Assignment 2.1: Proposal for Increasing Academic Support for Student Athletes at UBC

To: Dr. Erika Paterson

From: Sonja Tang

Date: February 22, 2023

Subject: Proposal for increasing academic support for student athletes at the University of British Columbia

Introduction:

There is a lack of academic support for student athletes at the University of British Columbia. This lack of support can lead to negative consequences for student athletes, such as decreased academic performance and decreased motivation to pursue a degree. Some student athletes who are struggling in their classes may find that the demands of their sport interfere with their ability to improve their academic standing. There are a number of reasons why there is a lack of academic support for student athletes at the University of British Columbia. This proposal will address two problems, first, the University does not provide enough support for student athletes in terms of their academic performance such as dedicated staff members or tutors in supporting student athletes. Second, many professors do not believe that student athletes need more academic attention and support than non–athletic students. Additionally, many professors are not familiar many of the sports and their demands thus does not provide the same support. The lack of academic support can lead to stress and anxiety for student athletes, which can have negative health consequences.

Intended Audience:

The UBC administrators who are responsible for student athlete academic support.

Statement of Problem:

At UBC, the athletic program has been struggling to receive enough academic support for their athletes. This lack of academic support has had a negative impact on the academic performance of student athletes, as they are often forced to choose between their athletics and their studies. There is also not a lot of support and flexibility from university professors for allowing more test/exam options, such as taking on-the-road exams and rescheduling. This is due to the fact that professors are typically not familiar with the specific requirements of these exams. Additionally, many professors may not have the time or resources to provide such support.

Proposed Solution:

• One possible solution to this problem is to offer free tutoring sessions for athletes only, this will ensure that the athletes are prioritized and get the amount of support they need to be successful
• The other is hiring more academic advisors, and creating a more cohesive academic support system for student athletes
• Provide awareness for university professors on the demands of student athletes and being more flexible

For this proposal, I will only investigate the student athletes on the varsity golf team in the; assessing the entire varsity is too large in scale.

Scope:

To assess the feasibility of offering more academic support for students, I intend to ask the following of these 4 questions:

• How great is the demand for increasing the availability of academic tutoring?
• What is the cost of hiring academic tutoring dedicated to varsity athletes?
• Would more awareness on the demands of athletic pursuits among professors help student athletes to feel supported and treated fairly?
• Do student athletes feel like they’d get higher grades and more life satisfaction from accessible tutoring both in-person and online?

Methods:

The primary method will be to create and distribute a survey to examine and evaluate the student athlete experience. The survey will be made from Google Forms and I will ask permission from the head coach of the golf team to distribute them to the team. I will contact the I will contact Natalie Hargott, the interim manager of UBC Student Athlete Services, and enquire about the cost of offering tutoring for varsity athletes. Secondary methods for this proposal include my own research of the athletics department.

Qualifications:

I have been a member of the varsity golf team at UBC for 3 years now. During my first year, which was also when the COVID pandemic started, “Thunderstudy,” a free academic tutoring service, was offered to the varsity athletes, however, it no longer exists due to high cost and low interest. I found the service super helpful because I was traveling to tournaments every week and having access to flexible academic support on the road is extremely beneficial if I am unable to reach my professors or TAs. Along with professors not flexible with taking exams on the road and refusing to reschedule will put a lot of pressure on the students when finals arrive which is also during playoffs(most important tournament). I have spoken to others who are in similar positions and feel frustrated with their situation.

Conclusion:

The success of UBC athletics relies on student athletes’ performance both in sports and in obtaining degrees and high GPAs. UBC only offers a limited tutoring to students with no specific tutors dedicated to varsity athletes. The university expects most exams to be taken in person and on campus. Many student athletes are affected in performance by the inflexibility of their professors. By completing the 4 areas of inquiry, I can determine the feasibility of including more academic support for student athletes.