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Thursday, 23 February 2006 |
 | Jeyhoun Allebaugh
Student athlete Nate Cranford juggles sports and academics.
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by CHRIS ZALUSKI
Sports Editor
College athletes have a skill that may not be visible on the field: the ability to juggle.
Not only do college athletes attend practices, games and road trips, but they also have to take care of their No. 1 priority: academics.
Appalachian State University takes many steps to foster the success of its student-athletes.
Jean Roberts is the director of academic services for student-athletes.
Roberts said many people do not realize the amount of dedication
student-athletes put into academics.
“I guess the one thing that I’d like people to be educated about is the
commitment that athletes have to have to be a student-athlete,” Roberts
said.
This commitment is visible at the end of every semester during
graduation.
Associate Athletics Director Jay Sutton said graduation
rates for student athletes are 60 percent, equal to that of the student
body.
Furthermore, fall 2005 saw 165 varsity athletes make the honor roll by earning a 3.25 or higher.
Academic Expectations
From the time prospective athletes tour Appalachian, they are made
aware of the academic expectations required of them. Recruits are given
academic-oriented recruiting presentations facilitated by either
Roberts or fellow athletic-academic advisor Kim Sherrill.
Once a student-athlete is accepted into Appalachian, they are paired
with a student-athlete advisor, either Roberts or Sherrill, who will
serve as advisor during his or her entire college career.
“We work with them from the minute they enter until they graduate,” Roberts said.
Freshmen are required to have at least four study hall hours per week, facilitated by the Learning Assistance Program.
Sutton said he believes working with the LAP, which is an academic
department, helps with accountability and credibility of
student-athletes’ academic performance.
“We have the checks and balances in place where there is not academic fraud occurring,” he said.
Once a student-athlete advances past freshman year, study halls are no
longer required but may still be needed for some. Appalachian regularly
evaluates student-athletes through academic progress reports sent to
professors twice a semester.
Dr. Kay Taylor, an assistant professor in the department of
communication, said whenever she reported a problem with a
student-athlete, it was handled quickly.
“I believe ASU takes the student-athlete title very seriously,” Taylor said.
Eligibility
Athletes must meet eligibility requirements. The criteria, revised in
2003, force student-athletes to perform academically in their majors.
Athletes must complete 40 percent of the hours required for their
degree by the beginning of their third year. At the beginning of the
fourth year, they must have 60 percent of coursework complete and at
least a 2.0 GPA.
Junior field hockey player Erica Muschamp said eligibility requirements
are usually not hard to obtain due to heavy emphasis placed on
academics.
Muschamp said her coaches have taken the team to opposing schools’ libraries on road trips so players could get work done.
“With our team, [academics] is one of the most important things,” she said. “It’s always a top priority of our coaches.”
Student-athletes also have the opportunity to register early for
classes. By doing so, athletes can avoid potential conflicts between
class and practice.
Special Treatment?
Despite the extra procedures taken to ensure the academic success of
student-athletes, Sutton does not believe athletes receive treatment.
“I don’t think there is special treatment,” Sutton said. “I think there
are special situations that warrant a second look at some things.”
One example of a “special situation” occurred at the end of this
football season.
Because ASU made the national championship game, the
players had to travel to Chattanooga, Tenn., before the exam schedule
was officially finished.
Due to the situation, 13 football players had to take their exams while in Chattanooga.
Sherrill said even with the championship game looming, players, such as
senior defensive end Jason Hunter, called her two days before the game
to ask about grades.
This dedication was obvious as the football team had an average GPA of 2.559, the highest football GPA ever.
“A big part of why they’re national champs is they care about quality,” Sherrill said.
Appalachian State’s athletic teams’ academic performance may stack up
against the rest of the student body, but they also stack up against
other schools.
Last year the Southern Conference gave nine post-graduate scholarships to student-athletes.
Although each school is only allowed to nominate four players, Appalachian took four of the nine scholarships awarded last year.
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