When student-athletes arrive on campus, they arrive to a support system consisting of their teammates and coaches. When international students arrive, they have to work to create their own support system.
Wichita State’s Athletic Director Kevin Saal is looking to create a new “team” within the athletics department: the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team.
He said the mission of creating this “team” is simple.
“It is to impact human hearts and educate on the value and power of diversity not only in athletics but just in life,” Saal said.
The DEI “team” would not only include student-athletes but students as well.
“This group isn’t here to serve athletics, athletics is here to serve this group and to create another connection point, another network for our students to be a part of something that they might be passionate about,” Saal said.
The process of creating the “team” is in its beginning stages. The athletic department introduced the idea to Student Government Association on Aug. 19. The two are working closely to figure out the logistics.
“I think there’s an opportunity here for us to develop something special that creates strong connections for students in a space that may not have existed before,” Saal said.
