A new program, referred to as the Facilitating Learning and Achieving Graduation (FLAG) Program was offered to Academic Services Administrators of all OVC schools by the NCAA in a conference call with the administrators held on Feb. 24, 2011.Lance Jasitt, Athletics and Student Welfare assistant director, said that he was “intrigued by the programs ability to determine academic risk factors in student-athletes.”
FLAG consists of software provided by the NCAA to participating schools and provides student-athletes with a series of questions.
After all questions are answered, the program then determines a number of risk factors, which then can be accessed by the school’s administrators.
According to Jasitt, the software determines not only academic risk factors, but also other psychological or socioeconomic issues that a student-athlete might be facing.
FLAG also provides solutions and a number of resources to tackle these issues. Jasitt said the program would be a beneficial tool to the entire University, since it could be helpful in detecting early signs of problems in athletes.
Jasitt said that he is in the process of evaluating the program and hopes to make a decision this summer.
Jasitt will learn more about the program when he attends the 36th Annual National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics Convention, held June 2-5in Dallas.
“I would consider making it part of the orientation for incoming athletes and also for athletes who currently are academically at risk” Jasitt said,
According to Jasitt, the program would be free of charge, and no contract would be involved.
FLAG would be an additional resource to those the Athletic Advising Office is already offering.
Last year, Tech student-athletes scored the second highest combined semester GPA in school history.
