ACADEMIC CENTER The Student-Athlete Enhancement Center at Middle Tennessee houses the academic support system and the Blue Raider Athlete Skills for Success (B.R.A.S.S.) Life Skills Program for all 17 Division I-A sports. The center is housed at Johnny “Red� Floyd Football Stadium on Raider Drive. The facility opened its doors on January 4, 1999, to the delight of student-athletes, coaches, and administrators. Blue Raider student-athletes can take advantage of the library-like atmosphere as they report for their required study hall hours under the watchful eyes of director, Jim Rost; assistant director and coordinator of B.R.A.S.S., Wynnifred Counts and assistants Debbie Carroll and Angel Nathan. Rost, in his second year at the helm, makes his way to Middle Tennessee after four years as associate director/academic advisor for football at LSU. The center consists of administrative offices, fully equipped individual and group tutoring rooms, a computer center, and spacious study carrels equipped with task lighting. Services provided by the center include help with registration and preregistration, help with study skills, and updates on NCAA legislation. The center uses an innovative objective study table program, which includes daily mentoring and constant tutoring. Tutors in various subjects are scheduled in the tutoring rooms throughout all hours of operation, and all tutoring takes place at the center. The SAEC staff is responsible for daily monitoring of the student-athletes progress providing daily reports to coaches and meeting with the entire coaching staff weekly. The mission of the center is to help student-athletes take skills learned on the field and turn them into positive preparation for life after college. The
Middle Tennessee has inducted 51 studentathletes into the Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society after just three years of being eligible. In 2005, the first year Blue Raider student-athletes could be inducted, a total of 26 were recognized. Middle Tennessee placed 10 student-athletes into the society in 2006 and 15 in 2007. Chi Alpha Sigma is a nonprofit organization established to recognize college students who earn a varsity letter in at least one sport while maintaining a 3.4 or higher cumulative GPA throughout their junior and senior years. The goal of the organization is to recognize outstanding academic achievement by intercollegiate athletes.
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Jim Rost Director
Wynnifred Counts Associate Director
Debbie Carroll
Academic Counselor
Angel Nathan
Assistant Director
2006-07 Academic Review l 156 of 312 student-athletes made the honor roll (3.0) for the fall semester and 163 of 294 made the list for the spring semester. l 79 student-athletes made the Dean’s List (3.5) in the fall, and 80 accomplished the feat during the spring. l 21 student-athletes made a perfect 4.0 in the fall and 18 made the list for spring. l The spring semester GPA for all student-athletes was 3.01. center is also committed to meeting the changing needs of student-athletes. It continues to promote partnerships between the University, the NCAA, and the Murfreesboro community to help achieve its goals. In addition to providing the academic support needed to be successful in the classroom, the center is committed to meeting the needs of student-athletes in life skills development through the very popular B.R.A.S.S. Program. As B.R.A.S.S. coordinator, Counts is dedicated to helping prepare student-athletes for life after college. Blue Raiders volunteer, when possible, to help teachers and students at elementary and middle schools throughout Rutherford County during the academic year. In the spring of each year, Special Olympics at Middle Tennessee uses Blue Raider student-athletes to run each event. Career night and substance and alcohol abuse seminars are yearly, well-attended events. Social events such as the Spring Student-Athlete Ball are eagerly anticipated as the only time during the year when all student-athletes can be together.
2007-08 Blue Raider Basketball