University of Oklahoma Athletics
ADC Grows Assistantship Program
February 27, 2008 | Athletics
NORMAN, Okla. -- The University of Oklahoma again finds success within its core values – celebrating diversity. The OU Athletics Department established the Athletics Diversity Council in 2003. Its objective is to educate, cultivate and create an inclusive environment were diversity is embraced and respected, enhancing the cultural and social development of our employees leading to a more effective work environment.
The ADC Graduate Assistantship program, one of several initiatives created by the ADC, was implemented to increase the diversity of job candidates in athletics administration. Each year this program selects two participants from a national pool of applicants to pursue their graduate degree while devoting 30 hours per week for four semesters working in the athletics department.
Interested candidates are typically enrolled in the Higher Education, Intercollegiate Athletics Administration Masters degree program. These candidates are selected based on their undergraduate experience, extracurricular activities, prior job experience and their commitment to finding a career in athletics administration. Year one participants complete a four-part rotation throughout various areas of the athletics department. Year two participants select one area of focus for the duration of the program.
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A second-year participant, Reggie Duncan, who completed his undergraduate degree at Washington State, speaks highly of the program.
“This graduate assistantship has allowed me to work in various departments to gain work experience in athletic administration,” he said. “I truly believe this assistantship has prepared me to work in college athletics and I'm thankful for its mission and commitment to increasing diversity and inclusion in college athletics.”
Also in her second year of the program, California native Rachael Slocum was a dual-sport athlete at Southern Methodist University. She spent two years coaching collegiate soccer prior to admittance into the ADC graduate assistant program.
“This program has provided me with an invaluable experience,” she said. “I have had the opportunity to work in marketing, fundraising, compliance and administration, which has given me a greater understanding of how vital it is for various departments to work together to achieve one common goal.”
The program is currently hosting to two first-year participants in Brandon Diles, a former football student-athlete from the University of Tulsa and Ricardo Vasquez, a Texas A&M Sport Management graduate.
Three of the seven participants have graduated. Doug Mauney, currently the Assistant Director of Development in the athletics department at the University of Akron, says the program “provides the knowledge, tools, and experiences necessary to start your career in intercollegiate athletics.”
Kasie Tamayo '07 is working as the Director of First Impressions at the University of Oklahoma and Emily Milberger is the Assistant Women's Golf Coach at the University of Oklahoma.
The program is supervised by Senior Associate Athletics Director, Stephanie Rempe.
“We have had the opportunity to bring in some tremendous students to participate in our program,” she said. “It has developed into a model program for enhancing the applicant pool in intercollegiate athletics. Each candidate is carefully selected from a strong pool of applicants. This is evidenced by the success of the three graduates of the program. Our students have a lot of pride in leaving a legacy for this program and making it better every year.”
The program is currently accepting applications.
