About the Institute

The Institute will explore best practices known to contribute to successful institutional support for student-athletes and assist participants in developing models and action plans focused on this goal. Incorporating information from practicing administrators, discussions with peers and institutional “team” analysis, participants will examine institutional practices that can be enhanced to build their institution’s capacity for ensuring the academic success of student-athletes. Experienced administrators will serve as faculty and provide guidance and consultation throughout the process and provide a network of support following the Institute.

 

A key focus of the institute is to encourage cross-campus collaboration, therefore the event will employ a team-based format (3-4 people), which will not only allow campus colleagues to strengthen their own alliances as they work together during small group discussion sessions, but also will give them an opportunity to develop a network outside their respective institutions.

1. Purpose.

The institute will provide the framework to assist institutions in problem-solving issues related to student-athlete success and academic advising, creating institutional alliances through collaboration and integration, developing problem-based action plans and challenging conventional wisdom.

 

2. Knowledge.

Participants will develop an understanding of policies, regulations, roles, cultures and principles of student success that would include academic advising, identifying key players in the advising process and understanding components of a successful advising program.

3. Accomplishments.

Participants will have an opportunity to experience collaboration in the area of academic advising, to create action plans, to identify institutional challenges, to learn how to implement specific programs and to learn how to develop a long-range advising plan and an assessment process for continued improvement.

 

4. Value of Completion.

Participants will leave the institute with a clear understanding of the role of athletics in an academic setting, the value of athletics to the academic institution, and the importance of campus collaboration as one of the keys to success. In addition they will value the expertise that exists on a campus, will extol student learning success principles, will understand that integrity is the foundation for action, and will commit to action and a continuation of professional development.

 

Participants

It is recommended that each Institutional Team include three to four staff members from a cross-section of campus units (athletics/academics/student affairs). The following specific groups should be considered when forming an effective team: athletic academic support staff members; enrollment management staff member; faculty athletics representative (FAR); member of an athletics board and/or other faculty members who advise student-athletes; student affairs administrator; if athletics academic support program is not housed on the academic side of institution, then the team should include someone from academic affairs; sport administrators; head and/or assistant coach from teams sanctioned for APR historical penalties. If your institution has an APR Improvement Plan Team in place, consider members of that group when selecting your Institutional Team members to attend the Institute.

 

2008 Faculty

Susan Campbell	Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs	University of Southern Maine
David E. Clough	Professor, Chemical & Biological Engineering/FAR	University of Colorado at Boulder
Ruth Darling (Lead Faculty)	Assistant Vice Provost/Director Student Success Center	University of Tennessee Knoxville
Emmett L. Gill	Assistant Professor, School of Social Work	Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Carol A. Gruber	Vice President for Student Affairs	Carlow University
Mary F. Howard-Hamilton	Professor, Higher Education	Indiana State University
Tomas Jimenez	Executive Director, Academic Center for Student-Athletes	Louisiana State University
Felicia Martin	Assistant Executive Director	Division 1A Athletic Directors’ Association
Charlie Nutt	Executive Director	NACADA
Kenneth Provitt	Director of Compliance and Academic Enhancement	Alabama A&M University
Jim Rost	Director Student Athlete Enhancement Center	Middle Tennessee State University

 

Format

Pre-Institute Assessment: Before participants arrive at the Institute, they will be asked to complete an institutional assessment. This exercise is intended to provide each Institutional Team with the opportunity to get to know each other and begin the process of determining the focus of the action plan they will develop while at the Institute. Also, this information will assist the small group facilitators in becoming familiar with each Institutional Team in his/her group.

 

Pre-Institute Workshop: On the morning of Sunday, June 15 at NCAA Academic Performance Program (APP) Workshop will be presented by NCAA Membership Services staff. The presentation will include an APP overview, as well as cover APP measurements and data collection; APP penalties and rewards; and rules related to initial eligibility and progress toward degree.

General Sessions: Presentations designed to introduce topics of interest to all participants. Examples of possible topics include: NCAA SCORE/GOALS Studies Data; APR Improvement Plans; Creating a Campus Culture of Student-Athlete Engagement and the Challenge of Change.

 

Topical Sessions: Allows participants to select from a list of concurrent sessions to explore information of interest. Examples of possible topics include: Student Development and Learning Theories, Advising At-Risk Student-Athletes, Legal and Ethical Issues in Advising Student-Athletes, Advising Undecided Student-Athletes, Student-Athlete Campus Engagement: From Recruitment to Graduation, Building Campus Collaborations Among Colleagues, Advisor Training and Resources and Recruiting for Institutional Fit.

Small Group Discussion Sessions: Institutional Teams will be combined into small groups led by faculty members. Small groups will participate in discussion sessions to consider subjects covered in the general sessions in more detail, as well as facilitate individual team action plan development.

 

Institutional Team Consultations: Institutional Teams will have the opportunity to meet individually with faculty members to obtain feedback on Action Plans and/or to seek advice on other issues. Each faculty member's areas of expertise will be provided for Teams to select consultants who best fit areas of need.

Institutional Team Work Time: Time will be made available for Institutional Teams to meet outside the Institute's scheduled sessions and activities.

 

Action Plan

Institutional Teams will be given the opportunity to prepare and present (to your small group) an Action Plan for solving an advising challenge on your campus. The scope of the Action Plan is left up to each Institutional Team. The scope may be as narrow as devising a new form or as broad as proposing a new model for enhancing student-athlete academic success. Teams will receive assistance with this process by attending relevant sessions, participation in small group discussions and consultations with Institute faculty who have expertise in selected areas.

 

No Registration Fee

There is no registration fee for Division I member-institutions to attend. The Institute will provide the following meals: Sunday dinner; Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday breakfasts; and Monday and Tuesday lunches.

Institutions selected to attend will be responsible for expenses related to travel to and from the site, lodging, and meals that are not included on the Institute schedule. The hotel room rate is $119 plus tax, per night.

 

Application/Registration (NCAA Division I institutions only)

Click to download the application form. The deadline to return the application to NACADA via fax at (785) 532-7732 has been extended until space is no longer available (still taking applications as of 4/28/08). At that time applications will be considered by the NCAA. Institutions selected to attend the Institute will be notified by NACADA by April 15 and provided necessary details, such as pre-Institute team assessment requirements and hotel reservation information.