Academic Services Support Summary
Academic Support Summary
Office of Academic Services & Student Development
Summary of Freshman Study Skills Program
Basic Program
All incoming freshman student-athletes spend a minimum of 6 hours per week studying in the university library during the fall quarter. Study Skills hours are 6 p.m.-10 p.m., Sunday-Thursday. Students check in & out with our monitor. We have reserved a number of rooms where student-athletes can meet with a variety of subject tutors (Economics, Math, Spanish, History, etc.) for individual or small group tutoring.
Core Advisors
Each freshman is assigned an advisor in Academic Services & Student Development, with whom the student-athlete meets at least once a week throughout the first year. Together, the advisor and student complete a quarterly planner and a weekly planner; deadlines are noted and goals are set for the quarter. During these weekly appointments, students are encouraged to discuss how classes are going, report test and quiz grades they've earned, look ahead to approaching deadlines for papers or presentations, whether they need tutoring, etc. The advisor may look over a student's class lecture notes and ask questions about the assigned readings. At the end of fall quarter, based on first-quarter grades, advisors may adjust the required number of study skills hours a student must complete during winter quarter. Some students may see their hours reduced to 2 or 4 hours per week, while others may see their hours increased.
Academic Tutors
Our tutoring staff is drawn from graduate students, retired professors and teachers, and a few select upperclassmen. Tutors are hired based on their area of expertise and their ability to communicate effectively with student-athletes. Tutor training includes issues of confidentiality and a thorough knowledge of departmental, university, conference and NCAA rules and regulations. At the end of each quarter, student-athletes are asked to evaluate the tutors with whom they have worked, so that we can be sure our student-athletes have access to the highest level of academic support from our staff. Of course, student-athletes are strongly encouraged to work directly with their professors and teaching assistants whenever possible. We also urge our student-athletes to seek out other departmental tutoring services on campus (foreign languages, Math, Chemistry, African-American Student Affairs, Tech/Engineering tutors, The Writing Place, etc.) Our staff also includes reading and writing specialists, and learning strategists.
Core Advising for Upperclassmen
All student-athletes meet quarterly with their athletic advisor for registration purposes. It is also sometimes necessary to maintain sophomore, junior and, even occasionally, senior student-athletes on a form of core advising. This usually involves additional study time at Burton Advising Center (either during the day or evening), increased tutoring sessions, and additional weekly meetings with an athletic advisor. All upperclassmen are encouraged to continue working with our tutoring staff to prepare for tests, review class work that has been graded, go over homework assignments, etc.
Collaboration with campus advising programs
It is clearly stated in the Presidential Directive on Self-Regulation of Intercollegiate Athletics that the academic advising of student-athletes is a shared responsibility of athletics and campus advising systems. Some schools require quarterly meetings, others strongly encourage more frequent contact. The advisors in the Office of Academic Services and Student Development help ensure that student-athletes comply with school-required meetings and strongly encourage students to seek advice from their advisors on campus.
The mission of the Office of Academic Services and Student Development is to offer a comprehensive array of support programs and services, integrated with the university's resources, which empowers all student-athletes to achieve academic success while balancing the demands of athletic participation and everyday college life. The Office is built on the philosophy of individual responsibility and personal integrity, with the end result being the overall development and preparation of the student-athlete for a successful life after college.
