The University of Washington is strongly committed to promoting academic and athletic achievement by its student-athletes. Student-Athlete Academic Services (SAAS) assists student-athletes through a variety of programs addressing the academic needs of a diverse population. The primary goal of SAAS is to help student-athletes reach the same standard of excellence in academics as they seek in athletics. The SAAS staff works closely with coaches, faculty, and student services personnel to help student-athletes better balance the demands of academics and athletics. In addition to providing services directly to student-athletes, SAAS also strives to make student-athletes aware of the various services and resources available to them at the University and to help them make the best use of those services and resources.

In addition to classroom effort, the SAAS staff recognizes that a student-athlete’s academic performance is influenced by a number of factors. SAAS directly assists student-athletes with matters pertaining to:

• Academic planning and advising
• Tutorial and academic support

Student-Athlete Academic Services is located in the Conibear Shellhouse (the Crewhouse). Hours are from 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. on Monday – Thursday; Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; and Sunday 3:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. Hours will vary on holiday weekends, between quarters, and during the summer. At least one staff person is available during those hours; however, to schedule a meeting with anyone in SAAS, please call Kim Durand, Associate Athletic Director for Student Development.

Kim Durand
Associate Athletic Director for Student Development
durand@u.washington.edu
(206) 221-3551
Conibear 248

Academic Advising
SAAS academic advisors provide guidance with all aspects of educational planning, including assisting student-athletes with developing quarterly schedules, setting goals for academic majors, planning for graduation, and discovering career interests. Counselors monitor academic progress for University and NCAA requirements and make referrals for tutorial assistance as appropriate. They also work closely with counselors in various academic departments and the Undergraduate Advising Center. SAAS academic advisors encourage student-athletes to explore and consider the variety of academic majors and courses the UW has to offer and are strongly encouraged to make use of advising services available through their major departments.

Football Academic Advisors & Academic Coordinators
Kiaira Ladd
Academic Advisor
kladd@u.washington.edu
(206) 543-9087
Conibear 241

Ink Aleaga
Academic Advisor
aleaga@u.washington.edu
(206) 221-4265
Conibear 244

Rod Jones
Academic Coordinator
rodjones@u.washington.edu
(206) 685-6621
Conibear 236

Gertrude Peoples
Senior Counselor Mentor / Special Assistant for Football Dept
gpeoples@u.washington.edu
(206) 616-2447
Graves Annex 231

Dates of Instruction

The Role of Academic Coordinators

The University of Washington football team is assigned three Academic Coordinators (AC’s) whose main responsibilities are to oversee the academic progress of the student-athletes they supervise. The AC’s provide progress reports to coaches and other ICA staff regarding those students receiving academic services from SAAS and provide a variety of academic support services in addition to resources available through the University itself.

It can be a challenge at the beginning of a student-athlete’s college career to balance the demands of athletics and academics. SAAS AC’s meet weekly with students, especially during their freshmen year, to assess academic progress in their classes, work on study skills and time management, create study plans and objectives and facilitate solutions to any academic issues they may be struggling with. AC’s also assess student-athletes’ quarter-by-quarter course loads and help set up tutoring schedules for them in selected classes. AC’s coordinate with the SAAS tutoring staff to monitor student performance in tutoring sessions and work with both students and tutors to develop academic plans for success in the classroom.

AC’s are focused on making sure that, during their first year of school, student-athletes receive academic support services and acquire the study habits that allow them to make a successful transition to being both an engaged and independent learner at the college level. Coordinators also work hard to help students with the transition to life after college and sports. AC’s are available to help students with advice on internships, with support on drafting effective resumes and cover letters and in delivering information on career and networking resources available through the Athletic Department and the UW system.

Learning Specialists

The UW Learning Specialists are resources for all student-athletes with learning disabilities, as well as looking to improve their study skills. Their focus is assisting students in assessing their academic strengths and weaknesses and then develop individual education plans. The Learning Specialists serve as a liaison with the University of Washington’s Disability Resources of Students.

Pamela Robenolt
Assistant Director/Learning Specialist
246 Conibear
(206) 616-2351
proben@uw.edu

Lisa Bruce
Learning Specialist
249 Conibear
(206) 616-4133
lrbruce@uw.edu

Freshmen Football Study Table
Study table is held after dinner, Monday through Thursday during the school year.  The exact times vary from quarter to quarter based on the football practice schedule.  Students spend 90 minutes per night working on readings, papers, studying notes, preparing for exams and any other work required by their courses.  Study table is objective based so students are encouraged to complete work on their own time to shorten the time spent working in the evenings.  Weekly reports are given to the head coach and position coaches on productivity and progress made during the week.  Study table is facilitated by Pam Robenolt, Assistant Director of Learning Resources, Student-Athlete Academic Services (proben@u.washington.edu).

Tutorial and Specialized Support
The goal of the SAAS Tutorial Program is to help our student-athletes become independent learners. At SAAS, we recognize the unique demands placed on student-athletes, and the tutorial program offers several services that aid students in dealing with time management, travel schedules, course content, and other issues affecting student academic success. For more information, contact Alafiani Washington at (206) 543.2427, icatutor@u.washington.edu, or visit our web page at http://depts.washington.edu/saas/tutoring

SAAS offers the following services to student-athletes:

• Academic advising
• One-on-one and small group tutoring
• Test preparation
• Learning strategies
• Writing center
• Review sessions
• Study table
• Learning specialist
• Academic progress monitoring
• Career exploration and development
• Life skills programs
• Community service opportunities
• Leadership development

Washington Student-Athlete Advisory Council
The Washington Student-Athlete Advisory Council (WSAAC) is made up of representatives from each of the 21 sports and departmental staff advisors. WSAAC meets every other week to coordinate education presentations, social activities, community outreach activities, and to discuss issues forwarded to it by fellow student-athletes. The student-athlete executive officers for 2010 – 2011 are:

President-Elect
Mykenna Ikehara – Football

Vice President
Sarah Martinez – Women’s Soccer

Secretary
Denis Dy – Women’s Tennis

CHAMPS/Life Skills Program
The mission of the NCAA is to maintain intercollegiate athletics as an integral part of the campus educational program and the student-athlete as an integral part of the student body. With this in mind, the CHAMPS/Life Skills Program (Challenging Athletes’ Minds for Personal Success) was created to support the student-athlete development initiatives of NCAA member institutions and to enhance the quality of the student-athlete experience within the context of higher education. The University of Washington’s CHAMPS/Life Skills program addresses the commitment to academic & athletic excellence, personal development, community service and career development.

The CHAMPS/Life Skills Program will:

• Promote student-athletes’ ownership of their academic, athletic, career,
  personal and community responsibilities.      
• Meet the changing needs of student-athletes.  
• Promote respect for diversity and inclusion among student-athletes.             
• Assist student-athletes in identifying and applying transferable skills.             
• Enhance partnerships between the NCAA, member institutions and their
  communities for the purpose of education.      
• Foster an environment that encourages student-athletes to effectively access
  campus resources.              
• Encourage the development of character, integrity and leadership skills.

The University of Washington’s Life Skills program has been honored with the NCAA’s “Program of Excellence” award. For more information on the NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills program in its entirety, visit www.ncaa.org.