Faculty Diversity, Accreditation, and Sport Management

The lack of racial and gender diversity of faculty within sport management programs has been an area of concern for years. This is an exploratory longitudinal study that compared sport management faculty diversity over the course of five-years to investigate and understand how racial and gender diversity within Commission on Sport Management Accreditation (COSMA) accredited sport management programs has evolved over the years. A content analysis based on the Racial and Gender Report Card (RGRC) created by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) was used to determine faculty diversity amongst COSMA accredited sport management programs. Results indicated the sport management discipline still needs to be proactive in recruiting and retaining women faculty members, as well as expanding to make programs more racially diverse when it comes to Black and Latino/a/x faculty. The implications of this study highlight how accrediting bodies such as COSMA, have the potential to play a key role in keeping sport management programs accountable for diversity initiatives through the self-study process. The Racial and Gender Report Card (RGRC) created by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) was used to determine faculty diversity amongst COSMA accredited sport management programs. Results indicated sport management discipline still needs to be proactive in recruiting women faculty members, as well as expanding to make programs more racially diverse. The implications of this study highlight how accrediting bodies such as COSMA, have the potential to play a key role in keeping sport management programs accountable for diversity initiatives through the self-study process.