The Challenge: Manual Tracking and Inconsistent Data
For decades, institutions have struggled with manually tracking the impact of team travel on the academic performance of student-athletes. The inefficiency of this process makes it difficult for athletic departments and faculty to maintain accurate absence records, track academic performance trends, and advocate for necessary policy changes.
With conference realignment increasing travel demands, institutions need a standardized, data-driven approach to manage the evolving landscape of student-athlete support. Without a reliable system, administrators are unable to deliver timely notifications and identify patterns and trends to optimize support programming and resource allocation.
A Proactive Solution: Team Travel Absence Reports in Teamworks Academics
Through collaboration with Maryland Athletics and several of their conference peers during beta testing, Teamworks developed a comprehensive enhancement to Teamworks Academics travel management capabilities, designed to help institutions educate faculty, advocate for resources, and shape policy decisions that benefit student-athletes across all sports.
This Team Travel Absence Reports feature enables institutions to:
- Access real-time data on travel-related absences
- Develop data-driven policies that support student-athletes academically
- Improve resource advocacy, providing concrete insights for institutional change
Maryland Athletics: A Leader in Data-Driven Academic Support
Maryland Athletics quickly recognized the transformative potential of the enhanced travel management suite. Their leadership team, including Brady Rourke, Associate Athletic Director for Academic Services and Director of the Gossett Student Athlete Center, and Chasity Frieson, Associate Athletic Director for Men’s Basketball and Gymnastics, who both serve on the Academics Committee on Athletics Council, has championed the use of these features to better understand and communicate student-athlete challenges.
Key Takeaways from Maryland’s Implementation:
- Providing a More Accurate Picture: “Being able to provide a more accurate picture to advocate resources or change policies.”
- Evolving from Post-Analysis to Proactive Planning: “Prior to something like this, we were just trying to get through today—this is going to shed a whole new light on the work we do.”
- Bridging the Gap Between Academics & Athletics: “This report provides a common ground and common language to connect with faculty.”
- Driving Institutional Change: “By advocating for the academic needs of student-athletes affected by travel schedules, we’ve surfaced data that helps better inform campus departments and faculty about travel-related challenges.”
Maryland is now utilizing these enhanced features to educate faculty and shape policy decisions, with remarkable results. By sharing data about travel impacts with faculty members, Maryland has fostered meaningful partnerships demonstrating how collaboration between athletics and academics can drive better outcomes for student-athletes. These collaborative efforts between athletics and academics demonstrate how data-driven insights can benefit student-athletes across all sports.
The Bigger Picture: Flipping the Narrative on College Athletics
Maryland Athletics sees this initiative as an opportunity to change the conversation around student-athlete academics. Rather than focusing on the challenges that come with an evolving travel landscape, they are using comprehensive travel management tools to highlight solutions and progress.
“We’re trying to tell a different story. There’s plenty that’s wrong, but there’s a lot that’s still right. This tool helps us demonstrate the collaborative efforts between athletics and academics to improve the student-athlete experience.” – Brady Rourke, Associate Athletic Director for Academic Services and Director of the Gossett Student Athlete Center
From collaborating with faculty to understand travel impacts to fostering partnerships that drive student success, Maryland Athletics is setting a new standard in data-driven academic support.
Additional Upgraded Features in Teamworks Academics Team Travel Management Suite
Academics’ Team Travel management functionalities further streamline communication, saving time and improving tracking.
- Scheduled letter delivery enables proactive planning
- Alternative instructor integration provides comprehensive coverage
- Rich text formatting ensures professional communication
- Timeline view enhances communication and organization
As institutions across the country increasingly adopt these innovative tools, Maryland Athletics stands at the forefront of transforming student-athlete academic support, pioneering a shift from traditional methods to a more sophisticated, data-driven approach that is setting new industry standards. Their proactive implementation demonstrates how real-time analytics and strategic planning can revolutionize academic support systems, creating a model that other institutions can follow.
The Future of Student-Athlete Academic Support
With the success of this comprehensive update, Teamworks’ enhanced travel management suite is poised to become an essential solution for institutions navigating the evolving demands of college athletics. Maryland Athletics has demonstrated how real-time data and streamlined communication can drive meaningful change, fostering collaboration across campus and ensuring student-athletes thrive both academically and athletically.
To start using these enhanced features, open Teamworks Academics now. Want to see Teamworks Academics in action? Schedule a demo today.