Tutors, s
By Susie Reitz
Although some students may think the
scholarship athletes receive preferential
treatment in classes, they don't, according
to Ursula Walsh, academic counselor for
scholarship athletes.
"I think many students think the
athlete is favored by the professor," she
said, "but often professors are extra tough
on the athletes because they don't want to
be accused of favoritism."
First semester freshmen with football
and basketball scholarships are required to
attend a first semester study hall every
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 7
to 9 pjn., Walsh said.
"Attendance is mandatory," she said.
"It's explained to the athlete before he gets
the scholarship that this is expected."
Study time scarce
With classes in the morning and pract
ices all afternoon, the athlete often does
not have time to see teacher assistants or
professors with a problem, Walsh said.
"We provide tutors for scholarship
athletes only," she said, "to make up for
the lack of time during the day.
"Upperclassmen also may attend the
study halls and tutors are available for any
scholarship athlete, Walsh said.
Women athletes and non-scholarship
male athletes are not allowed to have paid
tudv ha s
help busy a
thletes
tutors according to National Collegiate
Athletic Association and Women's Inter
collegiate Athletic Association rules, Walsh
said.
Four full-time tutors
Four full-time tutors are available
during study halls, and part-time tutors
help when Jiere is a test or a heavy load in
one subject, Walsh said. Full-time tutors
work five to six hours a week.
"We hire tutors in accounting, calculus,
and English full-time," Walsh said, "be
cause those are the subjects with which the
students need help most often,"
Tutors also are available in physics,
chemistry and other subjects but do not
come to study hall regularly, she said.
"We try to keep track of time spent by
each athlete with a tutor," she said "some
times it will indicate how he is getting
along in the subject or indicate a problem
area."
Walsh also keeps records of individual
grades on quizzes, tests and papers, she
said. If a student fails a test or paper, she
talks with him to identify problems.
Attendance problem
"If there is some problem with attend
ance, I ask the professor to make a report
for a couple of weeks, Walsh said, "but
that usually isn't necessary."
uoicK is niunnino a workshop for the
athletes in note-taking, efneient reading of
text books, managing time and hints on
test taking, she said.
"We're planning it for Oct. 23 after the
mid-semester so they can see where they
really need help," she said.
Tutors said they act as catalysts for the
athletes.
"I didn't realize how short of time they
are, with classes and practices all the time,"
accounting tutor Becky Arney said.
"Knowing how short my time is, I just
can't imagine doing all they do and getting
it all done.
No stereotypes
Ruth Pekar, English tutor, said, "Some
thing I found from tutoring was that no
athlete fits the stereotype.
"I imagined them to be cocky, a little
stupid and very demanding," Pekar said,
"but it's been just the opposite."
When she started tutoring 15 years ago,
she said freshman English was standardized
and most freshmen were studying the same
thing.
With varied freshman English classes,
Pekar said, it is rare for more than two
athletes to be on the same subject. She
works on an individual basis now, she said.
Pekar. who also has tutored nnn.athia..
w uv tw
and special services students, said she sees
no difference in ability between athletes
and other students.
Athletes representative
"Athletes are like a cross-section of stu
cents," Pekar said, "some really bright,
some slow, but most just average."
Margaret Robertson, a former English
teacher has tutored English for two years.
Calculus tutor Betty Johnson, a junior,
said she helps with individual problems and
review for tests. She applied as a math
counselor in the Math Dept. and was re
ferred to the Athletic Dept., she said.
Judy Hansen, a graduate educational
psychology student, helps Walsh supervise
the study halls and keep academic records.
This is the first year Walsh has been full
time academic counselor. The past two
years she has been part-time counselor and
part-time professor in Teachers College.
She still teaches a graduate course in tests
and measurements, she said.
"What we try to do in the study halls by
providing tutors, is to make learning fun,"
Walsh said. "We don't want the athlete
to look on studies as a chore, we want
them to have fun learning.
"We assure they are here to get a degree
and we keep that in mind at all times."
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Photo by Ttd Kirk
Cowboy ninnino back Terry Miller (43) didn't escape Husker John Lee
(69) this time during Nebraska's 28-20 win in Stillwater last Saturday.
Photo by Kvln Hilty
Husker d?fen!v end E'- uirin 7 ...si , i,
after recovering from a knee infection.
