Academic Support • Blue Devil Football

Merced College Football Programs

Academic Support

Mission:

            The Academic Support is to complement the learning environment here at Merced College. The program will enable the student athlete to excel in the classroom by creating an environment that will offer each student athlete additional support. The program will support the educational tools necessary to achieve an undergraduate degree. This program will also increase both the retention and matriculation rate here at Merced College.

Purpose:

            Participating in college athletics requires an additional time commitment, over and above a student’s regular academic workload. If not managed properly, this additional commitment can take away from study time and class preparation. The time constraint cannot be alleviated. The subsequent difficulties that student athletes may encounter, however, as a result of participation in intercollegiate athletics, can be of primary importance to the Department of Athletics staff and coaches. When student athletes have avenues for assistance, which are supported and encourage by coaches and staff, their productivity and willingness to learn increases two fold. Ultimately, the Department of Athletics staff and coaches will judge success not by wins and losses on the playing fields, but by the percentage of student athletes that finish with a degree.

Participation in intercollegiate athletics may supplement their academic pursuit, but it will not replace it. The focus of the Department of Athletics must be upon the support of the student athlete’s quest of academic development thru the use sport as the motivational tool.

1. All incoming student athletes wishing to participate in football must enroll and complete the Academic Success Class offered in the fall semester. No completion or failure of the class the student athlete must retake or complete all academic requirements before competing for the college in football.
2. All student athletes participating in football must complete weekly academic progress reports during the fall and bi-monthly in the spring. Each professor must verify the student’s grade with his or her signature.
3. Once a student athlete has received consecutive deficiency an Academic Action Plan must be complete by the student. The student and professor must meet and sign the plan verifying that both have meet an agreed upon those steps that the student will take to become academically eligible.
4. All incoming students will meet weekly with Head Football Coach concerning their academic progress to date. The student will also complete a weekly time management plan that both the student and coach will agree upon.
5. If a current student is placed on probation at any point than at the discretion of the Head Coach, the student may be required to participate in the Academic Success Program and/or Weekly Academic Meetings until he is eligible.