Letter from the AD
Achieving a balance between athletics and academics is a life skill that will carry student-athletes far as they step out into the world beyond the university. This balance was exemplified in last month’s letter when I spoke in some detail about our academic and athletic success.
This month, I’ll speak to the coordinated network of behind-the-scenes support that enables our student-athletes to excel at such high levels. Student-athlete support services and the critical role these services play in the life of an NU student-athlete cannot be overstated.
These services are the cornerstone of student-athlete success. To this end, I’d like to share with you an overview of the support services and the critical role they play in the student-athlete experience, along with some exciting developments that are taking place within the area of support services.
Student-Athlete Support Services
The Office of Student-Athlete Support Services is the centralized hub of resources for the student-athlete. Services provided by this entity range from academic, career, and general counseling, to regular and ongoing meetings and workshops throughout the year to monitor and review progress, and address any needs for supplemental support. For example, should a student fall below a minimum grade-point requirement, regular meetings would be established between the student and an academic counselor, to determine effective strategies for success.
In addition, Student-Athlete Support Services maintains and facilitates the involvement of our student-athletes in community outreach initiatives. For example, each of our 19 varsity-sport teams "adopts" a community-based project for the year, which serves to reinforce their commitment to teamwork as it broadens their perspectives on service and volunteerism.
Also maintained through Student-Athlete Support Services are all areas of compliance and reporting to the internal and external communities. In sum, this office serves as the liaison for numerous departments and entities on campus and beyond, each on behalf of the student-athletes we serve.
Great offices begin with a great staff, and we are fortunate to have that situation here at Northeastern.
Director of Student-Athlete Support Services
In April, Dave Sheehan became our new Director of Student-Athlete Support Services. Many of you might know Dave from his 20-year career at Northeastern, most recently from within the University’s business office as supervisor of building services.
His knowledge of student-athletes stems from first-hand experience as a former NU student-athlete who was a four-time varsity basketball letterwinner and co-captain of the 1977-78 team. In addition to his undergraduate degree from NU, he has earned two master’s degrees from Northeastern, one in Sports Management, and one in Counseling. Coupled with his academic and practical skills, Dave is already making a difference within his new role.
His love of sports extends beyond Northeastern, as Dave also has coached the Dedham High School basketball team for the past four years, leading them to a 17-6 record this past season. As you can see, we couldn’t have asked for a more well-rounded director of support services for our student-athletes.
In addition to hiring a new director, the existing staff should be commended for their fine work. Senior Academic Coordinator Lauren Haas and the compliance and student services staff continue to do an outstanding job of ensuring our high academic standards through their dedicated efforts.
With our outstanding offerings in mind, I was thrilled to announce that the University had approved plans for a new home for these resources and services, namely a new academic center within the Cabot Center.
New Academic Center
Construction began on June 2 for an academic center on the second floor of the Cabot Center, adjacent to the current gymnasium and Solomon Court. The space is being cleared and the gym floor removed in preparation for this new facility. We hope to have this project completed in August.
The construction of the academic center is the latest in a series of renovations to the Cabot Center. The first phase of the Cabot renovation occurred upstairs when the gym was resurfaced and a new lighting system was installed. The gym was then refurbished with new seating and was rededicated to honor benefactors Bernard and Jolane Solomon.
The lower level now features new and improved locker areas, team rooms, offices and meeting space. The athletic training area received a major renovation, and in addition, a new state-of-the-art weight room was built.
The academic center will include a study hall area, a computer lab featuring approximately 20 workstations, offices for NU’s Student-Athlete Support Services staff and NCAA compliance and student services personnel, as well as a classroom with a 60-person capacity. Below are computer-generated renderings that give a preview of the new facility. What these images do not show is the dynamic interaction envisioned for this space. This new academic center will become "home base" to our student-athletes, thus fostering an even greater sense of community and camaraderie.
Our commitment to creating an environment that is conducive to social space, one-on-one interaction, thoughtful reflection, and development of each student-athlete as an individual, will grow tenfold with the completion of this new dedicated space. We are quite pleased to have an academic center housed within our primary athletics building, because this provides a tremendous opportunity in which to further enact our student-centered philosophy. Our student-athletes are already achieving at an exceptional rate. The new center will help to enhance this academic performance.
Northeastern Athletics’ dedication to student services has helped our student-athletes to achieve their current success, as exemplified through our graduation rates:
Student-Athlete Graduation Rates
The 2002 graduation rate for our NU student-athletes stands at 65 percent, compared to 51 percent for the general student body. Football achieved a stellar 92 percent graduation rate. Across all sports, eight student-athletes earned a perfect 4.0 grade-point average during the winter quarter, two of whom achieved this for the second straight quarter. (Each will open in a new window, just close the window to return to this letter.)
Below are links to the profiles of our six student-athletes from the winter quarter who achieved perfection in the classroom:
Dan Belcher, Senior, Men’s Track & Field
During the winter quarter, an additional 46 student-athletes posted a GPA above 3.5, while another 104 had a GPA between 3.0 and 3.5. The cumulative GPA for all student-athletes was an impressive 2.94. All student-athletes will be able to take advantage of various services at the new academic center such as tutoring, study hall sessions, and academic and peer counseling.
We are here to help student-athletes reach their potential as students and as athletes. With these academic results, coupled with our unprecedented athletic success this year, we can all take pride in being part of the Husky family. The future is, indeed, bright.
Go Huskies!
Dave O’Brien
Previous letters
June 2003
Hello Huskies Fans!
Current space adjacent to Solomon Court to be used for academic center
Finished study area
Aerial view of future academic center
Entry hallway to academic center
Shannon Brooker, Sophomore, Volleyball (4.0 for second straight quarter)
Aaron Hill, Freshman, Men’s Track & Field
Milena Ninkovic, Sophomore, Women’s Basketball (4.0 for second straight quarter)
Cassandra Rossetti, Junior, Women’s Track & Field
Jamie Williams, Senior, Women’s Crew
Director of Athletics
• May 2003
• April 2003
• March 2003
• February 2003
• Q & A with Dave O'Brien
