Academic Support Services

Intercollegiate competition is a rewarding extracurricular activity that can add a special dimension to a student's life. The student-athlete at Marist can utilize its academic support programs, with Director of Academic Advisement for Student-Athletes, Alyssa Gates, Academic Fellow Lynsey Miller, and their staff helping to ensure that student-athletes successfully balance their commitment of academics and athletics.

Gates and her staff provide student-athletes with academic support through various means, including academic advisors, tutors, and study facilities, which help the student-athlete to not only be successful in the classroom but also to prepare them to be successful long after their playing careers are complete.

"I most enjoy the daily interaction with the student-athletes," says Gates. "Our program helps the athletes help themselves. One of the most rewarding parts of the job is to watch them develop the necessary skills to allow them to succeed both in and out of the classroom."

Gates and her staff play a vital role in the student-athlete's career at Marist from the time that each person steps on the Hudson River Campus until each student walks at commencement, both in and out of the classroom.

Center for Student-Athlete Enhancement

The Center for Student-Athlete Enhancement provides the Marist student-athletes with a venue in which to pursue academic and life skills. The center provides 30 computers with access to research databases, as well as word processing programs. Students also have access to a group-study conference room, and individual tutorial rooms in which to study.

Academic Advisement Program

The Athletics-Academic Advisement program has two main focuses: The first is to be a valuable resource to the student-athlete for all types of collegiate information. Gates and her staff help student-athletes create a class schedule that allows each individual to maximize class participation without compromising their athletic commitments. The office also assists student-athletes to identify major and pre-professional programs that will prepare them for life in the professional world. Additionally, the Athletics-Academic Advisement office serves as a safety net. In this capacity, the office staff monitors student-athletes progress through the course of the semester. Should a student-athlete begin to struggle in a class, the professional staff intervenes and helps the individual through the learning process by identifying the problem and assisting in organizing tutorials and study hall sessions to help the student better understand class material and improve their study skills.

Gates and Marist's National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Faculty Representative Dr. John Ritschdorff, help the student-athletes to prioritize their time so as not to be overwhelmed by the adjustment to college life. They provide assistance in helping the student-athlete to balance the rigors of academic and athletic demands. "Marist wants its student-athletes to have as complete a collegiate experience as possible," said Ritschdorff. "We want each student-athlete to walk away from Marist having not just taken classes and competed but having experienced campus life as a whole."

Marist Vice President of Student Affairs, Deb DiCaprio, is an avid supporter of the Athletics-Academic Advisement Program. DiCaprio sees each participant, at whatever level of competition, as a student-athlete, a person who is first and foremost a student, but who also extends and heightens his or her undergraduate experience through personal fitness and team dedication.

CHAMPS/Life Skills

Marist has implemented the CHAMPS/Life Skills Program to provide student-athletes with the opportunity to experience programs that increase their academic and personal successes. The program is designed to give the student-athletes the support and skills needed to become effective citizens, inspired leaders and motivated activists after their graduation from college. The CHAMPS/Life Skills program focuses on five areas of commitment: Academic Excellence, Athletic Excellence, Personal Development, Career Development, and Community Service. To this means the Department of Athletics provides seminars on Violence Prevention, Drug & Alcohol Education, Nutrition & Eating Disorders, Career Development, a Faculty & Peer Mentor Program, and Community Service projects.

As part of the Marist College CHAMPS/Life Skills Program two student-athletes are selected by the NCAA to attend the Foundation Leadership Conference each year. The mission of the NCAA Foundation Leadership Conference is to provide student-athlete leaders with a multitude of challenging and thought-provoking activities that will enable them to become agents of change on their campuses and in their communities. As a result of participation, the student-athletes will enhance their communication skills, decision-making and problem-solving skills, critical-thinking skills, and collaborative skills.

Community Outreach

Realizing that Marist's student-athletes serve as role models to elementary and high school students in the area, Gates sponsors several community outreach projects. In this arena, Marist student-athletes visit schools and speak to students throughout the Mid-Hudson Valley about the importance of education and how staying in school and concentrating on their academics allowed them the opportunity to earn a scholarship and fulfill their dream of becoming a Division I athlete. The student-athletes also talk about the importance of time management and how developing good habits at a young age can only benefit in the long run.