Student Athletes and Academic Achievement 

Professor Van Rheenen is a scholar and practitioner in the field of the academic achievement of student athletes, as he approaches the topic both in his academic writing and his work directing UC Berkeley's Athletic Study Center. The publications below address a variety of issues facing athletes in academia, from identity to exploitation.  All publications (if available) are accessible in PDF format by selecting the citation link.


The Educational Dilemma of Academic Support for NCAA College Athletes: Playing the High-Stakes Game of Advising to the APR

Introduction to Intercollegiate Athletics in Higher Education

Abstract: The National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Academic Performance Rate (APR) legislation highlights the competing values and priorities inherent in the academic support of Division I student athletes. This chapter evaluates the effects of the APR reform initiative since its establishment in 2003, providing a case study of the University of Connecticut Men’s Basketball program, the first major conference team penalized under the APR legislation. Since being banned from post-season competition in 2013, UConn has made a strong academic rebound in its APR scores. The chapter draws on this case study as a possible intervention model for other Division I programs at risk and describes the challenges and opportunities within academic support for college athletes in light of these high stakes metrics. The chapter concludes with several policy recommendations for academic support practitioners to achieve desired student outcomes.

Van Rheenen, D. (2014). The educational dilemma of academic support for NCAA college athletes: Playing the high-stakes game of advising to the APR. In Introduction to Intercollegiate Athletics in American Higher Education. The Johns Hopkins University Press. 

 


Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Perceived Exploitation of College Athletes Questionnaire

Abstract: The exploitation of college athletes has been a topic of controversy within American higher education for over half of a century. Ever since the term student-athlete was coined in the 1950s (Sperber, 1999), academics and administrators have debated the extent to which the commercialization of college sports has turned college athletes into commodities, excluded from the free market while their coaches, colleges, and conferences reap huge financial rewards (Branch, 2011; Van Rheenen, 2013; Zimbalist, 1999). Especially in the revenue-generating sports of men’s basketball and football, critics have highlighted the surplus gains expropriated by colleges and universities on the backs of these young men....

Van Rheenen, D and Atwood, J. (2014). Confirmatory Factor Analysis of Perceived Exploitation of College Athletes Questionnaire In the Journal of College Student Development. Volume 5, Issue 5, p. 486-491.

Academic Motivation and the Student Athlete

Abstract: The researchers in this large-scale study of Division I athletes examined the achievement motivation of 361 university student athletes. The relationship of motivational orientation to academic performance and identification was investigated using a paper and pencil Likert-type scale instrument based on self-worth theory. Fear of failure and the relative commitment to athletics was found to play important roles in the academic motivation of both revenue and nonrevenue student athletes."

Simons, H., and Van Rheenen, D. (1999). Academic Motivation and the Student Athlete. Journal of College Student Development. Volume 40, Number 2.


The Dilemma of a Student Athlete: Balancing Athletics and Academics


Abstract: "Student athletes face a dilemma. They are expected to be both successful in the classroom as well as on the field of play. The dilemma arises because the athletic and academic domains of their lives are often in conflict; intercollegiate athletes face the difficult task of resolving this conflict by striking a balance between them. The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of this athletic academic relationship on academic performance at an academically elite Division I university...."

Van Rheenen, D., Herbert, S., and Covington, M. (----). The Dilemma of a Student Athlete: Balancing Athletics and Academics. [original study copy]


Exploitation in College Sports: Race, Revenue, and Educational Reward

International Review for the Sociology of Sport

Abstract: The question of whether college athletes are exploited is regularly debated in the popular press and academic literature about college sports. The concept of exploitation, with its philosophical and psychological implications, however, is rarely discussed in detail. This paper problematizes and expands the way in which the concept has been presented within the context of college sports, arguing that exploitation is primarily a moral construct understood as an unfair exchange between two parties. For college athletes, an unfair financial exchange can be measured by comparing the surplus value and marginal revenue product. These calculations may evidence the degree of economic exploitation, but many people still believe college athletes are fairly compensated with a subsistence wage in the form of an athletic scholarship. It is more difficult to quantify the promise or value of an education above and beyond this subsistence wage, most often defined as a college degree. The over-representation of Black college athletes on revenue-producing teams, and the corresponding lower graduation rates of this population when compared to other students, highlight the racial and cultural divisions of opportunity. Institutions face a crisis of conscience when educational opportunities are offered to certain students based primarily on their athletic ability, especially when these opportunities are perceived as disingenuous due to the academic preparation and demanding athletic commitments of these recruited college athletes.

