Who Are Athletic Advisors? State of the Profession

Citation: Lisa M. Rubin (2017) Who Are Athletic Advisors? State of the Profession. NACADA Journal: 2017, Vol. 37, No. 1, pp. 37-50.The field of athletic advising has existed since the 1970s. In the early 1990s, the National Collegiate Athletic Association mandated that higher education institutions provide academic support for student-athletes. Few researchers have identified those serving as athletic advisors, so the literature features little data on advisor demographics, training, education, and work responsibilities. Therefore, the background and experiences of 277 members of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics, who responded to a survey, were explored. Specifically, athletic advisor educational and training background, burnout levels, meaning of the profession as participants describe it, advice for prospective advisors, and the knowledge they wish they had gained before entering the field are addressed. Dramaturgy was utilized as a framework for analyzing this research

Perspectives of Title IX Pioneers: Equity, Equality and Need

The purpose of the study was to analyze the perspectives of Title IX trailblazers noting changes over a 40-year span as identified by participating Mountain West Conference athletic departments. Questions posed to participants focused on Title IX’s impact on participants, their personal contributions to gender equity, and how athletic departments have committed to gender equity over the past 40 years by supporting opportunities for women in athletics. Participants were recruited directly by their respective MWC school, and agreed to be videotaped for a MWC production shared publicly and submitted for a national competition. Video recordings were transcribed and analyzed. From the transcripts a coding system was developed to identify themes and concepts. Coding was undertaken through comparative analysis and in line with the two part process identified by Charmaz (2006). The data were evaluated using the theoretical framework of distributive justice to view women’s experiences in intercollegiate athletics over the 40 year period of Title IX implementation (Mahony & Pastore, 1998). This theoretical grounding was used to illuminate ways in which resource decisions are made which often disadvantage women, and to examine the perceptions of fairness based on equity, equality and need (Mahony & Pastore, 1998) within athletic departments. The integration of the distributive justice framework in the data analysis illuminates the power differentials as well as the challenges women have faced in intercollegiate athletics directly attributable to Title IX. Analysis of the videos compiled revealed three primary themes, 1) Eras / generational differences, 2) Fighting for resources, and 3) Leadership and life skills development, along with several subthemes. Discussion of key themes and the resulting implications are presented.Citation: Rubin, L.M., & Lough, N. (2015). Perspectives of title IX pioneers: Equity, equality and need. Journal of Intercollegiate Sport, 8, 109-130. doi:10.1123/jis.2014-0114

Athletic Subculture within Student-Athlete Academic Centers

Citation: Rubin, L. R., & Moses, R. A. (2017). Athletic Subculture within Student-Athlete Academic Centers. Sociology of Sport Journal. (Forthcoming). http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/ssj.2016-0138Over 400,000 student-athletes participate in NCAA intercollegiate athletics programs. Due to their dual roles as student and athlete, they have a different college experience than the general student population. Specialized academic centers and resources for student-athletes are part of the reason they are separated and often isolated from the rest of campus. Teams have their own unique academic subculture that influences each student-athlete in his or her academic pursuits. The purpose of this study is to explore the athletic academic subculture among student-athletes at the Division I level and the role the athletic academic center and special resources play in cultivating a separate culture from the campus culture. Symbolic interactionism was the framework used as the lens to view the results of this study in the context of neoliberalism

Variety Show

My exhibit is called "Variety Show" because each piece addresses a different issue, with the common denominator being paint-by-number paintings. I use paint-by-number paintings because I am interested in how painting functions in people's homes as opposed to painting's existence in galleries and museums. The images in paint-by-number paintings can be perceived as being cliche, but are in fact barometers of our culture. Hence, each paint-by number painting heralds its own message. By putting these paint by-number paintings in revealing contexts, through the device of presentation, I can interpret their meanings and create new ones. In conclusion, my work addresses domestic art and its presentation in people's lives. Presentation becomes a metaphor for constructions of reality and, by the way I present my presentations, presentation becomes subject matter. The wall becomes part of the work of art, creating a context that persists in reminding the viewer of the picture we call reality. &nbsp;</p

“I Might as Well Get My Education”: The Experiences of Black Male Division III College Athletes

Division III college athletes have been largely ignored in the growing literature involving college sport. Given that the majority of college athletes that participate in high profile sports are athletes of color, there is a need to explore the experiences of this population, specifically at the Division III level. Informed by the Excellence Beyond Athletics (EBA) framework, which empowers students of color, especially Black male athletes, the purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of Black male athletes at two rural Division III institutions. Ten Black male Division III athletes took part in semi-structured interviews. Using inductive analysis and descriptive coding, six final themes were established: College Choice/Financial Issues, Academics, Time Management, Athletic Identity/Culture, Commitment to Athletics, and Campus Climate/Black Experience. This study strives to better understand the experiences of Black male college athletes at the Division III level in hopes of enhancing the student experience through impactful programming

Assessing the Risk of 100-year Freshwater Floods in the Lamprey River Watershed of New Hampshire Resulting from Changes in Climate and Land Use

