Diversity & Inclusion in Collegiate Esports

AnyKey Workshop 3, held in October 2016, produced a whitepaper on diversity and inclusion in collegiate esports. The workshop was a private day-long session of 10-12 stakeholders focused on action points for local contexts and organizations. The paper draws on themes from the workshop and includes an appendix by Victoria Jackson, Ph.D., of Arizona State University, on Title IX and higher education policy as guiding principles for collegiate esports.

The document states that women have a long history in collegiate esports, noting that the Collegiate Star League was founded by Princeton student and player Mona Zhang and that collegiate women run a sizable portion of TeSPA clubs. It also cites Title IX, the 1972 law, and reports that the number of women participating in traditional collegiate sports has grown 600% in the forty-three years since its passing.

On inclusion practices, the paper recommends supporting a range of ways to participate, from low-risk play days to viewing parties, and recommends co-ed opportunities rather than requiring a single woman on a team. It advises that organizations have a Code of Conduct and strategies to enforce it. The appendix argues that Title IX applies to all programs and activities in educational institutions, including sponsored club activities, and that Title IX does not institute a quota system.