Van Rheenen, D. (2013). Exploitation in College Sports: Race, Revenue and Educational Reward. International Review for the Sociology of Sport Volume 48, Issue 5, October 2013: 550-571.  Reprinted in Sport and Leisure Management, M. Weed (Ed.). NZ: Canterbury Christ Church University, December 2013.


jssae-ds.jpg

The Elimination of Varsity Sports at a Division I Institution
Journal for the Study of Sports and Athletes in Education

Abstract: The elimination and subsequent reinstatement of five varsity sports at the University of California, Berkeley during the 2010-11 academic year may provide a modern success story in college sports, but the events which transpired at Berkeley also exposed many of the fundamental tensions inherent to NCAA Division I athletics today. This success story might be read as a cautionary tale, highlighting the exclusion of the college athletes themselves within the decision-making process. While their sports were ultimately saved, these young people’s lives were transformed. Grounded in critical theory, this study provides a systematic evaluation of student athlete responses to sport elimination, examining their perceptions of the decision-making process and the reasons underlying why particular sports were eliminated while others were not. Although gender equity issues were considered important to the decision, few gender differences
were found among the impacted college athletes. In addition to the perceived importance of financial considerations underlying the institutional decision to eliminate sports, participants also reported feeling that the university over-invested in revenue sports at the expense of non-revenue or Olympic sports.

Van Rheenen, D., Minjares, V., McNeil, N., and Atwood, J.. (2011). The Elimination of Varsity Sports at a Division I Institution: A Student Athlete Perspective. Journal for the Study of Sports and Athletes in Education, Volume 5, Issue 3, Fall 2011: 161-180.


Ijss.png

Exploitation in the American Academy: College Athletes and Self-perceptions of Value
The International Journal of Sport and Society

Abstract: The exploitation of college athletes, particularly Black revenue athletes, has been a persistent topic of controversy within American higher education for the past half century. Strikingly absent in this literature are the college athletes themselves. This research study of 581 NCAA Division I college athletes examines these participants’ perceptions of feeling exploited by the university for their athletic ability and potential. Comparative analyses are reported based upon gender, race, year-in-school and scholarship status. Differences between revenue, defined as football and men’s basketball, and nonrevenue or Olympic sports (all other intercollegiate athletic teams) are reported. Findings demonstrate significant differences across several of these demographic and sport-specific categories. Findings also suggest that the perceived exploitation experienced by college athletes is more complicated than a simple financial or educational exchange. Several social and educational implications are discussed.

Van Rheenen, D., (2011). Exploitation in the American Academy: College Athletes and Self-Perceptions of Value. The International Journal of Sport and Society Volume 2, Issue 4, 2011: 11-26. 


Becoming REGS: The Impact of Institutional Sport Elimination on Division I Student Athletes

Abstract: "The elimination of varsity sports at American colleges and universities has become a frequent strategy to reduce rising institutional subsidies for intercollegiate athletics. This paper analyzes the psychological effects of institutional sport elimination on a sample of college athletes
from five varsity programs at a large public Division I university on the west coast of the United States. Utilizing historical trend analyses and quantitative methods, findings suggest that the involuntary loss of a sponsored athletic identity had varying effects on these participants’ athletic
commitment but did not alter their self-identification as athletes. While the majority of these college athletes remained committed to their educational goal of graduating from the institution, the decision negatively impacted these college athletes’ sense of belonging on campus
and their general commitment to the university."

Van Rheenen, D., McNeil, N., and Atwood, J. (2012). Becoming REGS: The Impact of Institutional Sport Elimination on Division I Student Athletes. The International Journal of Sport and Society.


Out of Bounds: When Scholarship Athletes Become Academic Scholars (Book)

Abstract: Out of Bounds explores the trajectories and challenges of exceptional men and women athletes who later became outstanding academic scholars. The book reports findings from participatory, qualitative research, and problematizes ways we have come to think about the separation and integration of athletic and academic practices - embodied in both institutions and individuals, and reflected through intersecting categories and experiences of race, gender, and social class. Through the provocative and surprising narratives of gifted athletes who became prolific scholars, this book offers significantly new ways of thinking about the connections, contradictions, and possibilities of sports and schools.

Van Rheenen, D. and Mahiri, J. (2009).  Out of Bounds: When Scholarship Athletes Become Academic Scholars. New York, NY:
Peter Lang Publishing, 2010.


Noncognitive Predictors of Student Athletes' Academic Performance
Journal of College Reading and Learning

Abstract: This study of 200 Division I athletes examined the role of four noncognitive variables in predicting academic performance. Using a paper and pencil Likert scale instrument the noncognitive variables, athletic-academic commitment, feelings of being exploited, academic self-worth, self-handicapping excuses as well as several background and academic preparation variables were studied as predictors of academic performance. All four noncognitive variables were found to be significant and independent predictors of academic performance. Student athletes' relative athletic-academic identification and achievement motivation play important roles in student athletes' academic performance.

Van Rheenen, D. & Simons H. (2000). Non–Cognitive Predictors of Student Athletes’ Academic Performance (2000), with H.D. Simons. Journal
of College Reading and Learning
30: 167-181


“Hiring” (Chapter 7). In Academic Advising Administration: Essential Knowledge and Skills for the 21st Century. 
National Academic Advising Association (NACADA)

Abstract: Good hiring decisions pay dividends and play a major role in retaining students. Poor hiring decisions can disrupt initial training, affect staff morale, place a heavy burden an adviser development programming, create ongoing personnel headaches, and jeopardize student persistence and success. To build an outstanding staff, administrators must define the specific work done and to be done in the office: What is the organizational mission and what jobs fulfill it? What are the organizational primary goals and functions? Understanding these programs elements affects position descriptions, recruitment, and selection of the best job candidates.

