Academic Counseling

Each Academic Counselor is tasked with providing mentoring and core skills support to their assigned caseload of student-athletes.

Counselors help them respond effectively to specific academic challenges; better articulate their educational goals; and succeed in their academic careers. Academic Counselors meet regularly with first-year and academically at-risk Student-Athletes in one-to-one sessions to discuss effective strategies. During weekly appointments, students create a weekly to do list using their academic planners, and grades are reported from previous assignments and exams. Student-Athletes are expected to self-report academic progress, and to take full responsibility for their academic career. Counselors identify academic support needs through consultation with coaches and student athletes and conferring with faculty and academic advisors to determine the most effective academic assistance and services.

Academic Success Services include:

Study Hall – The ADSA suite is a fully equipped computer lab and study area with computers and printers. These resources are available to all student-athletes to utilize. Resources such as: laptops, calculators, voice recorders, and headphones are available to all student-athletes to check out for the academic term, or temporarily while in the ADSA suite.

Priority Registration – Student-athletes have priority registration at SMU along with other special student groups. Class schedules are built with practice times, travel, and in-season/out-of-season schedules in mind. Counselors work with Campus Advisors to ensure students take the appropriate courses for their major. Additionally, Counselors and students work directly with the athletic Eligibility Coordinator to ensure all NCAA eligibility requirements are met.

Faculty Feedback – In addition to the University wide Early Progress Reports (EPRs) and Mid-term Progress Reports (MPRs) commissioned by the Office of the Registrar, ADSA counselors also solicit faculty feedback for student-athletes two additional times each semester through Teamworks. This allows the counselor to better assist the student in developing an academic strategy, often including effective work with tutors. Feedback is also shared with coaches.