Student Success Initiatives

Student-Athlete Support Model and Philosophy

The characteristics that make up a good student are strikingly similar to the characteristics that make up a successful athlete: Gritty, determined, coachable, able to handle adversity, willing to get out of one’s comfort zone and commit to improving a little each day are some of the defining characteristics of a great student-athlete. We believe in a student-centered model where we put the student’s big-picture success at the core of everything that we do.

In order for you, as a student, to have holistic success, SBCC Athletics believes that you need to start by accepting the following statements:

   1. Grit is your first prerequisite: Success as a student has less to do with IQ and more to do with your approach and effort; Work toward getting a day better each day.

   2. Come with a mindset that you can grow and improve as a student. Get outside of your comfort zone; Be willing to make mistakes. The brain is capable of tremendous change and development. Focus on the process and the outcomes will ultimately take care of themselves!

   3. Recognize that academic success involves many social and cultural factors. You will need to learn the social and cultural practices of “the academy,” which includes the ability to speak and write in “academese” and learn the nuances of each discipline.

   4. Understand that SBCC intends to provide “scaffolding” support: Scaffolding is a temporary structure designed to aid in the construction of a building. Our mission is to provide you with the sort of support that leads to you being an independent and self-reliant student that is vested in the academic community.

   5. (Re)Define what it means to be a student-athlete. There exist several negative stereotypes about student-athletes being “dumb jocks.” This is unacceptable and we refuse to feed into this stereotype. It's OUR responsibility to debunk the myth of the “dumb jock.”

SBCC Athletics Student Success Initiatives:

   1. Student Athlete Academic Achievement Zone
   2. Student Athlete Academic Mentor Program Modules
   3. Vaqademic Planner
   4. SBCC OnTrack -- Use this Platform to request tutors and communicate with your professors.