Student-athletes balance studies and sports

Photo by Jeff Watts Hitting the books is as big a part of AU athletes lives as hitting the courts.

BY KENNY LUCAS

Their feats on the fields and courts draw the oohs and aahs from crowds, but AU’s student- athletes are gathering their most impressive victories in the classroom.

In a report recently released by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), it was announced that American University graduated 87 percent of its student-athletes who had entered school in the 1995–96 academic year. The number is well above the national average of 60 percent, and ranks first among Division I-AAA schools and twelfth in all of Division I. The report lends further credence to the fact that amidst the steady stream of championships and honors, some of the biggest points racked up among AU athletes are grade points.

“This is another indication of our success in building an exemplary athletics program that wins conference championships, competes in national tournaments in a variety of sports, and graduates its athletes,” says AU President Benjamin Ladner.

In order to remain eligible for competition, AU’s student-athletes must pass an average of 24 credits every year, and maintain at least a 2.0 GPA; guidelines that are slightly stricter than the NCAA standards, according to associate director of athletics David Storm. But Eagle athletes are doing more than staying eligible. Last season AU teams produced seven Patriot League Scholar Athletes of the Year and placed 111 student-

athletes on the Patriot League’s academic honor roll—an award that requires a 3.2 minimum GPA. The awards and numbers are celebrated, but academic achievement has become expected around the athletic department.

“If we win every game and every race, and do not have a graduation rate at or near the level we are now, that’s not winning,” AU athletics director Tom George says.

Such stellar performances in the classroom don’t come easily. “Their practices aren’t supposed to exceed 20 hours a week,” Allison Housman, coordinator of academic support says. “But they take the 15 hours of classes, and they have other commitments and try to lead a normal life as well. It’s a big commitment to be a student-athlete, and it’s usually a big difference from their high school experiences.”

Housman and the academic support office help AU’s athletes make this transition with the help of several programs. All freshman athletes have to participate in the study hall program during their first semester. The study halls meet five times a week with tutors and monitors on hand, and students must attend at least eight cumulative hours a week.

A guided study program is also in place for freshman athletes whose GPA or SAT scores are below certain numbers. Students meet weekly with Housman or an assistant to go over course work, time management, and any other academic issues the student wants to talk about, whether that be test-taking skills, or finding a tutor.

“That’s all geared to the individual,” Housman says. “And the numbers don’t always mean anything. Sometimes we have a student come in and they end up doing fine. Other times they might have the numbers, but end up struggling when they get to college.”

Freshman athletes also take part in the Thinking and Learning Opportunity for New Student Athletes (TALONS), a type of life skills program that helps student-athletes adjust to all facets of college life through a series of speakers and seminars.

Of course the stress of balancing academic and athletic responsibilities doesn’t let up after freshman year, and AU’s student-athletes have many resources at their disposal throughout their careers. Anyone can attend study hall, but should a student’s GPA dip below 2.5 in any year, attendance becomes mandatory. The guided study program can also be utilized by student-athletes of all ages, as can academic support’s tutoring program. Athletes can also take advantage of priority class registration so that they can create schedules that mesh with their practice times, and Housman and her staff work with professors and coaches so that students can make up work and tests if their teams should go on the road.

It all amounts to an efficient system designed to give athletes their best chance at success both on and off the court. Of course, none of it matters if the students don’t care, and as the recent NCAA numbers point out AU’s student-athletes take that title seriously.

“We’re very proud of them, “Housman says. “It takes a very disciplined person to be a student-athlete. Someone who really wants to do it. Our student athletes really want to excel in the classroom.”