Academic support system aids athletes

Robert Koonce is now responsible for helping athletes meet their academic needs Studying for a Monday morning midterm after returning from a weekend road trip is not uncommon for most of Penn's student athletes. But when the pressure of academics becomes unbearable, there are services provided by the University to help student athletes maintain their eligibility. A student is declared ineligible when his or her grade point average falls below a 2.0 or he or she did not earn eight credits in the academic year. According to Larry Moneta, vice-provost for University Life, National Collegiate Athletic Associations regulations are not as strict as the University and the Ivy League's policies. "NCAA rules simply suggest that a student that is in good standing is eligible," Moneta said. "Not all of their regulations, such as Proposition 48, really affect Penn because of our own admission standards." But the NCAA does require student athletes at the beginning of their junior year to have a 1.90 cumulative GPA, and those at the beginning of their senior year to have a 1.95 cumulative GPA, he added. It is still possible for a student with a GPA lower than 2.0 to continue competing, according to Diane Frey, director of Academic Advising for the College. An academic advisor is assigned to help the student plan out an academic performance plan for the following semester. This plan is then reviewed by the student's coach and the eligibility officer for the athletic department before reauthorization of eligibility can occur. Of the 1,200 student athletes at Penn, approximately 20 are currently eligible with a below-2.0 GPA, said Moneta. But a student can only utilize this course of action once during his or her athletic career at Penn, he added. The athletic department provides services for students in conjunction with University academic support programs. If a student expresses concern to his or her coach about classwork, the student is referred to Robert Koonce, the academic compliance coordinator for the athletic department. "My job is to steer students who are looking at or are failing a class in the right direction," Koonce said. But Koonce mainly refers students to programs that currently exist in the University structure. In addition to the services offered by the Tutoring Center, Koonce directs the Collegiate Academic Achievement Program for a few hours every Tuesday and Thursday night in the Towne Building. Tutors are available for math, biology, chemistry, physics, economics, finance and spanish and french language proficiency. This service is particularly helpful to student athletes who miss class for weekend road trips, Koonce said.