Nearly 40 faculty members are taking their interest in Tiger sports a step further and working to forge a stronger relationship between athletics and academics on campus.
They are part of the Academic-Athletic Fellows Program, an initiative started last spring by Director of Athletics Gary Walters.
The coach of each varsity team is required to identify a faculty member to serve as its academic-athletic fellow. His or her mission is to strengthen and reinforce the ties between a student's academic and athletic pursuits and to act as a resource for the student-athletes, coaches, academic administrators and faculty.
"I remember the impact that (then sociology professor) Marvin Bressler had on members of the basketball team," says Walters '67, recalling his days as a Princeton student-athlete. "My hope was that we could replicate that model for other athletic programs. I believe this makes Princeton unique in the way it facilitates harmony between academic and athletic pursuits."
Faculty members have been involved on an informal basis with the athletics department for years. The new program provides a more structured way of giving student-athletes a central reference point from which to identify various University resources, such as advice on resolving specific academic and social issues. The goal is to recognize the value of athletic participation as a complement to an undergraduate education as well as to provide role models for the student-athletes.
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Contact: Marilyn Marks (609) 258-3601
