Academic, personal and professional support are essential to college success. At Eastern Michigan University, Student-Athlete Support Services (SASS) helps student-athletes reach their full potential.
While success on the field is important, success in the classroom is the number one priority. Student Athlete Support Services (SASS) is dedicated to the academic success of the Eagles. Led by Erin Burdis and her staff of counselors, SASS strives to make sure every student-athlete finds academic success at Eastern.
Our philosophy is to offer an academic support program, integrated with the University, that will assist all student-athletes with their transition into college. This all-encompassing support continues throughout each student-athlete’s collegiate career, until the day he or she receives a diploma, lands a job or enters graduate school.
Being proactive rather than reactive, our staff does not wait for an academic crisis to occur. We gather important background information and build an academic profile on each student-athlete, assessing his or her needs in advance.
Services provided through SASS include the following: programs that focus on student-athletes’ special needs, monitoring academic performance, providing learning assistance, assisting with registration procedures, assisting in monitoring athletic eligibility, providing priority registration and making sure that athletes are advised about current NCAA, MAC and University rules and regulations.
Freshmen and transfer student-athletes encounter a major transition when making the switch from high school or community college to a university. These students, while adjusting to their new routines, receive extra attention and support.
College is not easy. But with hard work and dedication from both the student-athlete and the support staff, the student-athlete can have a successful college experience.
The success of Eastern’s student-athletes hinges on their willingness to seek assistance from SASS as well as other University student services. SASS staff members continually refer student-athletes to the admissions office, Academic Advising Center, Career Services Center, health services, the records office, financial aid and The Holman Learning Center. Faculty members also provide assistance to student-athletes through advising in course selection and providing additional help with courses when requested.
Academic Success
Entering the 2007-08 academic year, Eastern Michigan University student-athletes continue to excel on the playing field and in the classroom.
The athletics department cumulative GPA continues to be well above a 3.00 at 3.074 through the 2007 winter semester. That total is the fourth-best in school history with the men’s golf team leading the men’s teams at 3.255 while the women’s softball team took over the lead on the women’s side with a 3.675 GPA.
"We feel that academic achievement is the cornerstone of the student-athlete experience," EMU Athletics Director Derrick Gragg explained. "We are very proud of the student-athletes’ work in the classrooms and will continue to support them as they continue to reach the ultimate goal of graduating."
"Obviously, our staff and student-athletes work closely to make sure that a major emphasis is put on the academic success for our teams and this 2006 fall report is the proof that all of that hard
work is paying off," said Erin Burdis, EMU’s Director of Student-Athlete Support Services (SASS). "We are very happy with the results from this past semester and we expect that success to continue into the future."
Other highlights for the winter semester include:
• 25 student-athletes with 4.0 semester GPA’s
• 248 students (54.8%) with a 3.0 or above
• A total of 14 teams with a 3.0 GPA or better
• Nine teams increased their cumulative GPA from winter 2006 to winter 2007.
Student-Athlete Advisory Council
Tying together all of the varsity sports at EMU is the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC). Each varsity team is required to have at least one representative, while the larger teams normally send a few. This group of student-athletes meets monthly to discuss way to better the student-athlete experience at EMU.
It is the goal of SAAC to be the student-athlete voice to the athletic administration; provide a bridge between the student-athletes and the EMU community; undertake Student-Athlete Advisory Board projects, which will benefit student-athletes and the community; and to represent Eastern Michigan University student-athletes and what they stand for.
SAAC normally undertakes a few projects a year that benefit the surrounding community of Ypsilanti. "Reading Eagles" takes place at elementary schools in the area, sending student-athletes to schools to talk and read to the children. The annual canned food drive run by SAAC takes place in the fall, providing a little competition between teams, all with the goal of helping the community.
The trademark of SAAC is the annual lip-synching and dance competition that is held every March. "Jock Jamz" pits varsity teams against each other, seeing who can perform a better routine. Always a hit with the athletic and campus community, Jock Jamz has been a successful fund raiser, donating its proceeds to Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Washtenaw County.
While SAAC does what it can to help support the community, it puts the student-athletes at EMU first. It is always looking for ways to increase student attendance at games, as well as provide better communication between teachers and student-athletes who have to miss class for competition. Run by student-athletes who understand the issues that they face and want to make a difference, SAAC has become a very successful organization in the past few years.