It takes more than skills on the field or moves on the court to continue being an Auburn Tiger.
A large group of athletic tutors work with athletes to make sure the student aspect of student athlete doesn't fall behind.
During the spring and fall, more than 150 tutors work with athletes two to four times per week to make sure grades stay in line with standards so athletes can continue playing the sports they love.
K.J. Jackson, former English teacher and current English literature tutor, said she enjoys helping student athletes.
"The greatest thing about being a tutor is we are able to empower the students, especially if you're an athlete, because they have such time constraints placed on them," Jackson said. "You have to be mindful of each student's learning style, their schedules and the subject matter."
Academic counselor Mary Ann Taylor-Sims knows athletes are just like any other student.
"We tutor across the board with a big focus on core classes," Taylor-Sims said. "There are tutors covering all of the core curriculum subjects."
Public speaking tutor and communications graduate student Shaquille Marsh said tutors work with the athletes' schedules to keep them from falling behind.
"We always have a copy of the course syllabus in front of us," Marsh said. "We schedule around the syllabus and work ahead before athletes leave."
The tutors try to accommodate athletes when traveling to away games.
"We're here to serve the students," Jackson said. "As a tutor, I try to set up reading to do while they are on the road, or schedule a few extra sessions to cover concepts they might have missed."
History tutor and clinical mental health counseling graduate student Sarah Fisher asked the athletes she works with to speak with professors before they leave and talk to classmates when they return to make sure they stay up-to-date.
The University considers athletic competitions excused absences. Excuses are sent to department deans and then sent to the professors.
"Ideally, it is a one-on-one session," Fisher said. "But sometimes there is a group session of two to three."
Kristine Ball, a university academic coordinator, said tutors and athletes meet in a one-on-one session up to four times per week, depending on the needs of the athletes.
"The tutors' individual schedules are very flexible," Ball said. "They work upward of 15 to 20 hours a week with various students.
"Tutors come to us via word of mouth," Ball said. "We also go to different departments and inquire about referrals and recommendations."
Although the number of tutors is approximately 150 during the fall and spring semesters, the number drops to approximately 50 during the summer.
"Part of being a tutor in AU athletics is that you are flexible," Jackson said.
Tutors are paid, and some graduate students work as tutors as part of their programs.
Tutors must have an overall GPA of at least 3.0. The tutors must also have passed the course they're tutoring with an A or B. The program also wants students to be junior level or above.
Students interested in tutoring are invited to contact the student athlete tutoring department at tutorco@auburn.edu or by calling 334-844-9808.
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