Sharing the thrill of victory in the field of academics

Across college campuses, academics and athletics often seem at odds with each other, combatants in a philosophical tug of war.

But a new program at Southeast Missouri State University aims to bridge that divide by showing that athletics and academics are partners in the college experience.

The program, Success in Scholarship/Success in Sports, seeks to recognize faculty and staff who have been mentors to student-athletes while at the same time emphasizing that athletes are students first.

School officials say the program may be the first of its kind in the nation.

Like at every college, most of Southeast's student-athletes won't have careers in professional sports.

"They are here to get an education first," said Melissa Muth, an assistant professor at Kent Library who served on a three-member campus committee that developed the program.

The program will be unveiled at Saturday's home football game at Houck Stadium where Dr. Rebecca Summary, a College of Business professor who heads the economics and finance department, will be honored in the game program and on the field.

She was nominated by graduate student Chuck McElroy, who was a tight end on the football team as an undergraduate student. He graduated in May with a business finance degree.

He's back in school this fall, seeking a master's in business administration and working part-time as an academic adviser to student-athletes.

McElroy likes the concept of having student-athletes nominate faculty and staff for recognition as mentors.

"It is a great program to build relationships between faculty and athletics," he said.

Some faculty and even some students, he said, think of athletes as being academically poor.

McElroy said Summary treated him as a serious student. "She found out I was serious about school," he said. "She didn't discount the fact that I was a football player."

McElroy said Summary also was understanding of the time demands associated with being on the football team.

Summary said she was pleasantly surprised to be picked by the committee as the first honoree of the new program.

The real honor, she said, was being nominated by one of her students.

"It is the only kind of honor that really matters as far as I am concerned," she said.

Summary said athletes are no different than other students.

"I have had some excellent student-athletes in my classes, and I have had some that haven't been," she said.

As for McElroy, Summary said he graduated with honors. "He is a smart kid," she said.

Dr. Susan Swartwout, faculty senate chairman and associate professor of English, said the program seeks to improve both public and campus understanding of both academics and athletics.

"The goal is to have academics celebrated at sports games and athletics celebrated in the classroom," said Swartwout, who served on the committee that created the program.

When student-athletes nominate faculty for such an award, it shows they care about academics, Swartwout said.

At every home football and basketball game, a different college within the university will be recognized and a mentor honored from that college.

The athletics department is providing free tickets to the game for faculty and staff and their families in the selected college.

Swartwout and committee member Dr. Ed Leoni, a health and recreation professor, said it's good public relations to stress academics at athletic events. Sporting events get more public attention than academic accomplishments, they said.

By taking advantage of such events, the university can better publicize academics to both the campus community and the general public, committee members said.

Leoni, who is a faculty representative for Southeast to the NCAA, said the conflict between academics and athletics was visible during the budget crisis at the Cape Girardeau school last year.

Some faculty suggested cutting back on the athletics budget, while others like Leoni said the university couldn't compete for students without a solid athletics program.

Both academics and athletics are important to a university, Leoni said.

"Learning doesn't just stop or start in the classroom," he said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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