Lincoln University Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing and Communications Jayson Ameer Rasheed has been announced as part of the College Sports Communicators Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship program Class of 2022-23.

Rasheed is one of 18 members slated to study issues surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion in athletics communications and within college athletics overall.

The program begins this month and culminates at the association's 2023 convention in Orlando, where the fellows will plan and execute diversity programming for the entire membership. The selection process was based on ethnicity, gender, age/experience, divisional representation, HBCU representation and senior-level administrative representation.

"The CSC Diversity and Inclusion Fellowship class in conjunction with the Knight Commission is one of the very best pieces of programming our organization has done," College Sports Communicators President Jessica Poole said. "As an organization we have been focused on enhancing our profession from a diversity, equity and inclusion standpoint while also cultivating allies and this program has helped us make great strides on that front. This year's Fellowship Class represents leaders in our industry who are committed to enhancing our profession and I look forward to their growth and leadership in these areas."

Sessions will center on leadership, mentorship, diversity and inclusion in the workplace and focus on insights into how athletics communicators can be change agents to bring attention to diversity issues. The program faculty will include highly regarded thought leaders from within college athletics and outside the industry. The program is administered by members of College Sports Communicators' Racial and Social Justice Initiative.

"Our strong relationship with the Knight Commission has enabled us to offer impactful programming for our members, allowing them to critically consider how diversity, equity and inclusion relates to their work on behalf of student-athletes, their hiring practices within the department and the future of the profession," College Sports Communicators Executive Director Erik Christianson said. "It's our intention to keep this initiative going strong so as many of our members as possible can benefit from being part of the fellowship."

Introduced in early 2022, the Fellowship is a year-long educational series for select members of College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA) designed to provide insights into diversity and inclusion issues, values and opportunities for communication professionals in college sports. The program is a partnership between CSC and the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics and encourages a greater understanding of how those in athletics communications offices at all levels become effective champions for diversity and inclusion in college athletics.

"We are pleased to sponsor this important initiative," said Amy Privette Perko, CEO of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics. "CSC's Fellowship program will help achieve the goals the Knight Commission advanced in its "Achieving Racial Equity in College Sports" report. In addition to diversifying the CSC membership, it is important to remember that these members play an important role in telling the story of college athletics. The Fellowship will equip future leaders with the ability to ensure the story is reflective of the diversity within college athletics. We appreciate this synergy and commend College Sports Communicators for their leadership."