Target Population

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National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics

Model Practices/Interventions Information

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A) have collaborated to gather information concerning strategic actions that have been or will be implemented in relation to campus student-athlete support unit programs and services. Scroll down to see the types of practices taking place at other institutions.

Academic Success Skills Workshop (Elon University)

Cumulative GPA/Enhancing the Student Experience (Gonzaga University)

HEADS UP (Long Beach State University)

Key Positions (University of Virginia)

Academic Success Skills Workshop (Elon University)

Elon University was concerned about students who were placed on academic probation at the end of fall term; therefore, Academic Success Skills workshop, a mandatory workshop for all students with a GPA at 2.0 or lower was developed. This workshop lasts for three hours and covers understanding and working with faculty, time management, study skills, motivation, learning styles and general success tips. The first workshop was presented in February 2002 and continues each year. Follow-up occurs with each student by having bi-weekly meetings, throughout the spring semester.

The program at Elon is a one-person operation. The only costs incurred are copying costs and cookies for a snack break. The main challenge is that the program contains a lot of information to be covered in one day. The university currently does not support a separate class for student-athletes. However, from the bi-weekly meetings, the consensus is that students really do take some success skills learned during the program with them and seeks to use them to better themselves.

To find out more information concerning this program, use the following contact information:

Institution: Elon University; Contact Person: Barbara G. Boyette; E-mail: bboyette@elon.edu; NCAA Division: DI-AA; Staff Size: Small (1-2 full time); Number of Sports: 16; Total Student-Athlete Population: 319; Model Practice Category: Target Population Programs

Cumulative GPA/Enhancing the Student Experience (Gonzaga University)

After assessing the academic situation, Gonzaga University found the academic stability of the population rather outstanding. To improve the already great academic success program, the university instituted an at-risk CUM grade-point average cutoff of 2.50. Any student that does not hold a CUM GPA of 2.50, Athletic Probation, meets weekly with either the academic coordinator or a graduate student in the athletics office.

We have built relationships across campus to enhance the student's experience. The two main campus services used have been the counseling center and Disabled Student Services (DSS). More student-athletes have been serviced by these offices since its inception than in most of the years put together before the establishment of this program. An open dialogue has been the key. Students have expressed a relief at being able to make sense of their difficulties. The DSS office and student-athlete academic services have established a system of communication that did not exist previously to better facilitate working with students that are diagnosed with a learning disability.

Please note that at Gonzaga, there are no special programs for international students, other than working with the international students' office.
Note also that both men's and women's basketball programs attend summer sessions to assist in degree completion.

To find out more information concerning this program use the following contact information:

Institution: Gonzaga University; Contact Person: Mike Miller; E-mail: miller@athletics.gonzaga.edu; NCAA Division: DI-AAA; Staff Size: Small (1-2 full-time); Number of Sports: 14; Total Student-Athlete Population: 280; Model Practice Category: Target Population Programs

HEADS UP! (Helping Empower Athletes to Developmentally Succeed and Understand Potential) (Long Beach State University)

HEADS UP is a program designed to help freshman adjust to the demands of intercollegiate athletics and university academics by hearing first-hand from mentors who have successfully "survived" their first years at Long Beach State University.

The main goals for HEADS UP include:

Helping student-athletes cope with academic, social, athletic and personal pressures related to being both a student and a NCAA Division I student-athlete;
Providing student-athletes with a support group of their peers; and
Facilitating student-athletes' greater awareness of issues, needs, and resources that are essential to their success as both students and student-athletes.
Strengthening the overall student-athlete community by encouraging connections across teams, gender, and ethnic lines.

Mentors and first-year student-athletes meet to discuss relevant topics and develop supportive relationships. Student-athletes meet as one unit but breaks into small groups, and also have the opportunity to develop one-on-one relationships.

To find out more information concerning this program, use the following contact information:

Institution: Long Beach State University; Contact Person: Gayle B. Fenton; E-mail: gfenton@csulb.edu; NCAA Division: DI-AAA; Staff Size: Large (6 + full-time); Number of Sports: 17; Total Student-Athlete Population: 380+; Model Practice Category: Target Population Program

Key Positions (University of Virginia)

The University of Virginia employs 10 full-time staff members, and has a current budget of $700,000, with a need of approximately $900,000. Student-athletes' critical needs are addressed through establishment of key positions. This model began to develop in 2003 and continues to evolve. What makes this model unique are the positions of study skills specialists and an association of deans who work exclusively with student-athletes. The study skills specialists work with incoming first- and second-year football student-athletes and transition them to the football academic coordinator when they enter their third year. Ideally, an additional study skills specialist would be added to work with other sports. An association of deans, who work exclusively with student-athletes, was created to establish a collaborative effort in advisement and retention. This is a huge commitment from the college of arts and sciences. Also, the college coordinates a transition program all incoming students with low skill sets. This transition program begins prior to their first full-time enrollment and is credit-bearing. One of the association deans coordinates these efforts. During the summer transition programming, our learning specialist conducts all disabilities assessments. We believe this model is productive - .972 APR and an 83 percent graduation rate at a very difficult university. Following is an organization chart that reflects the structure.

Click here: copy of organizational chart

To find out more information concerning this program use the following contact information:

Institution: University of Virginia; Contact Person: Tomas Jimenez; E-mail: tomasj@virginia.edu; NCAA Division: DI-A; Staff Size: Large (6 + full-time); Number of Sports: 25; Total Student-Athlete Population: 700; Model Practice Category: Target Population Programs