June 12, 2008

During his tenure at Maryland, head coach Gary Williams has guided the Terrapins to success both on the basketball court and in the classroom. The Academic Support Unit as well as the coaching staff have supported players in their pursuit of graduation and excellence in the classroom. The demands of student-athletes make it difficult for any college athlete to graduate in four years. Due to our student-athletes commitment to their education and the staff, The Terrapins have had seven seniors graduate at the University of Maryland within the past two years. Within the athletic department and located in the Comcast Center, we have one of the best Academic Support Units in the country.

The Academic Support Unit provides all Maryland basketball players the guidance and support needed in pursuit of their academic careers and goals. The head of the Academic Support Unit at the University of Maryland is Anton Goff. The Men's Basketball Academic Advisor is Natahsa Criss and the players also have access to a Learning Specialist position within the Academic Support Unit, all of whom work with team members on a daily basis. The system and the people that are in place have helped our players progress academically, and has been a big part of the success in our graduating seniors within the last two years and for the future graduates who are currently in the program. Our academic system and policy that we have instilled requires the following of our student athletes:

o Enroll in a minimum of 15 credits per semester.
o Mandatory weekly meetings with Natasha Criss, to oversee academic semester progress.
o Minimum of four hours per week of participation in our Intensive Learning Program.
o Team study hall hours required on a weekly basis.
o Mandatory weekly meeting with coaches about academic progress.
o Early deadlines for all essays, papers and major assignments due in specific classes.
o Individual peer tutoring for specific classes.
o Academic major and minor advising.
o Access to study lounge with computers and printers for researching and printing assignments.

The requirements and program in place for all our student-athletes enables men's basketball players to obtain their degrees at the University of Maryland within four years. In the past two years we have had seven Maryland Basketball players graduate out of a possible nine total. Those players that have graduated are as follows:

Will Bowers
Parrish Brown
Gini Chukura
James Gist
Ekene Ibekwe
Jason McAlpin
Bambale Osby

Maryland's two players who didn't graduate during the past two years decided to withdrawal from school early to pursue a career in professional basketball. One of them is currently in the NBA, while the other is currently playing professionally in Europe. Both players are planning to come back to Maryland to complete their degrees when their careers allow. Additionally, Maryland's only senior for 2009 (Dave Neal) is on place to graduate in the Spring of 2009, while all three juniors are on track to graduate on time in the Spring of 2010. All four current upperclassmen are on pace to graduate in four years while also maintaining grade point averages over 2.5.

Below are some testimonials about the academic program at Maryland and first hand experiences of how our players have achieved success in the classroom at Maryland:

Bambale Osby, Class of 2008
"The academic program at the University of Maryland, which is put together to help the students succeed in classroom, while also playing a college sport, is incredible. Thanks to the program's tutors, and schedules that the Academic Support Unit was able to tailor to my wishes and needs, I was able to graduate in the two years I was allotted. I thank the coaching staff, compliance and Academic Support Unit for such a grand opportunity and helping me to achieve my goal of getting my degree."

Linda Gist, Mother of James Gist - Class of 2008
"My husband and I remained highly accessible to the Academic Support Branch staff through phone calls and emails on a regular basis and demanded the same in return. Performing as a student-athlete is extremely difficult. It takes time management skills and a high level of emotional intelligence to balance the huge demands of the court and the classroom which are so intrinsically different"

Jason McAlpin, Scholar Athlete Award, Class of 2008
"Being a part of the Maryland Basketball Program is like being a part of a tight knit family where you have uncles, aunts, and cousins who make sure you're staying on top of your work and that you're getting the necessary preparation you'll need for life after college. Natasha and the rest of academic support do an unbelievable job of working with the players and their teachers to ensure that the players are in good standing in all of their classes. In her first year with the basketball program, Natasha was able to graduate all three seniors."

Greivis Vasquez, Junior and Graduating Class of 2010
"The academic support staff at Maryland has really enabled me to succeed academically during my first two years here at Maryland. The coaching staff as well as Natasha have closely monitored my academic progress and have made sure that I'm on top of my school work on a daily basis. The requirements of study hall and tutoring are helpful to make sure that all of my assignments are done on time and I'm prepared for all my exams."

Dave Neal, Senior and Graduating Class of 2009
"The academic support group has been a great benefit for me and has really helped my success in the classroom and helped me to pursue my dream of graduating from the University of Maryland. Without the help of my coaches pushing me everyday about getting my work done and Natasha Criss making me come to study hall I wouldn't be anywhere close to where I am now. They are all a great help and I really appreciate it!"

Parrish Brown, Class of 2007
"The academic support at The University of Maryland is a real helpful program. When I first came to The University of Maryland the classes and just the adjustment was hard, but with the help of the academic support program and the help of the coaches I adjusted to the classes and how to organize my time and I graduated."