The City College Student-Athlete Academic Support Program provides multiple resources to help Vaqueros successfully balance school and sports.

“Athletes are in their comfort zone in the locker room and the gym,” Student Athlete Advisor JoAnne Graham said. “We try to make them more comfortable and aware of the other resources our campus has to offer.”

Not only does the program emphasize academic eligibility requirements for City College athletes, it prepares them for what to expect at a four-year university, too.

The Student-Athlete Academic Achievement Zone is a lab that provides assistance to first-year student-athletes classified as academically unprepared by scoring below 100 on their English and/or math placement tests.

“It is a unique place that offers support from people who understand the time constraints and demands of a student-athlete,” achievement zone director Paula Congleton said. “We try to capitalize on the motivation they apply to their athletic domain, and use it for academics.”

According to City College statistics, the average GPA of a student-athlete is 2.8 during the season and 2.6 out-of-season.

The average GPA of a general student is 2.5.

The achievement zone opened in 2006, operating under a $20,000 annual budget. Since then, withdrawal rates for basic skill courses have dropped to seven percent for students who use it.

Sam Shipley is a talented sophomore linebacker who intends on transferring to a Division I university to play football after City College. Even though his GPA is safely above 3.5, he sees the value of the achievement zone.

“As soon as I began devoting more time to going my grades jumped,” Shipley said. “The facilities are really nice. When you go in you can tell they put a big emphasis on giving athletes a structured environment.”

TheAcademic Senate has nominated the achievement zone for the exemplary program award this fall as an innovative program that supports student success.

“We are open just four hours per day, I can only imagine what we could accomplish if we were open for ten,” Congleton said.

Another facet of the program is a mandatory personal development class.      

“The class was really helpful my first year here,” Shipley said. “They helped me set up my individual education plan with information that I wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else.”

Student-athletes must amass 18 academic units in between seasons while maintaining a GPA of at least 2.0 to remain eligible. Graham says that for some students these requirements can be “pretty tough.”

The advisors work in cooperation with the coaches and professors. If a student is not consistently doing their assignments the advisors can put them on academic probation.

“I’ve never had to deal with probation, but it happens every week.” Shipley said. “They read off a list at the end of practice and if you’re name isn’t called, you’re not playing.”

Student-athletes can also be suspended for not logging the required three hours per week at the academic achievement zone, located in the Sports Pavilion. 

Athletes are also offered one-on-one counseling, which Graham said helps clarify expectations for students both here and institutions where they may transfer.

Graham instructs the personal development course along with her work as a student-athlete advisor. The class focuses on how students can utilize helpful parts of campus like the Learning Resource Center and the Career Center.

“Sometimes in individual counseling sessions with the athletes it is almost like you have two students in your office.” Graham said. “They have to fulfill admissions requirements as well as NCAA eligibility rules…it’s a lot.”

At the beginning of each semester Graham reminds the students that it’s the successful students that end up playing their sport for good programs, not always the superior athletes.