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NCAA News Archive - 2007
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NIU streaking to success on and off the field
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By Leilana McKindra
The NCAA News
The NCAA News
As proud as Northern Illinois University Athletics Director James Phillips is about his student-athletes’ recent streak of competitive success, he is even prouder of their victories in the classroom.
As many other institutions have done, Northern Illinois has fully embraced the academic-reform movement and is now reaping the rewards of careful planning and hard work. For the first time in the athletics department’s 108-year history, Northern Illinois student-athletes have posted four straight semesters of a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or better.
After joining Northern Illinois three years ago, Phillips initiated several key changes he believes has spurred the surge of academic success. He increased the student-athlete academic services staff and, to take advantage of all of the campus’ academic support, he altered the reporting lines so that academic services, previously overseen by the athletics director, reports to the provost’s office.
The athletics department also purchased multiple laptops for student-athletes to use while traveling. In addition, the university will soon open its $15 million, 58,000-square foot Carol and Joe Novak Academic Support Center that features tutoring rooms, group study rooms and a fully equipped computer lab.
Phillips, who also serves as an associate vice president at the university, said the university also began touting student-athletes’ achievements publicly. The athletics department established an annual academic luncheon to honor student-athletes, and at almost every sporting event, student-athletes’ efforts in the classroom are recognized.
“The No. 1 core value we have is delivering a world-class student-athlete experience academically,” said Phillips, who credits the student-athletes for the effort and the coaches for recruiting bright and talented student-athletes.
Phillips has personally emphasized education, too. This summer, he earned a doctorate at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Other department administrators, he said, also are pursuing advanced degrees.
Phillips said the recent achievements have caught the attention of donors, alumni and the fan base and set a standard for the athletics department.
“These are students first and athletes second. We want our young people to know they are going to get a great academic experience and they are going to be supported in that journey.”
First, the NCAA statistics department partnered with the University of Indianapolis television department to create a volleyball statisticians’ video.
The video, available free on the NCAA.org and NCAAsports.com Web sites, is the first of its kind that the NCAA has produced for any sport. Aimed at enhancing volleyball statisticians’ comprehension of volleyball statistics, the video can be used in conjunction with the NCAA Volleyball Statisticians’ Manual.
Explanations and examples of the five main volleyball statistical categories are covered, including attacks, assists, serves, digs and blocks. Tips for compiling statistics for a match also are provided in the 15-minute video. Each statistical category video can be viewed separately.
To access the video, go to http://www.ncaa.org/stats/volleyball/video/index.html.
Also, the 2007-08 NCAA Basketball Promotional Kit and Women’s Basketball Branding and Promotions Activation Kit will be available August 1.
The promotional kit includes a catalog of free or subsidized promotional items member institutions and conferences can use to help promote their men’s and women’s basketball teams, increase attendance and create greater awareness for college basketball. As part of the kit, banners and decals with the new NCAA Basketball logo are available free of charge on a limited basis. Schools and conferences also may choose from a selection of T-shirts and pompoms as promotional giveaways.
The Women’s Basketball Branding and Promotions Activation Kit is an online resource designed to assist member institutions with promoting their women’s basketball program in their community, and includes easy-to-use templates and best practices for promoting and marketing women’s basketball.
To access the kits, go to http://www.NCAA.org/bkbmarketingresource.
For more information, contact Kellie Leeman at kleeman@ncaa.org or Mary Eiland at meiland@ncaa.org.
As many other institutions have done, Northern Illinois has fully embraced the academic-reform movement and is now reaping the rewards of careful planning and hard work. For the first time in the athletics department’s 108-year history, Northern Illinois student-athletes have posted four straight semesters of a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or better.
After joining Northern Illinois three years ago, Phillips initiated several key changes he believes has spurred the surge of academic success. He increased the student-athlete academic services staff and, to take advantage of all of the campus’ academic support, he altered the reporting lines so that academic services, previously overseen by the athletics director, reports to the provost’s office.
The athletics department also purchased multiple laptops for student-athletes to use while traveling. In addition, the university will soon open its $15 million, 58,000-square foot Carol and Joe Novak Academic Support Center that features tutoring rooms, group study rooms and a fully equipped computer lab.
Phillips, who also serves as an associate vice president at the university, said the university also began touting student-athletes’ achievements publicly. The athletics department established an annual academic luncheon to honor student-athletes, and at almost every sporting event, student-athletes’ efforts in the classroom are recognized.
“The No. 1 core value we have is delivering a world-class student-athlete experience academically,” said Phillips, who credits the student-athletes for the effort and the coaches for recruiting bright and talented student-athletes.
Phillips has personally emphasized education, too. This summer, he earned a doctorate at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Other department administrators, he said, also are pursuing advanced degrees.
Phillips said the recent achievements have caught the attention of donors, alumni and the fan base and set a standard for the athletics department.
“These are students first and athletes second. We want our young people to know they are going to get a great academic experience and they are going to be supported in that journey.”
NCAA resources available online
The NCAA recently introduced several innovative resources for membership use.First, the NCAA statistics department partnered with the University of Indianapolis television department to create a volleyball statisticians’ video.
The video, available free on the NCAA.org and NCAAsports.com Web sites, is the first of its kind that the NCAA has produced for any sport. Aimed at enhancing volleyball statisticians’ comprehension of volleyball statistics, the video can be used in conjunction with the NCAA Volleyball Statisticians’ Manual.
Explanations and examples of the five main volleyball statistical categories are covered, including attacks, assists, serves, digs and blocks. Tips for compiling statistics for a match also are provided in the 15-minute video. Each statistical category video can be viewed separately.
To access the video, go to http://www.ncaa.org/stats/volleyball/video/index.html.
Also, the 2007-08 NCAA Basketball Promotional Kit and Women’s Basketball Branding and Promotions Activation Kit will be available August 1.
The promotional kit includes a catalog of free or subsidized promotional items member institutions and conferences can use to help promote their men’s and women’s basketball teams, increase attendance and create greater awareness for college basketball. As part of the kit, banners and decals with the new NCAA Basketball logo are available free of charge on a limited basis. Schools and conferences also may choose from a selection of T-shirts and pompoms as promotional giveaways.
The Women’s Basketball Branding and Promotions Activation Kit is an online resource designed to assist member institutions with promoting their women’s basketball program in their community, and includes easy-to-use templates and best practices for promoting and marketing women’s basketball.
To access the kits, go to http://www.NCAA.org/bkbmarketingresource.
For more information, contact Kellie Leeman at kleeman@ncaa.org or Mary Eiland at meiland@ncaa.org.
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