Academic Advisement Plan for Athletes

Adopted by Academic Policies and Curriculum Committee: 6/29/20
Adopted by Faculty Senate: 6/29/20 
Approved by President: 6/30/20 

Academic Advisement of Athletes 

NACADA publishes advising tips for special-interest groups including student athletes. NACADA has an Advising Student Athletes Commission to share ideas and best practices for advising student-athletes. Since East Georgia State College (EGSC) student athletes are first and second-year students, the 15 Tips on the Basics of Advising Student Athletes may be of value to all advisors of student athletes. 

The Academic Advisement Plan for Athletes is a component of the East Georgia State College Academic Advisement Plan. 

At East Georgia State College (EGSC) student athletes will be assigned to and advised by the Assistant Director of the Learning Commons for the Military Resource Center and Athletic Advisement. All students, including student athletes, will follow the general policies and procedures for academic advisement at EGSC. 

The success of athlete academic advising is critical for the academic integrity of campus sports programs. The Assistant Director of the Learning Commons for Military Resource Center and Athletic Advisement is the front line for preserving the integrity of the advising process and reports to the Director of the Learning Commons. 

The Assistant Director of the Learning Commons for Military Resource Center and Athletic Advisement must maintain a focus on maximizing the academic accomplishments of athletes, given their athletic commitments, rather than on maintaining their athletic eligibility. 

Eligibility standards are usually different than those academic standards set by EGSC for the academic success of students. The student athlete academic advisor must be familiar with the eligibility standards. The eligibility standards can be located on the NJCAA website at https://www.njcaa.org/eligibility/2020-21/index. Certification of eligibility will be made by the Athletic Director in conjunction with the Assistant Director of the Learning Commons for Military Resource Center and Athletic Advisement. The academic advisement process must be structured in ways that will focus on motivating athletes to use their academic opportunities to maximize personal growth, intellectual skills, and career success. 

The athletic academic advisement program should strive for academic integrity, a core mission of all academic support services; integration of the student athlete into the student body, culture, and community; scrutiny of the athletic advising process to assure the interests of the student athlete are followed; effective transition of the student athlete to the college environment; accountability for the quality and impact of the athletic advising based on regular assessment of the program; and consistency of the athletic advising program in comparison to the colleges' overall academic advisement program. 

Guidelines for the Advisement of Student Athletes

1. 1. The Assistant Director of the Learning Commons, Military Resource Center and Athletic Advisement reports directly to the Director of the Learning Commons. 
   2. Advising is an academic function, and it is part of the Division of Academic Affairs. The Division of Academic Affairs office must be accountable for the quality and integrity of the advising provided all its students. 
   3. Academic Affairs should be responsible for and involved with personnel decisions, supervise policies and procedures for academic advising of athletes, and have authority in budget decisions concerning academic advising. 
   4. Academic Advising should operate with the strong support of the Athletic Director, in order to combat potential pressures to consider eligibility before academic accomplishment, and to motivate athletes to make the most of academic opportunities. The Athletic Director and all head coaches will meet periodically with the Assistant Director of the Learning Commons, Military Resource Center and Athletic Advisement, and the Director of the Learning Commons as needed to discuss and evaluate athletic academic advising. 
   5. The influence of coaches over academic advising should be strictly limited and the Assistant Director of the Learning Commons, Military Resource Center and Athletic Advisement should have the primary responsibility in the athlete's selection of an academic plan of specific courses. 
   6. The advising structure that will best ensure support of the college's academic mission and best guard against efforts to focus on eligibility over accomplishment will represent the best practice for each campus. In all cases, ultimate accountability for the integrity of academic advising must lie with the VPASA. 
   7. The Assistant Director of the Learning Commons, Military Resource Center and Athletic Advisement needs to know progress-toward-degree requirements for the student athletes. While no priority in class choices is given, the advisor should be made aware of scheduling conflicts with practice and games.