Jamar Athletic Academic Support

The University of Minnesota-Duluth has an excellent tradition of academically preparing its athletes. Since 1985, the Jamar Athletic Academic Support Center (JAASC) has helped all student-athletes, regardless of their grade point average and academic abilities, to progress toward a degree from freshman orientation to graduation.

Over the past 23 years, over 94 percent of those athletes who participated in a varsity sport for four years have graduated. Additionally, the combined GPA for all UMD sports teams for the 2007-08 academic year was 2.93. Student-athletes at UMD spend a vast amount of time and energy, over and above their studies, to participate in their sport. That's why the JAASC's goal is to lend academic support to every athlete.

This support comes in many forms, including:

• Maintaining contact with athletic recruits and provide them with academic information.
• Assisting freshmen and transfer students during the orientation program.
• Coordinating study groups and tutoring opportunities for student athletes.
• Operating a computer lab during hours accessible for student-athletes.
• Conducting seminars that address timely academic and non-academic issues and concerns of student-athletes.
• Serving as a liaison/advocate with University academic and service departments, as well as with the faculty and their various departments.
• Helping students clarify and set academic goals, choose a major, explore careers and pursue job placement opportunities.

While it is the student-athlete's responsibility to maintain contact with his or her academic instructors and advisors as well as with coaches, the JAASC staff helps monitor the student-athlete's academic progress every semester. It provides a yearly check-out program to help each student-athlete review plans for classes, housing, financial aid and summer school for the following school year.

The 2007-08 academic year was another noteable one for UMD student-athletes in the classroom. The following is an example of some of the Bulldogs' accomplishments:

• The Athletic Academic Support Center llisted 192 student-athletes (out of a possible 418) who turned in grade point averages of 3.00 or better in 2007-08. Of that group, 79 achieved GPAs of 3.50 or above and 22 finished at least one semester with perfect 4.00 marks (14 attained 4.00 GPAs in both semesters). During the Fall Semester, both the men’s cross country and women’s cross country squads posted the best GPA of any Bulldog team with identical 3.26 averages while the women basketball Bulldogs held that honor this past spring after turning in a 3.30 figure..
• Individually, sophomore middle blocker Lindsey Clairmont (first team) and sophomore football center Tobias Lemke (second team) both received CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V acclaim this past season. U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association NCAA II All-Academic Team honors were bestowed on senior Eric Atkinson (cross country and track), Jared Clementson (track), freshman Elizabeth Crane (track), senior John Kallemeyn (cross country), and freshman Melissa Smith (track) as well as all four of the Bulldog men’s and women’s cross country and track teams. In addition, seniors Britt Baumann and Jon Rufledt were selected to the National Football Foundation National Honor Society in recognition of their outstanding accomplishments in the class room and on the playing field. Clementson and volleyball outside hitter Danielle Beckstrand, who maintained a perfect 4.00 grade point average this past school year, were chosen UMD's Top Scholar Male and Female Athletes (the E.L. Duce Rasmussen Award) for 2008-09.
• A total of 72 UMD student-athletes secured North Central Conference Academic Honor Roll status and 14 Bulldogs (eight men and six women) were named to the Western Collegiate Hockey Association All-Academic team.
• A group of 21 Bulldog student-athletes were named to the Jamar Athletic Academic Support Center Scholar List for maintaining the highest cumulative grade point average during the 2007-08 school year in their respective sports. Four seniors, eight juniors, two sophomores and seven freshmen, all of whom were 2005-06 letterwinners, comprise the JAASC.

University of Minnesota Duluth
CoSIDA Academic All-Americans