Dr. Monique Carroll has always marched to the beat of her drum—and that has continued into her current role as athletic director of Chicago State University (CSU).
Among other feats, Carroll helped secure CSU’s full membership in the Northeast Conference, launched fundraising efforts to expand Division I athletics, approved a new women’s triathlon program, dramatically increased corporate partnerships, and hired the winningest women’s soccer coach in program history. Also, because of Carroll, CSU will field its first football team ever this fall (and the first Division I squad on Chicago’s South Side), and it will play its first game on Aug. 29 at home against Roosevelt University.
Carroll recently talked with Windy City Times about transforming CSU’s athletic program, queerness, the concept of NILs and more.
Note: This conversation was edited for clarity and length.
Windy City Times: Let’s talk about one of your biggest accomplishments at CSU: helping a football team be established at the school. What led you to actually approve this? Because when it comes to Chicago, even though it’s such a big city, it seems so underrepresented when it comes to college sports.
Dr. Monique Carroll: When I got here nearly four years ago, it was something that my predecessor had explored very briefly—and I [continued that option]. Chicago is a sports city so we had to have this team, right? This city is underrepresented, especially when it comes to football. With this team, we can distinguish ourselves by adding football to our sports portfolio.
WCT: I’m wondering if you could also talk about what you feel proudest of, overall.
Carroll: I feel most proud of the culture that we’ve built within the athletic department, uh. So when I arrived, it was not one that had the metrics that I aligned myself with for success. How are we measuring now and being competitive—I’m most proud of that, across the board.
Every year when I get to sit in front of our board of trustees or even my boss, the president, I have a highlight reel of a team that just got the most wins in program history.
WCT: Regarding athletics, in general, where do you feel that there’s still a long way to go?
Carroll: I would say with the landscape, it’s about understanding who you want to be. Everyone can’t be powerful, like Illinois or Northwestern. But there is a niche for athletics, and so I think that is probably the biggest challenge—figuring out our niche.
WCT: What is it like being in a field that’s so dominated by men?
Carroll: I was fortunate to have good male mentors. And I was able to see women who looked like me who were trying to achieve the things that I wanted to achieve. [As for men], there were people like David Williams, at Vanderbilt [who was the first Black vice chancellor there].
I was able to be on that stage, and so just having relationships like those showed me what the business was—but that also came with its own challenges. [Connected] people gathered at the bar and the golf course; if you’re not included or you don’t get invited there, you’re missing out on promotions, information and more. Earlier in my career, I had to learn how to be true to myself while also making sure I was present and getting invited to those things that matter. Now that I’m in this seat, I want to make sure that other women won’t have the same challenges and struggles that I had.
WCT: And how is it being queer in a male-dominated field?
Carroll: The best advice I got was from a former supervisor who said, “Be yourself. If you want to do your best work and if you really want to make an impact in this business, be you.” That was powerful for me.
I never felt like I had to hide who I was or try to be performative. Early in my career, I was in a fundraising role and so you’re going to dinner with donors. You don’t know people’s beliefs or how they may feel about you—but these are people you have to build a relationship with in order to get something out, which obviously is money.I was really just trying to navigate these relationships.
But I feel that I’ve been able to have an impact just by being myself. There are people who have said, “Seeing you [inspired] me.” While there may be challenges, keep showing up and be yourself in the space—and you can do anything you want to do.
WCT: By the way, I saw in an interview where you said that you admire [Apple co-founder] Steve Jobs, and I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about that. I found that very, very intriguing.
Carroll: So that reference was likely about apparel. I read a lot and came across something regarding decision-making and leaders. Getting dressed shouldn’t be the biggest decision I’m making each day; that should be like clockwork and it should be easy. However, I can’t say I’ve fully adapted [Jobs’ theory] but I try to keep things simple and comfortable. [Note: Jobs was known for consistently wearing black mock turtlenecks, jeans and sneakers.]
WCT: I’m curious about how you feel about NILs [the concept of Name, Image and Likeness, which allows college and high school athletes to profit from their personal brand].
