ACADEMICS & STUDENT-ATHLETE SUPPORT SERVICES
Mission: To enhance and prepare student-athletes for success during their collegiate career as well as life after college athletics, through purposeful programming, strategic partnerships, and practical education.
Social Media Accounts
Twitter: @odu_sass
Instagrsam: ODU_sass
Current Student-Athlete Resources
Campus Advising Directory
Important Campus Contact Information
Financial aid - 757-683-3683
ITS Help Desk - 757-683-3192 / itshelp@odu.edu
Registrar – 757-683-4425
Student Health – 757-683-3132
Undergraduate Admissions - 757-683-3685 / admissions@odu.edu
Academic Programs
Campus Map
International Students
Who We Are
Old Dominion University and Student Athletic Academic Services staff work hard to provide educational support and guidance to ensure academic success and graduation to all student-athletes. ODU sports teams are assigned an academic advisor from the academic support staff. From the arrival of each student-athlete onto ODU campus until graduation, the support staff assists student-athletes with registration, class schedules, and understanding of NCAA, conference, and university’s academic rules. In addition, the academic advisors monitor academic progress to keep athletes current with progress toward degree requirements and continuing eligibility.
The Connie and Marc Jacobson Athletic Academic Center (Jim Jarrett/L.R. Hill)
The Jacobson Athletic Academic Center includes two locations that houses our academic advisors, an educational student-athlete support specialist, academic interns, and a quiet learning environment. The Jacobson features ten desktop computers, 20 Laptops accessible to check-out, wifi, 12 private tutoring rooms, and an additional room for group tutoring sessions. The Center also provides a printer, scanner, copier, and fax machine at your disposal as a Monarch student-athlete. Additionally, we provide laptops, voice recorders, calculators, and standardized exam prep materials available for student-athletes to check-out.
Educational Support Services
Educational Support Services (ESS) offers multiple services for student-athletes:
Screenings
We complete screenings with all incoming freshmen and transfer student-athletes each semester. This involves a few questionnaires and assessments that help us get to know the student-athletes better so we can offer individualized support.
Sometimes student-athletes that have been at ODU for a while may have some concerns about their learning or be having some academic difficulty. In this case, the student-athlete can do some additional screening so that we can explore any difficulties they are having and offer the best resources!
One-on-One Support
Academic learning assistants (ALAs) meet with students weekly to help them improve academic skills in areas like writing, studying, note-taking, critical thinking, communication, and more!
ALA appointments are similar to tutoring, but are not focused on one particular subject. The rules for being on time and what you are allowed to work on with your ALA are the same as for tutors.
If you would like to request an ALA appointment contact your advisor or Erin Cousins (ecousins@odu.edu).
Accommodations for Student-Athletes with Disabilities
Student-athletes with a disability, like ADHD, learning disorders, dyslexia, and others, are able to access academic accommodations once they provide the needed documentation.
Documentation needs to be detailed and comprehensive. IEPs and 504 plans are not accepted.
Specific guidelines for documentation can be found here.
Student-athletes should meet with Erin Cousins, Director of Educational Support Services, to register for accommodations through the Office of Educational Accessibility (OEA).
Student-athletes with accommodations must request a new copy of their accommodation letter be sent to their instructors each semester. An instructors has to get a copy of the letter before the student can start using accommodations in that class. There is no specific deadline, but students should do this at the beginning of the semester to be prepared for any time they may want to use their accommodations.
The link to request accommodation letters can be found here.
Many student-athletes registered with OEA have testing accommodations and can request to take proctored quizzes and tests in the OEA testing center.
The link to schedule a test in the OEA testing center can be found here.
Student-athletes with any concerns or issues with their accommodations should contact Erin Cousins (ecousins@odu.edu). If there is an urgent concern and she is not available, OEA can be contacted directly by phone (757-683-4655) or email (oea@odu.edu).
Athletics Tutoring
Athletic tutoring is offered to Old Dominion University Athletes in most general education 100 and 200 level classes at no charge to the athlete. Athletic-tutoring is offered in a one-on-one session or in a small group session of no more then 3 student-athletes.Tutoring is scheduled 1 session per week through the end of the semester. Tutoring sessions are offered during the full day around the students practice and academic schedule. During the session the tutor will assist the student in comprehension of course material, along with the utilization of various techniques based on the student-athlete's learning style. After each session is complete, the tutor types a report on the student's progress during the session and allows the tutor to provide adequate feedback on the student-athlete.
Student-athletes who would like to schedule tutoring should contact Rachel Nelson (rnelson@odu.edu).
OTHER RESOURCES:
ENGLISH
Purdue OWL (for APA and MLA citations)
MATH
http://patrickjmt.com/
https://www.khanacademy.org/
SCIENCE
https://www.khanacademy.org/
http://www.odu.edu/sci/msrc
If you are interested in becoming a subject tutor, please fill out the Google form below. Tutors are hired during each fall and spring semesters and have summers off. Please see the job description below and contact Rachel Nelson (rnelson@odu.edu) with any questions.
Job description:
Tutors must submit an application, current resume, and current semester course schedule.
Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, at least a A- average in courses that they wish to tutor and completed 30 total credit hours.
