Achievement Zone

SBCC STUDENT SUCCESS INITIATIVE

"I am very proud to announce, we have developed a center for student-athletes to receive tutoring, time management skills, study skills, and other services that will help them in their path to success at Santa Barbara City College. As the Lead Person in charge of the Student-Athlete Achievement Zone, I am very proud of our initial efforts of preparing our student-athletes for success." This program has demonstrated its success receiving awards from the Hewlett Foundation and the Chancellors Office.
Dr. Paula Congleton, Head Women’s Softball Coach

The Importance of The Achievement Zone
As student-athletes enter college many are under prepared for the academic rigors placed upon them. Despite high school preparation, many student-athletes feel they are not quite ready; others are confused and apprehensive about how college will be different from high school. Santa Barbara City College has approximately 385 student-athletes attending as full-time students enrolled in a minimum of 12 units, 9 must be mandatory core academic units.

The concept of our “Academic Achievement Zone” has been designed to give student-athletes the skills and time they need to be successful at college. The “Academic Achievement Zone” will help students build a community of learners who take active responsibility for their academic achievement. Students can work alone or in small groups. Through critical inquiry techniques and questioning, students build competence as they decrease the sense of isolation in academic uncertainty. Student athletes using the Academic Achievement Zone are learning how to capitalize on the transfer of motivational skills from the athletic domain to the academic domain. Strategies include individualized attention, study skills training, techniques to alleviate test-taking anxiety, and taking notes, as well as encouragement to assume responsibility for academic successes and failures. As student athletes strive to balance the challenges of academics and athletic competition many recognize the importance of these skills.

The SBCC “Student-Athlete Academic Achievement Zone” addresses the following issues:

Increased number of students entering SBCC who are not prepared for college level course work.
The lack of primary skill set. Reading, writing, critical thinking, math, discipline specific skills, students enrolled in courses without necessary prerequisite skills, and basic study and time management skills.
Addresses the need to promote realistic expectations while participating in Intercollegiate Athletics and the amount of work load and required study time necessary to be successful.
Addresses the use of college resources and working effectively with them in providing assistance to the student-athlete by exposing them to Student-Services Programs such as Financial Aid, Athletic Counseling, Career Center, Health and Wellness, DSPS, EOPS, TAP, MET, CAP, and GATEWAY.
Identify and assist student-athletes that are considered “At-Risk”
Identify student-athletes enrolled in a Math or English class that is below college level.
Identify Incoming freshmen directly out of high school with a 3.0GPA or below and assessing below college level Math or English.
Identify Continuing students with a 2.7 GPA or below in academic course units
Create an atmosphere in the Achievement Zone for student-athletes that promote a positive academic experience while participating in intercollegiate athletics.
Facilitating the student-athletes personal character, accountability, self-awareness, time management, and motivation to succeed as a student-athlete as stipulated by NCAA guidelines while promoting the completion of degrees, transfer matriculation and personal goals.

No other group of students at Santa Barbara City College have the following academic requirements placed on them in order to transfer or compete at the four year level. The following information is provided as a reference toward student-athlete academic requirements at four year institutions:

Division I college between 2005 and 2007

Graduate from high school;
Complete these 14 core courses:
Earn a combined SAT or ACT sum score that matches your core-course grade-point average and test score sliding scale on this page (for example, a 2.400 core-course grade-point average needs a 860 SAT).
(40 - 60 - 80%) Degree progress rule 5 year Clock

Division II college in 2005 or later

Graduate from high school,
Complete these 14 core courses:
Earn a 2.000 grade-point average or better in your core courses; and
Earn a combined SAT score of 820 or an ACT sum score of 68.

The student-athlete attending a two-year college as a full-time student must satisfy the following provisions:
Graduated from a two-year college; or
Presented a minimum of 24 semester hors of transferable degree credit with a cumulative minimum of a 2.000.10 Semester Clock