Carroll: I’ve always said even from when I started my career that student-athletes should receive something because we are billion-dollar Industries. But on the flip side, there are a lot of amenities and supporters, especially at an institution like Chicago State. So, in order to pay you, the money has to come from somewhere—and maybe we have to eliminate positions to pay you. I’ve always thought there would be trade-offs, and I don’t think people are opposed to the students getting paid.
I’ll never forget a story from when I was in compliance. Someone put a student-athlete on a flyer for a party because [the organizers] thought more people would come to the event. We were literally investigated because someone put him on a flyer.
Students can capitalize on their social-media following, personality or brand affiliations. I think that part is wonderful because that’s what it’s supposed to be [with NILs].
WCT: What do you think of students who say it’s not fair?
Carroll: I think that the price of being an athlete is not for everyone—and I say that as a former athlete myself. These students practice 20 hours a week; then, depending on their grade-point average, they study another eight hours a week. Then, they’re going to class 15 hours a week so they’re [practically] working a full-time job, and they’re representing their institutions.
You can compare a student-athlete to a student who’s not in athletics and it shows that having a strong athletics program at a university helps the school, overall.
I get that question at least once a year when I sit down with SGA and a new group of student leaders. They ask, “Why should we support athletics?” and I give them that spiel.
WCT: And, as someone who is part of three underrepresented demographics, what does representation mean to you?
Carroll: It’s something that I take pride in, especially as a Black gay woman. I wonder who I have been able to look up to. They may not have had all of the same characteristics as me but there have been those people who showed me—sometimes silently from afar and, other times, very loudly. I’ve dealt with some men and their narratives were about me, personally: “How was I going to be an AD and be a role model with me being gay, and that?” It pissed me off.
But what that really showed me is that people need to see different people and diverse perspectives—different people doing different things represented in different ways in every industry. Because there are not a lot of us in athletics, and there are not a lot of us who are comfortable being on the forefront of athletics.
Dr. Monique Carroll has always marched to the beat of her own drum—and that has continued into her current role as athletic director of Chicago State University (CSU).
Among her many accomplishments, Carroll helped secure CSU’s full membership in the Northeast Conference, launched fundraising efforts to expand Division I athletics, approved a new women’s triathlon program, dramatically increased corporate partnerships, and hired the winningest women’s soccer coach in program history. Also, because of Carroll, CSU will field its first football team this fall (and the first Division I squad on Chicago’s South Side), and it will play its first game on Aug. 29 at home against Roosevelt University.
Carroll recently talked with Windy City Times about transforming CSU’s athletic program, queerness, the concept of NILs and more.
Note: This conversation was edited for clarity and length.
Windy City Times: Let’s talk about one of your biggest accomplishments at CSU: helping a football team be established at the school. What led you to actually approve this? Because when it comes to Chicago, even though it’s such a big city, it seems so underrepresented when it comes to college sports.
Dr. Monique Carroll: When I got here nearly four years ago, it was something that my predecessor had explored very briefly—and I [continued that option]. Chicago is a sports city so we had to have this team, right? This city is underrepresented, especially when it comes to football. With this team, we can distinguish ourselves by adding football to our sports portfolio.
WCT: I’m wondering if you could also talk about what you feel proudest of, overall.
Carroll: I feel most proud of the culture that we’ve built within the athletic department, uh. So when I arrived, it was not one that had the metrics that I aligned myself with for success. How are we measuring now and being competitive—I’m most proud of that, across the board.
Every year when I get to sit in front of our board of trustees or even my boss, the president, I have a highlight reel of a team that just got the most wins in program history.
WCT: Regarding athletics, in general, where do you feel that there’s still a long way to go?
Carroll: I would say with the landscape, it’s about understanding who you want to be. Everyone can’t be powerful, like Illinois or Northwestern. But there is a niche for athletics, and so I think that is probably the biggest challenge—figuring out our niche.
WCT: What is it like being in a field that’s so dominated by men?
