The Daily Tar Heel
Printing news. Raising hell. Since 1893.
Friday, March 29, 2024 Newsletters Latest print issue

We keep you informed.

Help us keep going. Donate Today.
The Daily Tar Heel

UNC student athlete advisers prioritize reform

Academic advising for student athletes has been in the spotlight ever since a faculty report this summer suggested counselors in the athletic department might have directed athletes to fraudulent courses.

But after the scandal in the department of African and Afro-American Studies, University officials have focused on improving the communication between student athletes and academic advising.

Members of the Academic Support Program for Student Athletes advisory committee said in their Tuesday meeting they believe academic advising should offer more guidance to athletes.

The organization met to discuss the initiatives launched last summer in an effort to provide strong academic support for athletes.

“The goal is to make sure that we were operating as effectively and efficiently as possible in moving forward,” said Harold Woodard, interim director of the program.

Freshmen athletes were particularly targeted by the reforms this year, as freshman orientation included more opportunities for athletes to meet with academic advisers.

During orientation, student athletes attend group meetings with advisers to answer academic questions and outline the adviser’s role.

“Early engagement was very important for us,” academic adviser Chloe Russell said.

But some members suggested that separating athletes at orientation might make non-athlete students feel like the athletes are getting special privileges.

Woodard said part of the motivation for the initiatives is to clarify the difference in the roles of academic counselors in athletics versus the academic advisers in Steele Building.

“We wanted to go directly to the students in the relationship between athletics and academics,” he said.

Members of the organization also emphasized the role of the faculty athletics committee in bridging the gap between athletics and academics.

Joy Renner, chairwoman of the faculty athletics committee, said two committee members will be assigned to an athletics team and serve as a primary liaison between coaches and academic advising.

Academic counselors, who are usually the first point of contact for athletes, operate in the Academic Support Program for Student Athletes and have a broader role, Woodard said.

But counselors are not always as well-informed as advisers on certain class requirements, so they should not be the only source of communication, Woodard said.

Advisers will also facilitate two academic workshops in October that freshmen athletes will be able to attend to plan their spring schedules.

Director of Academic Advising for the College of Arts and Sciences Lee May said the new opportunities have succeeded in bringing academics closer to athletics.

“It takes all of us working together to maximize the student experience,” May said.

Contact the desk editor at

university@dailytarheel.com.

To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.

Special Print Edition
The Daily Tar Heel's Collaborative Mental Health Edition