When Lesley Young toured the University of Wyoming as a high school senior, UW’s commitment to academic performance was clear.
Prominent on her tour—along with Corbett Pool, where she’s now a standout swimmer for the Cowgirls—was the Rochelle Athletics Center.
“One of the first places they showed me was the RAC,upstairs where all the academic aid is, as well as the really nice computer lab and all the advisers’ offices and the tutors that are available,” says Young, a senior mechanical engineering major. “They also told me about how incoming freshmen are required to do a certain number of hours of study tables each week. “It was pretty clear that they had a really nice academic facility for the athletes to help us stay ahead of everything.”
On an average weeknight, the center is a hub of activity,as athletes work at computer stations and work with tutors, illustrating perfectly UW’s commitment to the academic success of its athletes. Dedication by administrators, coaches, and athletes has led to several academic accolades for UW’s athletes and teams, with almost every team earning some sort of regional or national honor during the 2009–2010 academic year.
“That’s a big part of this business,” athletic director Tom Burman says. “Obviously we want to compete well on the field of play, and we want to put kids in a position to succeed academically. Right now we’re making progress academically and we’re making progress competitively. It’s a good thing.”
To learn more visit the UW Athletics webpage.
Content courtesy of the UWYO Magazine
