College Sports Information Directors of America

2019 CoSIDA Convention Attendance Grant Recipients and NCAA Inclusion Grant Winners Announced; Partnership Continues with NCAA Division III CoSIDA Student Program

A record 109 CoSIDA members applied for CoSIDA’s 2019 Convention Attendance Grant and 22 of those applicants will be on hand as recipients when the association hosts its annual convention June 9-12 at the Orlando World Center Marriott.

For 11 of the recipients, it will be their first CoSIDA convention. Thirteen have been a CoSIDA member for five years or less. Five recipients have been in the profession 10 years or longer, with the longest-tenured member having belonged to CoSIDA for 19 years.

This year’s class of recipients will be the sixth to participate. Approximately $80,000 has been distributed to 94 CoSIDA members as reimbursement for convention-related costs over the program’s first five years.

The program began in 2014 when 10 recipients were selected and doubled in size for 2015 and 2016 with grants worth $800 apiece. Beginning in 2017, the Board of Directors voted to add two more grants specifically designated for ethnic minorities. That brought the total number of grants given by CoSIDA to 22. The Board also increased the stipend to $1,000.

Three current CoSIDA Board members have utilized the grant. In 2014, first vice president Rob Knox was a recipient while at Coppin State. In 2016, Amie Canfield of Mt. Holyoke was a recipient. Last year, Denise Thompson was a grant winner.

Each grant includes a complimentary convention registration, allowing the grant funds to go toward hotel nights, transportation and per diem. Recipients can also use the funds to register for the SIDEARM Leadership Forum by Learfield IMG College or the CoSIDA U camp.

The selection committee is comprised of CoSIDA officers, staff and members of special interest groups within the association.

As part of receiving a grant, each winner will help CoSIDA’s Convention Operations Committee with on-site duties and provide written reviews of their experience following the convention.

In addition to the CoSIDA grants, six members from the three NCAA divisions will attend the convention as part of the NCAA Inclusion Grant program. In the third year of partnership between CoSIDA and the NCAA’s Leadership Development and Media Coordination and Statistics staffs, the program’s goal is to advocate for diversity within the athletic communications profession. The program includes a visit to the NCAA national office and pairs recipients with a CoSIDA mentor for the upcoming academic year on top of covering registration fees, lodging and transportation.

Through the Division III CoSIDA Student Program, the NCAA Division III governance staff will host six students who are interested in the athletics communications profession during Divisional Day Tuesday, June 11. Selected students will be exposed to the CoSIDA Convention, its members and the athletics communication profession. Grant recipients will attend welcome and debrief meetings and be assigned a mentor. The goal is to build the pipeline in an effort to ultimately diversify the Division III athletics communication landscape.

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