Carroll: I was fortunate to have good male mentors. And I was able to see women who looked like me who were trying to achieve the things that I wanted to achieve. [As for men], there were people like David Williams, at Vanderbilt [who was the first Black vice chancellor there].
I was able to be on that stage, and so just having relationships like those showed me what the business was—but that also came with its own challenges. [Connected] people gathered at the bar and the golf course; if you’re not included or you don’t get invited there, you’re missing out on promotions, information and more. Earlier in my career, I had to learn how to be true to myself while also making sure I was present and getting invited to those things that matter. Now that I’m in this seat, I want to make sure that other women won’t have the same challenges and struggles that I had.
WCT: And how is it being queer in a male-dominated field?
Carroll: The best advice I got was from a former supervisor who said, “Be yourself. If you want to do your best work and if you really want to make an impact in this business, be you.” That was powerful for me.
I never felt like I had to hide who I was or try to be performative. Early in my career, I was in a fundraising role and so you’re going to dinner with donors. You don’t know people’s beliefs or how they may feel about you—but these are people you have to build a relationship with in order to get something out, which obviously is money.I was really just trying to navigate these relationships.
But I feel that I’ve been able to have an impact just by being myself. There are people who have said, “Seeing you [inspired] me.” While there may be challenges, keep showing up and be yourself in the space—and you can do anything you want to do.
WCT: By the way, I saw in an interview where you said that you admire [Apple co-founder] Steve Jobs, and I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about that. I found that very, very intriguing.
Carroll: So that reference was likely about apparel. I read a lot and came across something regarding decision-making and leaders. Getting dressed shouldn’t be the biggest decision I’m making each day; that should be like clockwork and it should be easy. However, I can’t say I’ve fully adapted [Jobs’ theory] but I try to keep things simple and comfortable. [Note: Jobs was known for consistently wearing black mock turtlenecks, jeans and sneakers.]
WCT: I’m curious about how you feel about NILs [the concept of Name, Image and Likeness, which allows college and high school athletes to profit from their personal brand].
Carroll: I’ve always said even from when I started my career that student-athletes should receive something because we are billion-dollar industries. But on the flip side, there are a lot of amenities and supporters, especially at an institution like Chicago State. So, in order to pay you, the money has to come from somewhere—and maybe we have to eliminate positions to pay you. I’ve always thought there would be trade-offs, and I don’t think people are opposed to the students getting paid.
I’ll never forget a story from when I was in compliance. Someone put a student-athlete on a flyer for a party because [the organizers] thought more people would come to the event. We were literally investigated because someone put him on a flyer.
Students can capitalize on their social-media following, personality or brand affiliations. I think that part is wonderful because that’s what it’s supposed to be [with NILs].
WCT: What do you think of students who say it’s not fair?
Carroll: I think that the price of being an athlete is not for everyone—and I say that as a former athlete myself. These students practice 20 hours a week; then, depending on their grade-point average, they study another eight hours a week. Then, they’re going to class 15 hours a week so they’re [practically] working a full-time job, and they’re representing their institutions.
You can compare a student-athlete to a student who’s not in athletics and it shows that having a strong athletics program at a university helps the school, overall.
I get that question at least once a year when I sit down with SGA and a new group of student leaders. They ask, “Why should we support athletics?” and I give them that spiel.
WCT: And, as someone who is part of three underrepresented demographics, what does representation mean to you?
Carroll: It’s something that I take pride in, especially as a Black gay woman. I wonder who I have been able to look up to. They may not have had all of the same characteristics as me but there have been those people who showed me—sometimes silently from afar and, other times, very loudly. I’ve dealt with some men and their narratives were about me, personally: “How was I going to be an AD and be a role model with me being gay, and that?” It pissed me off.
But what that really showed me is that people need to see different people and diverse perspectives—different people doing different things represented in different ways in every industry. Because there are not a lot of us in athletics, and there are not a lot of us who are comfortable being on the forefront of athletics.
I’m not perfect but I just keep showing up every day and be the best Black gay woman that I can be.