Wells Welcomes Guest Speaker To Celebrate NCAA Division III Week
AURORA,
N.Y. – As part of Scholarship and Engagement Day at
Wells College in early April, the Wells College Department of
Athletics welcomed Nancy Boutilier to Aurora to
speak about issues of inclusivity and equity in college athletics.
Boutilier’s presence at Wells coincided with NCAA Division
III week, a national celebration of the accomplishments of
student-athletes. The week-long celebration, held nationwide from
Apr. 9-Apr. 15, helped to showcase the Division III philosophy,
which equally values academics, athletics and student-athlete
involvement in co-curricular and extracurricular activities.
“Inclusion is a major focus of all Division III schools, but
specifically is a major focus here at Wells,” explained
Director of Athletics Michael Borsz. “Over
35% of the student population at Wells are members of sports teams.
We must be inclusive and integrated into the campus culture in
order to operate and thrive.”
In front of a large gathering of student-athletes across all of
Wells’ 15 NCAA Division III varsity sports, Boutilier spoke
about the value of “playing well with others” and what
diversity, inclusion and equity means to college athletic programs
and their athletes today. Within the sports arena, Boutilier
argued, is where student-athletes as part of a larger collegiate
atmosphere should carry out their role as agents of inclusion.
Boutilier’s presentation was designed to spark critical
thinking about how student-athletes at Wells can help bridge the
divide between the various fields of study and the various athletic
fields. As a collective, Boutilier encouraged student-athletes to
challenge the stereotypes of student-athletes and support diversity
amongst their teams with the ultimate goal of strengthening their
unity and sense of mission to the college.
Having served as a student-athlete at Harvard University, as well
as a writer, coach and athletic director, Boutilier has been
addressing issues of equity and inclusion in sports for over 30
years. She has conducted trainings for coaches and athletes on
inclusion and presented at national conferences. Boutilier has made
a career balancing sports and academics in her life by combining
her classroom teaching with coaching at both the high school and
college levels. She is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of
Rhetoric and Composition at Oberlin College.
Alongside Boutilier’s lecture, the Wells College Dining Hall
hosted a well-attended student-athlete appreciation cookout on
Saturday, Apr. 6 that coincided with not only the men’s and
women’s soccer alumni games, but also several varsity
contests including softball and men’s lacrosse games.
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