OSAS Hosts Regional Conference
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Office of Student-Athlete Success hosted the 2016 N4A Region II Conference from Sunday, Oct. 16 through Tuesday, Oct. 18 in an effort to support the mission goals of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A).
N4A is an organization designed to cultivate and improve the opportunities for academic success and personal development for student-athletes in universities and colleges. Additionally, N4A focuses on continuing to elevate the status of academic support and student-athlete development administrators.
OSAS hosted the majority of the sessions for the conference in the newly-built Jerry and Gene Jones Family Student-Athlete Success Center. Featuring 23 different NCAA institutions and 75 attendees representing 10 different U.S. states and Northumbria University from England, the theme of the conference was “The Pinnacle of Your Profession.”
Additionally, 15 Northwest Arkansas high school counselors and administrators from 12 different schools attended an initial eligibility panel. Presentations and workshops for college administrators covered topics related to utilizing social media to recognizing student-athlete efforts academically, strategies on building relationships with constituents on campus, using data-driven academic support plans and establishing work-life balance.
Derek Greenfield, a motivational speaker, also emphasized the importance of empowering students through love and having a positive mindset.
“I would like to personally thank the University of Arkansas and their talented staff in the Jerry and Gene Jones Family Student Athlete Success Center for hosting such a wonderful conference,” said Kenneth Miles, N4A president and LSU assistant vice chancellor of academic affairs & executive director of the Academic Center for Student-Athletes.” “The 2016 N4A Region II Conference epitomized its theme from the beginning of the conference to the very end. It reminded me that as educators, we must continue to define and refine new heights for ourselves in order to better prepare our student-athletes. This notion is similar to the instructions given on a plane; in case there is a drop in the atmospheric pressure, we must put the mask on ourselves before we can assist others, and this conference was certainly equivalent to the mask.”
“As a proud member of Region II, I am looking forward to next year’s conference whose theme will be ‘Evolution Is Our Resolution,’ which signifies natural synergies between both conferences and the notions of implementation, strategy, change, growth and development. Perhaps this is the beginning stages for redefining the pinnacle of success.”