Community and Belonging - North Central College Athletics

Inclusion Team: The Inclusion Team (IT), led by assistant athletic director Brian Johnson, is a group made up of athletic-minded staff members and student-athletes that serves as the foundation of the Cardinals' athletics community and belonging initiative at North Central College. Three branches make up IT: Critical Conversations, UBelong, and Community Engagement. Critical Conversations:  Critical Conversations are events held by members of IT, student-athletes, or outside speakers selected by IT that discuss topics on community and belonging, the student-athlete experience, identity, and more.  UBelong: UBelong is a social media initiative from the student-athlete perspective on experiences that they have had on campus to feel a sense of belonging. To view our UBelong videos, click HERE and look at our past Instagram Reels. Community Engagement: IT is an athletics initiative that wants to be present across the entire community. IT Members: Brian Johnson '95/M '15 - Assistant Athletic Director / former NCAA DIII men's track & field athlete at North Central College Jim Miller '86 - Senior Director of Athletics / former NCAA DIII football and men's wrestling athlete at North Central College Brittany James '10/M '15 - Assistant Athletic Director for Health Care; Director of Sports Medicine / former NCAA DIII women's basketball player at North Central College Kalus Murphy - Safeties Coach - football / former NCAA DIII football player at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Victoria Cazares - Athletics Administration Graduate Assistant Mallory Jones - Counselor for Mental Health and Student Belonging, Athletic Liaison / former NCAA DIII women's volleyball player at Dominican (Ill.) University Nicholas Osterloo '19/M'21 - Director of Athletics Communication RISE RISE is a national nonprofit organization that educates and empowers the sports community to eliminate racial discrimination, champion social justice and improve race relations. North Central Athletics and RISE began their partnership in 2023.

Annual Observations and Celebrations:

• Hispanic and LatinX Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15)
• Native American Heritage Month (November)
• National Girls & Women in Sports Day (February 1st)
• Black History Month (February)
• Women's History Month (March)
• Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month (April)
• Pride Month (June)
• Juneteenth (June 19)