 Van Rheenen, D. (2011). “Hiring” (Chapter 3). In Academic Advising Administration: Essential Knowledge and Skills for the 21st
Century. NACADA Monograph Series Number 22 (2011): 97-107.

Institutional Action Plan for Advising All Berkeley Students: A Report Based upon Campus-wide Collaborations and the NCACADA Administrator's Institute. 

Excerpt: "In January 2007, the Council of Undergraduate Deans (CUD) met and discussed advising on the Berkeley campus. Notes from the meeting reflect Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost George Breslauer’s inquiries as to whether and how CUD might play a more regularized role in two critical areas of undergraduate education: advising and curriculum management. Specifically he asked whether CUD might 1) articulate some campus-wide goals, principles, and/or objectives for advising and 2) identify specific practices and policies that need to be changed or instituted in order to meet those articulated goals, principles, and or objectives."

Van Rtheenen, D., Rivas, E., DePalma, M., and Hagstrom, S. (2008). Institutional Action Plan for Advising All Berkeley Students: A Report Based upon Campus-wide Collaborations and the NCACADA Administrator's Institute

Advising Student-Athletes on a College Campus
National Academic Advising Association (NACADA) National Webinar

Abstract: The Webinar Advisory Board's role is to develop and coordinate a process for submission, recruitment, review, and selection of topics for webinar programs, to develop the annual webinar series topics and recommend presenters for webinars, to review participant evaluations on a regular basis and make recommendations for changes or improvements in the process or the delivery, and to oversee or facilitate the content review for specific webinars when needed. 

Van Rheenen, D. (2008). Advising Student-Athletes on a College Campus, National Academic Advising Association (NACADA)
National Webinar, June 11, 2008. [online access no longer available].


Final Report of the Advising Task Force
Report Commissioned by Vice Provost of Teaching and Learning, University of California, Berkeley

Abstract: Report on the role advising students has upon the various groups of the student body.

Van Rheenen, D., Hagstrom, S., Rivas, E., and DePalma, M. (2009).  Final Report of the Advising Task Force, Report Commissioned by Vice Provost of Teaching and Learning, University of California, Berkeley, September 2009.

Advising Student-Athletes on a College Campus: UC Berkeley Collaboration with a
National Academic Advising Association (webinar)

Abstract: The Webinar Advisory Board's role is to develop and coordinate a process for submission, recruitment, review, and selection of topics for webinar programs, to develop the annual webinar series topics and recommend presenters for webinars, to review participant evaluations on a regular basis and make recommendations for changes or improvements in the process or the delivery, and to oversee or facilitate the content review for specific webinars when needed. 

Van Rheenen, D. (2008). Advising Student-Athletes on a College Campus, National Academic Advising Association (NACADA). National Webinar, June 11, 2008. [online access no longer available]

Comprehensive Excellence (Report) - Academics and Athletics at Cal

Excerpt: "As Chancellor Birgeneau has described in his new plan for U.C. Berkeley’s Intercollegiate Athletics’ future, “this plan preserves what sets Cal Athletics apart from the crowd – a rare combination of competitive excellence, academic achievement and community engagement... Leaders of this country’s best universities have long understood the value of high-quality athletics programs and the extent to which they are an integral part of what defines institutional character and identity.”

Van Rheenen, D. (----). "Comprehensive Excellence Reports on Academics and Athletics at Cal. Published by UC Berkeley Chancellor's Office.

Academic Integrity. NCAA Self Study, Institutional Certification
University of California, Berkeley Report

Excerpt: "The National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) has certified a comprehensive self-study of Intercollegiate Athletics at Berkeley, confirming that the athletic department is operating in full compliance with NCAA operating principles....This recognition by the NCAA DivisionaI Committee on Athletics Certification, presented without conditions, demonstrates Berkeley's commitment to sustaining a broad-based, nationally competitive athletics program that supports student-athlete academic needs and interests."

Van Rheenen, D. and various others (2006). Academic Integrity. NCAA Self Study, Institutional Certification, University of California, Berkeley Report (2006). [online access no longer available]

A myBerkeleyApplication testimonial: The Athletic Study Center
iNews UC Berkeley

Excerpt: "The Athletic Study Center (ASC, http://asc.berkeley.edu/), an academic support unit within the Division of Undergraduate Education, has successfully used the myBerkeleyApplication interactive site to build connections with student athletes. This individual and personalized connection is created before these students ever arrive on campus. In addition to providing a one-stop location for students to register, obtain housing, and receive financial aid, student athletes are provided critical information to help ensure academic and athletic success at UC Berkeley." 

Van Rheenen, D. (2005). A myBerkeleyApplication testimonial: The Athletic Study Center (2005), iNews: UC Berkeley Information
Technology News.