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The Mentor: An Academic Advising Journal Finding the Right Balance in Advising the NCAA Division III Student-Athlete Heather D. Porter, University of South Carolina Editor's note: This is the ninth in a series of articles written by students enrolled in Jennifer Bloom's graduate seminar on academic advising at the University of South Carolina for the 2007 fall semester. As part of her course syllabus, Dr. Bloom required each student in her class to submit an article to The Mentor or other publications for consideration. Imagine that you are an academic adviser working at an institution that participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III varsity sports program. One day at work a young woman who is a member of the swim team confronts you. Not only is she proud to represent her school as a swimmer, but also she is very active in various other campus activities, and she is a conscientious student working toward completing the honors program. She was just informed by her coach that she cannot take an honors course next semester, because it conflicts with the swim team's practice schedule. Unfortunately this is the only honors course that will fit in her schedule, and she needs this course to graduate with honors in May. Her coach informed her that after consulting with the athletic director, he will not allow her to take the course because she would miss too much practice. Her options are to drop the course and stay with the team or quit the swim team. The student argues with the coach that she should be able to stay on the team and take the course, but he refuses to let her do this. While talking with her, you realize she is an integral part of the team's success, and she is also a student in an NCAA Division III program wherein academics are supposed to be the primary emphasis. As an academic adviser, what do you say to her? How can she balance academics and athletics? Most importantly, how can athletics and academics bridge the gap that is seemingly apparent across many college campuses? This particular incident not only happened to me, but I suspect that it may be happening to many other student-athletes at various Division III institutions across the country. In fact, this issue potentially faces the nearly 150,000 students who participate in NCAA Division III athletics throughout more than 400 private and public institutions in the United States (The National Collegiate Athletic Association [NCAA], 2006a). It is important for Division III institutions to understand the pressures and the limitations that are unfairly placed on these student-athletes. Student-athletes face a unique set of challenges on college campuses (Ender & Wilkie, 2000). For example, student-athletes essentially work two jobs. In addition to meeting their academic responsibilities, student-athletes spend at least twenty hours a week in practice or in competition. They must quickly develop time-management skills and often have little down time. Student-athletes also have “a lifestyle that often involves living in a fishbowl-like atmosphere” (Ender & Wilkie, 2000, p. 125). They are frequently in the spotlight on campus because they are well known and viewed as leaders. Given these pressures, academic advisers need to play an active role in supporting student-athletes. Unlike at most Division I and II schools, many Division III schools cannot afford to hire athletic academic counselors. Thus, typically there are no designated staff members to serve as liaisons between the athletic staff and the academic faculty. Student-athletes often feel that they are forced to be in the middle. Thus, it becomes very important at the Division III level for faculty, academic advisers, and the athletic staff to work together in support of our student-athletes. Division III athletic programs were established in 1973 to foster a strong relationship between athletics and academics and to involve more student-athletes in collegiate sports (NCAA, 2005b). The NCAA (2005b) purports that Division III was established to give student-athletes “the opportunity to become well-rounded individuals who successfully integrate athletics and academics” (p.1). Further, the NCAA states that student-athletes are “integrated into the student body, and they experience the full range of college life” (NCAA, 2005c, p. 1). The NCAA Division III legislative board stresses the importance of the academically charged athlete by saying that colleges should create atmospheres in which athletic activities are practiced as a significant part of student-athletes' educational experience but should not dominate their time during college (NCAA, 2006b). Given the lofty goals set forth by the NCAA, why does the imbalance between athletics and academics still exist? The number of student-athletes participating in Divisions III sports is staggering. An NCAA report shows that participants in Division III sports represent 150,000 of the 385,000 total NCAA athletes from all divisions from 1982 to 2004 (NCAA, 2006a). The fact that almost half of all student-athletes are from Division III institutions is reason enough that Division III student-athletes need more support from faculty and athletic staff members. What can be done to put the “student” back in “student-athletes,” especially at the Division III level? The bottom