Tutors are required to work a minimum of 5 hours per week. MTRF 830-9pm; W 830-5pm
Tutors need patience, good written and verbal communication skills, and ability to work with varied backgrounds and varieties of skill levels.
Please apply today!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/102eAQNjUgESFEUvdBM9nXVBkgXIaYv6RimrrhqNVVgc/edit
Services
Tutorial Program: Academic tutors are available to all student-athletes free of charge. We have over thirty-five tutors specifically for our Monarch athletes. A tutor can be assigned and scheduled to meet your time demands. All student-athletes are strongly encouraged to use the tutor services. Tutors work with ODU student-athletes in their content areas of expertise, and assist students on a one-to-one basis or small group sessions to answer questions on course content, aid in comprehension of course material, and to help with studying for the course. Student-Athlete Academic Services offers tutoring and study hall in two locations. The primary location is the Jacobson Athletic Academic Center (JAAC) located in the Jim Jarrett Athletic Administration Building. The JAAC also has several private study rooms for ODU student-athletes to meet with athletic tutors on a one-to-one basis or to work on class projects. The secondary location is the JAAC-LR located in L.R Hill Sports Complex.
Educational Support Services
Educational Support Services (ESS) provides a variety of support to student-athletes with diagnosed learning disorders, ADHD, and other eligible permanent and temporary disabilities, and works to identify student-athletes with potential disabilities and provide them with further evaluation. ESS helps student-athletes register with the Office of Educational Accessibility on campus and manage their accommodations to use them as efficiently and effectively as possible. ESS houses one full-time educational support specialist and a team of academic learning assistants who provide one-on-one and group support to teach students valuable skills in areas of organization, time-management, reading, writing, note-taking, communicating, studying, and self-advocating while building academic independence and guiding them through course material.
Educational Support Services (ESS) exists within Student-Athlete Academic Services to provide individual and group skill development and strategy instruction for student-athletes.
ESS Staff:
ESS is led by the full time Educational Support Specialist and also includes a graduate intern and 10 part time academic learning assistants.
Services provided through ESS include:
- Screenings: all ODU student-athletes are screened upon arriving on campus. Screenings allow ESS to offer individualized support based on students’ specific needs. Sometimes students are referred for additional testing after screening results to further evaluate their specific needs.
- Office of Educational Accessibility Intakes and Registration: the Educational Support Specialist works directly with the Office of Educational Accessibility (OEA) on campus to register students with diagnoses and provide them access to necessary accommodations.
- Accommodation Management: student-athletes with accommodations through OEA are regularly communicated with regarding effective and appropriate use of accommodations and guided through accommodation usage as needed.
- Individual and Small Group Academic Support: many student-athletes are provided one on one and small group academic support through meetings with the Educational Support Specialist, ESS intern, or academic learning assistants. These appointments typically occur on a weekly basis and focus on the students specific academic needs.
- Large Group Academic Support: ESS also provides group and team-based workshops on topics such as study skills and final exam prep.
- Objective-Based Study Hall: student-athletes participating in objective-based study hall (OBSH) have the opportunity to reduce their time spent in study hall by earning study hall credit based on work completed rather than hours.
Incoming Student-Athletes with Existing Diagnoses
For incoming freshmen or transfer students with existing diagnoses, please reach out to Erin Cousins, Educational Support Specialist, at ecousins@odu.edu to provide documentation and discuss needs. When documentation is provided in advance, it allows you to access academic accommodations very quickly after arriving on campus.
Students with a diagnosis of ADHD and taking a medication on the NCAA’s banned substance list should be aware that if they wish to take their prescribed medication they must properly complete the NCAA Medical Exception Reporting Form to Support the Diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Treatment with Banned Stimulant Medication provided below as well as provide appropriate documentation including the following:
- o Medication(s) and dosage.
- o Blood pressure and pulse readings and comments.
- o Note that alternative non-banned medications have been considered, and comments.
- o Follow-up orders.
- o Date of clinical evaluation
- o Attach written report summary of comprehensive clinical evaluation. Please note that this includes the original clinical notes of the diagnostic evaluation.
The evaluation should include individual and family history, address any indication of mood disorders, substance abuse, and previous history of ADHD treatment, and incorporate the DSM criteria to diagnose ADHD. Attach supporting documentation, such as completed ADHD Rating Scale(s) (e.g., Connors, ASRS, CAARS) scores.
The evaluation can and should be completed by a clinician capable of meeting the requirements detailed above.
NCAA Medical Exception Reporting Form: https://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/ADHD%20reporting%20form.pdf
Counseling Services: SAAS employs a part time Student-Athlete Support Counselor. Services are free to student-athletes and she is available to meet with them individually for one time or recurring appointments depending on need. She also facilitates group workshops. Counseling can support students in dealing with a variety of stressors and is completely confidential.
Mobile Advising: Monarch student-athletes have priority registration, which allows them to obtain a schedule that is conducive with their unique practice and travel needs. A partnership between the Student Athletic Academic Services and various colleges on campus consists of a one-day mobile advising event to reduce any scheduling issues that student-athletes may encounter. This ensures enrollment in courses on the priority registration date.