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The tremendous accomplishments of University of Virginia student-athletes on the playing field are well documented. But they represent only half the story. Even more impressive are their achievements in the classroom.
The overall grade-point average posted by UVa’s student-athletes in the spring of 2001 was 2.80 (close to a B average). During Virginia’s 1999-00 academic year, 202 student-athletes were named to the Atlantic Coast Conference Honor Roll (3.0 or above).
According to statistics released by the NCAA, the national Division I-A graduation rate for the entering class of 1992-93 was 56 percent for all students and 58 percent for student-athletes. Virginia’s entering class of 1993-94 posted an overall graduation rate of 91 percent, 78 percent for student-athletes. The NCAA figure includes students who earn degrees within six years and who entered school as first-time, first-year students.
UVa’s football program has been cited nationally for its academic excellence for every year from 1984 to 2000. In both 1985 and 1986, Virginia received the College Football Association’s Academic Achievement Award, recognizing the CFA member institution that graduated the highest percentage of its scholarship football players within five years.
Much of the credit for maintaining this successful marriage of sports and academics at Virginia goes to the support and counseling provided by the UVa Athletic Department’s Academic Affairs Office.
Richard McGuire, Director of Academic Affairs, attributes three factors to the athletic department’s success: selection, environment, and support. “Coaches recruit highly motivated student-athletes who want to earn their degrees, and the overall Virginia atmosphere encourages achievement in the classroom,” says McGuire.
With the help of McGuire (Ph.D., SUNY-Buffalo ’74), associate director Cynthia Cardosi (M.Ed., Illinois ’85), assistant director Kathryn Jarvis (M.A., North Carolina ’86) and academic coordinators Kristy Drobney (M.S., Miami ’99) and Sean Simmons (M.S., James Madison ’95), the Academic Affairs Office affords guidance and support while student-athletes learn to balance their dual responsibilities. Student-athletes are assisted in the articulation of educational and career goals, and the Academic Affairs Office makes certain the means of acquiring necessary skills and strategies are available.
As a basis for all its advising, the office monitors the academic progress of each athlete, keeping on file a record of his or her past performance and future goals. “A key to Virginia’s success,” says McGuire, “is that we truly expect our students to put forth their best academic efforts–our athletes take pride in the distinctive tradition of academic and athletic excellence that exists here.”
To help student-athletes who want or need extra instruction in certain areas, the office provides study halls, tutoring and mentoring. All first-year athletes are required to attend a two-hour study hall four times a week during the fall term and three times a week in the spring. “It’s extremely important to get them off to a good start,” says McGuire. “The transition from high school to the University can be difficult, and most problems are likely to occur in that first semester. We monitor the progress of our student-athletes very carefully, and we make certain each has the skills, attitudes and confidence that he or she will need to succeed.”
In the spring, the Academic Affairs Office evaluates the progress of student-athletes and arranges appropriate study hall schedules. “Most of our students are ready to fly on their own,” says McGuire. “We encourage them to use the study hall context on a voluntary basis and many of them do so.” Student-athletes requiring more structure are assigned study hall hours. Tutors are available at each study hall and in separate study sessions that are held once a week for particular courses. Athletes may also request tutoring in a specific area.
Virtually all academic areas offered at Virginia are covered by tutors who are chosen through a careful screening process. Most of the tutors in the program are graduate students, all of whom have outstanding academic records.
As part of the study hall and tutoring program, the Academic Affairs Office sponsors workshops in study skills, time-management, and other academic skills vital to college success. The Academic Affairs Office also maintains three computer labs for use by UVa student-athletes. For students with a particular problem or concern, McGuire’s office provides referrals to centers specializing in writing, language, learning needs and evaluation, Afro-American affairs, and counseling. Above all, the Academic Affairs Office tries to tailor its approach to meet the needs of each individual student-athlete.
Although the efforts of Virginia’s Academic Affairs Office have met with remarkable success, McGuire and his staff continue to assess the needs of student-athletes and to develop better ways of addressing them. McGuire meets regularly with UVa deans and professors to gain valuable input.
As the student-athlete nears the end of his or her college years, the advisors take an active interest in that student’s placement after graduation. With the help of the University’s Office of Career Planning and Placement, the athletic department makes a strong effort to inform prospective employers of the special qualities that a Virginia student-athlete can bring to any career field.
The Academic Affairs Office maintains an open-door policy for both student-athletes and their parents. The accessibility of the academic counseling services and facilities, along with the daily contact between staff and students, helps to combat academic difficulties before they become unmanageable.