Feb. 17, 2000
Walking into Jake Nevin Field House is a sight like no other- the light from the ceiling above gently glancing off Villanova's 16 National Championship trophies. Just as long and storied as the history of Villanova Athletics' accomplishments on the field of play, are the achievements of the department's student-athletes in the classroom. The Villanova Athletics Department is committed to providing student-athletes with the resources to best reach the pinnacle of their academic potential.
The individual academic accomplishments for Villanova student-athletes are many. Villanova boasts two Rhodes Scholars in cross country and track and field stars Nnenna Lynch and Becky Spies. From 1964-96, Wildcats have earned NCAA Post-Graduate Scholarships 16 times including most recently in 1999, when swimmer Elizabeth Lauwaert garnered the honor.
Just as important as the individual awards, are the feats that Villanova student-athletes have achieved together. The GPA of Wildcat student-athletes has mirrored the overall GPA of all Villanova undergraduates. Continuing to improve, the GPA of Villanova student-athletes reached the 2.902 mark in the fall of 1999. This was the second highest semester GPA achieved by Villanova student-athletes in the past 14 years. In addition, 261 student-athletes had a GPA of 3.0 or better during the 1999 fall semester.
Villanova Athletics has a rich tradition of both athletic and academic excellence- a tradition that will continue to grow well into the future. Always striving for added excellence on the playing field, the Villanova Athletics Department under Athletic Director Tim Hofferth, also continues to offer new and improved resources to its student-athletes to give them the best opportunity for continued success in the classroom.
The Office of Academic Support-- under Faculty Athletic Representative/ Academic Advisor Dan Regan-- has a long-standing relationship with the Villanova Athletics Department. Since the mid-1980's its office has been transformed from a one-room office that housed 400 student-athletes in 1985, to an office complex and computer lab within Jake Nevin Field House, which is currently home to over 550 student-athletes.
A renovation to Villanova Stadium took place during the summer of 1999, and this face-lift created a new 6,000 square-foot structure. These first-class additions will enable Villanova Athletics to host various athletic events and Big East Championships for varsity sports such as track and field and field hockey.
Attempting to assure continued success in the classroom, the Villanova Athletics Department recently introduced a new academic initiative called the Academic Resource Center. As Villanova Athletics heads into a new millennium, Hofferth is constantly striving to improve the resources for Wildcat student-athletes. To further the academic excellence of Villanova Athletics, the department decided that there was a need to again expand Athletic Support's domain into a larger space that could better assist student-athletes in their studies. Villanova Stadium was the perfect fit to make the department's visions a reality.
"The Villanova Athletics Department is dedicated to providing opportunities for excellence for all of our student-athletes," said Hofferth. "The new Academic Resource Center is just another statement about our commitment to academic success."
Some of the benefits of the Academic Resource Center are as follows: (1) To deliver the academic support services to student-athletes in a more efficient manner. (2) To expand and consolidate the many academic resources, such as the freshman-mentoring program and Academic Support's tutoring program, under one roof. (3) To give a more personally tailored academic support system to those student-athletes who need it the most.
The new Academic Resource Center program will operate under the direction of the Office of Academic Support. From the top down, each floor of the center will fill a separate need in assisting student-athletes. The fourth floor of the Academic Resource Center will provide private and semi-private areas for tutoring sessions. Experts in specific subjects will be available to offer student-athletes individual help with their studies. These private instructional rooms will provide special tutoring areas for Villanova's gateway courses. The gateway courses are those found to be the most challenging for students- namely math, English, and the sciences.
The third floor will function as a computer-equipped study hall. Laptop computers and printers are available on this floor for use by all Wildcat student-athletes. Home to approximately 10 computers when the program began on Jan. 23, the hopes are to have 50-60 laptops in the near future. Additionally, the third floor of the stadium will provide the necessary space to increase the effectiveness of the freshman-mentoring program. The second floor will be used as a conference area for lectures and team study halls.
A portion of the operating expenses associated with this endeavor come from the academic enhancement program sponsored by the NCAA, with another portion being funded directly by the Villanova Athletics Department. This is an initiative that further demonstrates the commitment of the Athletic Administration toward the academic success of all Villanova student-athletes.
The Academic Resource Center opened its doors for the first time on Jan. 23. It will be opened five days a week at the start, on Sunday evening from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Monday through Thursday 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The center is open to all student-athletes, but will be a requirement for certain individuals who need greater attention. Those freshmen with a 2.79 or below will be required to check in once a week, while students with below a 2.30 will be required to attend two nights a week.
Villanova Athletics continues to change and expand to meet the needs of its student-athletes. Student-athletes are the heart of this program and the new Academic Resource Center will provide the opportunity for the tradition of excellence to continue into the 21st century.
