equity concerns can now become concerns for all student-athletes.

When it comes to Title IX, remember that your side is threatening the status quo. With that threat comes a huge amount of emotional baggage from those wishing to protect their current position. Don't compromise your position, but know that you must be prepared to defend your point of view.

Be aware of your tone and tact because people do not like to be spoken to in a threatening manner or be put on the defensive. That tactic won't allow them or the people around them to speak and voice good ideas for change.

In talking about gender equity, always speak in terms of the whole department and make it clear you understand both sides of every argument. The goal is to get accomplished what is equitable for all student-athletes.

Find creative ways to get your ideas across. Leave your ego at the door and lead others to come up with answers--even if you knew the solution before the discussion started. It is the end result that is important, not the person who first came up with the idea.

Be indispensable: Demonstrating that you are capable of helping manage the department creates a successful relationship between yourself and the athletic director. Show what you can do to help with the daily activities of the department and prove that you can be trusted with important tasks.

Once you gain a wealth of knowledge and demonstrate competence, you will make yourself extremely valuable. This gives credibility to what you stand for and what you see as important.-- S.D.