What is the coastal resource issue the project sought to address? Both the magnitude and frequency of freshwater flooding is on the rise in seacoast NH and around much of New England. In the Great Bay watershed, this is the result of two primary causes: 1) increases in impervious surface stemming from a three-to-four fold increase in developed land since 1962; and 2) changing rainfall patterns in part exemplified by a doubling in the frequency of extreme weather events that drop more than 4 inches of precipitation in less than 48 hours (Wake et al., 2011) over the same time period. Moreover, the size of the 100-year precipitation event in this region has increased 26% from 6.3 inches to 8.5 inches from the mid 1950’s to 2010 (NRCC and NRCS, 2012). One consequence is the occurrence of three 100-year floods measured on the Lamprey River at Packers Falls since 1987, and a fourth if the three days of flooding in March of 2010 had occurred instead in two days (Figure 1). Flooding events are expected to continue to increase in magnitude and frequency as land in the watershed is further developed and climate continues to change in response to anthropogenic forcing (e.g., Hayhoe et el., 2007; IPCC, 2007; Karl et al., 2009). Land use management strategies, in particular low impact development (LID) zoning requirements, are one strategy that communities can employ for increased resiliency to flooding with the greatest influence in urban environments

Assessing the Risk of 100-year Freshwater Floods in the Lamprey River Watershed of New Hampshire Resulting from Changes in Climate and Land Use

What is the coastal resource issue the project sought to address? Both the magnitude and frequency of freshwater flooding is on the rise in seacoast NH and around much of New England. In the Great Bay watershed, this is the result of two primary causes: 1) increases in impervious surface stemming from a three-to-four fold increase in developed land since 1962; and 2) changing rainfall patterns in part exemplified by a doubling in the frequency of extreme weather events that drop more than 4 inches of precipitation in less than 48 hours (Wake et al., 2011) over the same time period. Moreover, the size of the 100-year precipitation event in this region has increased 26% from 6.3 inches to 8.5 inches from the mid 1950’s to 2010 (NRCC and NRCS, 2012). One consequence is the occurrence of three 100-year floods measured on the Lamprey River at Packers Falls since 1987, and a fourth if the three days of flooding in March of 2010 had occurred instead in two days (Figure 1). Flooding events are expected to continue to increase in magnitude and frequency as land in the watershed is further developed and climate continues to change in response to anthropogenic forcing (e.g., Hayhoe et el., 2007; IPCC, 2007; Karl et al., 2009). Land use management strategies, in particular low impact development (LID) zoning requirements, are one strategy that communities can employ for increased resiliency to flooding with the greatest influence in urban environments

Comparing Division IA Scholarship and Non-Scholarship Student-Athletes: A Discriminant Analysis of Academic Performance

Many research studies have examined the academic performance and graduation rates of college student-athletes. The limited focus on scholarship student-athletes has overlooked the majority of NCAA student-athletes, those participating in collegiate athletic programs without athletic scholarships. Therefore, this study contributes to a gap in the literature about non-scholarship student-athletes. The following dissertation examined the academic performance, time-to-degree, and demographic and profile characteristics of Division IA scholarship and non-scholarship student-athletes. The theoretical framework for this study was work motivation viewing athletic scholarships as extrinsic rewards. The researcher applied descriptive discriminant analysis utilizing secondary data to compare scholarship and non-scholarship student-athletes across several variables. Results of this study showed that non-scholarship student-athletes were described by the variables of sport (Women\u27s Outdoor Track and Field), race (Asian, White), sport type (Individual), and sex (Female). Non-Scholarship student-athletes had higher grade point averages than scholarship student-athletes. The scholarship student-athlete group was described by race (Black), sport (Football, Men\u27s Basketball, Women\u27s Basketball), sport type (Team), and sex (Male). Scholarship student-athletes graduated in fewer semesters than non-scholarship student-athletes did. This finding suggests that academic performance and time-to-degree variables are inversely related based on scholarship status. The results of the study showed significant differences between the scholarship and non-scholarship student-athlete groups based on demographic, academic performance, and time-to-degree variables

Maternal Reflections on Working from Home with Children during the Pandemic

Due to widespread work and school closures during the early waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, many mothers were forced to work from home while supervising their children’s remote schooling. The current study examines maternal reflections on this period, focusing on the perceived impact of working in close proximity for both mothers and their children in the United States. Mothers reported that their children learned more about their job responsibilities since the onset of the pandemic compared to before it, which was likely due to children spending more time closer to their mothers while they worked. We used thematic analysis to examine mothers’ open-ended responses. Two overarching themes emerged. The first theme was that greater time together increases children’s understanding of working mothers’ role in the family, workplace, and community. The second theme was that observing one’s mother work from home can inform children’s future career paths. Mothers shared that this experience of learning about their mothers’ career enabled their children to better understand their perspective, which has the potential to be an empathy-building experience. Looking towards the future, this increased respect and empathy have the potential to improve relationship quality and help children view their mothers’ careers more favourably