A delicate balance: Chippewas use Academic Success Center to keep good grades, stay eligible for competition


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Concord junior Spencer Nousain, left, recieves tutoring in math from Indiana junior Tyler Danner, right, Feb. 26 in the Indoor Athletics Complex. 

Central Michigan University student athletes had a cumulative 3.113 grade point average in spring 2014, compared to 3.063 during fall 2013. Student athletes have had a cumulative GPA higher than 3.0 for 16 consecutive years.

One reason for this trend is the the Dick Enberg Academic Center. Located inside the Indoor Athletic Complex, the center is the hub of academics for CMU athletes.

Open 70 hours a week, the 6,000 square-foot facility includes a computer lab with 31 work stations, five tutoring rooms and a quiet study room.

The center employs two assistant directors, a full-time learning specialist, about 50 graduate and undergraduate tutors and 10 student assistants that work at the center’s front desk.

“It’s like a one-stop shop,” said Associate Athletic Director for Student Athlete Services Tera Albrecht. “A lot of times they’ll come over here and workout or have a training session. Then they’ll stop by and print something, or ask something about a class.”

Adjusting to college

The Big Ten Conference announced last week it was considering making freshmen ineligible for all or some sports, in an effort to emphasize the notion that the most important part of the term “student-athlete” is with “student.”

Teams around the country redshirt players so the athlete can sit their first season and develop physically, while retaining four years of NCAA eligibility.

Men’s basketball’s redshirt freshman Josh Kozinski is one example of this strategy.

After playing nine games and suffering more than one injury in 2013-2014, Kozinski was redshirted by Head Coach Keno Davis. After scoring 27 total points last season, Kozinski is averaging 8.5 points per game this season.

Athletically, Kozinski benefited from being redshirted and is on track to become one of the best 3-point shooter in Chippewa history. On the academic front, some coaches say a player’s freshman year can be just as challenging.

“Usually, most freshmen will hit a wall mid-February,” said women’s basketball Head Coach Sue Guevara. “Simply because of the physical, mental and emotional strain that has been placed on them.”

When they come to a Division I school, freshmen have more games, more practices and tougher opponents than they faced in high school. They also have to deal with tougher academics and oftentimes miss classes for traveling to games.

“Our academic teams do a nice job of teaching time management,” Guevara said. “There is no reason for a student-athlete to flunk out. We have a lot of things in place for them to be successful.”

Balancing school, game travel

All Chippewas athletes can use the academic center, but freshmen are required six hours of studying a week during their first semester.

With good grades, athletes don’t have to maintain study table hours after the first semester, although many athletes continue to take advantage of the help to stay on top of academics.

Junior guard Rayshawn Simmons transferred to CMU last season.

“I have a tutor for my economics class, which is pretty tough,” Simmons said. “Me being on the road so much, it’s tougher, so there’s this girl on the soccer team that tutors me and helps me with that.”

Guevara, who has assistants meet with players weekly to keep up on academics, said the constant travel is the biggest challenge for her team.

“For example, we played (Wednesday) and we left Tuesday at 4 (p.m.),” Guevara said. “So if you had a Tuesday night class, you missed that class. And then you’re missing classes all day Wednesday. Our bus pulled in at 5:30 a.m. Thursday. So the whole day, you’re tired.”

Men’s basketball forward and freshman Luke Meyer is the only freshman that starts for Davis and plays 17.0 minutes per game.

Along with bulking up physically and learning the style of college basketball, Meyer has also had to learn the style of a college classroom.

“(I’m) pretty beat up,” Meyer said. “It’s a lot different than anything I’ve ever done. It’s a lot of games and games are a lot harder as they go. (At the Academic Center) I’ve gotten help with study habits and reading habits and all that. They’re awesome over there.”

A rewarding occupation

Athlete tutoring is much more structured than the free tutoring other students on campus receive, but Albrecht said much of the responsibility remains on the shoulders of the individual.

“We usually have a weekly meeting with coaching staffs, whether it’s the full staff or just the academic person to keep them up to date,” Albrecht said. “A lot of times it’s what the students tell us and hope that at the end of the semester there are no surprises.”

Tyler Danner is a junior who tutors at both the Academic Center and on campus for non-athletes and said the discipline student athletes have physically oftentimes helps them academically.

“It’s been pretty awesome,” Danner said. “I get to work with peers to make sure they have the knowledge and information they need. There are expectations and systems in place. (Athletes) come a lot more prepared and seem to be a lot more motivated in doing well.”

 

 

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About Taylor DesOrmeau

Taylor DesOrmeau is a senior at Central Michigan University, majoring in integrative public relations ...

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