line is that the athletic and academic departments need to collaborate in order to ensure that the highest priority is placed on the “overall quality of the educational experience and on the successful completion of all students' academic programs” (NCAA, n.d., p. 1). Academic advisers are in a position to take the lead on this initiative given their close work with student-athletes, faculty, and athletic department staff. Advisers need to make sure that they are educated on issues related to student-athletes. To accomplish this objective, advisers can volunteer to become liaisons with the athletic department. They can meet regularly with athletic officials to share concerns of student-athletes as well as to learn more about what is happening in the athletic department. They can meet with the athletic director to share ideas on how communication can be more effective, and they can then collaborate with the coaches and staff to develop strategies and initiatives to support student-athletes. For example, Elon University has a program, titled “Coffee Talks,” which promotes communication among coaches, professors, and administrators through several casual breakfast-hour programs sponsored by the athletic department (NCAA, 2005a). Academic advisers can then consider working with athletic-department staff to establish specific support programs for student-athletes. Excellent models for such programs are already in place at many Division I and II programs. For example, schools might institute individualized study plans and progress reports to continually assess the performance of athletes in their academic courses. The individualized plan should also incorporate other campus and community activities, because most student-athletes are also campus leaders (NCAA, 2005a). These plans and reports help both the faculty and athletic staffs evaluate the effectiveness of their programs and help ensure that student-athletes are having successful, well-rounded collegiate experiences. Academic advisers can learn more about the pressures facing student-athletes on campus by asking the athletes about their experiences. Advisers can not only learn about the students' hopes, dreams, and goals for both their collegiate experience as well as their lives, but also understand the challenges that student-athletes encounter. This can then lead to discussions about how students can successfully manage their time and responsibilities. Once the adviser has established rapport with the student, the adviser can also encourage the student to become involved with other aspects of campus life, including Greek life, religious organizations, and even academic clubs. Encouraging students to engage in academics and campus organizations can lead to the well-rounded collegiate careers that the NCAA Division III legislative board touts (NCAA, n.d.). Advisers can also encourage student-athletes to establish positive relationships with coaches and professors. They can let student-athletes know that when they feel they are in the uncomfortable position of choosing between athletics and academics that you, as their adviser, are there for them as a resource and advocate. In conclusion, Division III student-athletes face many challenges; however, with the support of their academic advisers, they can meet those challenges head-on. Advisers are well positioned to encourage student-athletes to set goals and design plans for achieving those goals. Division III student-athletes are supposed to be able to excel in the classroom, outside the classroom, and in the athletic arena. Advisers can help student-athletes make the most of their educational, athletic, and, ultimately, collegiate experiences. References Ender, S. C. & Wilkie, C. J. (2000). Advising students with special needs. In V. N. Gordon & W. R. Habley (Eds.), Academic advising: A comprehensive handbook (pp. 118–143). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (2005a). Academic advising. Retrieved October 29, 2007, from http://www1.ncaa.org/membership/membership_svcs/academic_support/programs/advising/index.html The National Collegiate Athletic Association (2005b). History. Retrieved October 29, 2007, from http://www.ncaa.org/about/history.html The National Collegiate Athletic Association (2005c). Our mission. Retrieved October 29, 2007, from http://www2.ncaa.org/portal/about_ncaa/overview/mission.html The National Collegiate Athletic Association (2006a, November 3). Division III facts and figures. Retrieved October 29, 2007, from http://www1.ncaa.org/membership/governance/division_III/fact_sheet_d3_2 The National Collegiate Athletic Association (2006b). Division III philosophy statement. Retrieved October 29, 2007, from http://www1.ncaa.org/membership/governance/division_III/d3_philosophy_stmt The National Collegiate Athletic Association (n.d.). Division III information. Retrieved October 29, 2007, from http://www1.ncaa.org/membership/governance/division_III/index.html About the AuthorHeather D. Porter is a graduate student in the Higher Education and Student Affairs program at the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at porterh@sc.edu. Published in The Mentor on March 5, 2008, by Penn State's Division of Undergraduate Studies Available online at www.psu.edu/dus/mentor/ Privacy and Legal Statements | Copyright | © The Pennsylvania State University | All rights reserved | |