Student Athletes Required To Meet Academic Advisors

[MeanGreen61]

Student athletes required to meet with academic advisers

Wendy Moore

Issue date: 4/5/07 Section:

Student athletes will have to hustle to their academic advisers' offices before taking the field or court, said Cinnamon Sheffield, associate athletic director for student services.

Sheffield said the athletic department decided to make meetings with academic advisers mandatory for all athletes beginning in February. Sheffield said the new step is intended to secure the academic success of athletes by cutting back unnecessary classes and helping to prevent students from choosing majors that do not suit their goals.

Sheffield said she noticed that the athletic department did not use the college advisers' help.

"I didn't think we were doing a good job of connecting with our campus and using the resources we have on campus," Sheffield said. "In order for our advisers and myself to be successful, we needed the help of the other advisers on campus."

She said more than 300 athletes attend NT and the athletic department only has three athletic advisers to help them schedule their classes around their sports obligations.

She said because student athletes have such demanding schedules which require them to divide their time between classes, practice, travel and competitions, it is easy to overlook some classes they need to take for their major. Sheffield said the academic advisers can help the athletes avoid those setbacks and guide them toward majors that suit their strong points.

Athletes have to complete several steps before registering for classes. First they have to get an advisery form from the athletic student services and take it to the adviser for the college of their major, Sheffield said.

During the meetings, advisers help the athletes determine what classes are needed to stay on track and graduate in a timely manner, she said. They narrow the selection to six to eight classes that could be taken the next semester, and the advisers must sign the athlete's advising form.

The athletes take their signed forms to their athletic advisers, and based on their sports schedules and class availability, they choose which of the courses the athletes can take, Sheffield said.

"The athletes are required to take at least 15 hours of classes," Sheffield said.

NT track athlete Shayla Hart, Rowlett sophomore, said they are not allowed to drop below 12 hours to compete in sports so the advisers urge them to take 15 hours in case they have to drop a class. She said she thinks the new system is better because she had more guidance on what classes to take than before.

"If I don't stay on track academically, I can't run," Hart said. "I take the classes that help me run and finish my major in time to graduate."

Sheffield said preparation for a semester is done early so the athletes can register for classes a week before registration begins for other students. She said it is necessary for the athletes to register early because they have more school-related conflicts and the jump start allows them to lock in their schedules for the upcoming semester before they have to compete with other students just to get into the few classes they are able to take.

Sheffield said it is important for other college students to know that the student athletes do not have their schedules created for them or receive special treatment.

"They have several steps and requirements that a normal student does not have to do," Sheffield said.

Edited April 5, 2007 by MeanGreen61