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.-,...,. Baker helps FSU student-athletes adjust^ Director cares about academics, athletics By Chris Branam Staff Writer Picture this: Three years from now senior Davon Satter- white hits a three-point shot at the buzzer to lead the FSU basketball team to an upset over rival University of Nevada, Las Vegas. While Satterwhite is being interviewed after the game, he thanks his mother, his teammates, God and Jo Baker. Jo Baker? Baker is theassistantdirectorof Athletic AcademicServicesatFSU. Despite that long title, her job is simple. She helps student athletes cope with balancing sports and studies. Baker is involved in a hands-on role with most of the athletes on campus, meeting individually with them and guiding them through their years at PSU. Satterwhite said Baker is a big help. "She makes sure we take the right classes and stay on course to graduate." Satterwhite is a freshman basketball player. Baker's job is to help Satterwhite adjust to the college experience. Baker said that the athletes she deals with come into the school with varying qualities. 'They come in with all different abilities — academic and athletic," Baker said. The Athletic Academic Services department is divided into two areas: advising and tutorial. In advising, athletes are given personal counseling and course advising. In tutorial, the services include tutoring and resume workshops. Thedirectorof thedepartment. Or. Robert Knudsen, is the liaison for the program, meeting with the Academic Senate and representatives from other campuses. While Knudsen handles most of the glamorous aspects of the department. Baker and her staff do the "grunt" work. "My job is to organize so that we can meet the needs of students in the most positive way," Baker said. The organization process re quires long hours and much patience. Baker said she keeps daytime hours for her own advising, cou nselingand pa perwork, nighttime hours for tutoring and weekend s for rneeting potential recruits. "She is a person who just really cares," FSU head basketball coach Gary Colson said. "And I think that is what the job is all about." Colson first met Baker when he was an assistant coach at University of California, Berkeley. He noticed Baker's role in the players' lives and remembered her when former assistant adviser, Keith Carodine, moved to another position at FSU. "She was doing a tremendous job with the athletes," Colson said. "When this job came open, my first thing was to let Jo know. Sure enough, we got her." Baker is the person who has to answer the questions for Fresno State's recruits. She explains to them the academic advising program, discusses their interestsand shows them the facilities. "We don't like coaches to answer academic questions," Baker said. "It's not their area of expertise." Satterwhite met Carodine during the recruitment period. Satterwhite said that the fact that FSU had such a program was a factor in his decision to attend the university "It was a big plus," Satterwhite said, "because they care about us getting our degrees first and basketball second. That's what it's all about: life after basketball." Colson said that Baker's presence is crucial for the successof his program as well. "Because we spend a lot of money recruiting a kid, if we get him in here and lose him academically, that would be disastrous," Colson said.- The stereotypical high school athlete generally would go through the motions of meeting an academic adviser and only ask questions regarding the athletic reputation of a school. Baker said this stereotype is starting to change. As Assistant Director of Athletic Academic Services, Jo Baker helps student-athletes succeed at Fresno State University. "Some go through the motions," Baker said. "But some do come in prepared The most common questions are: 'Will we be given tutors?' and "What is the graduation rate?'" Recent NCAA legislation mandated that all of its member universities must reveal their graduation rate. Mostof these figures have hovered well below the graduation rate of students in other disciplines. A recent study endorsed by the NCAA revealed that FSU's graduation rate for its athletes in a five-year program was 29.3 percent'(17 of 58) for the fall of 1984 recruiting class. Both players and coaches recognize Baker's importance in helping to raise thatJigure. "Baker really likes thechallenge of getting young athletes through school," Colson said. "She is tremendous in getting their goals straight." All junior college transfers, freshmen a nd / or students on pro- bation who are experiencing academic problems are required to attend study table. Baker said. "Some really resent the mandatory study table," Baker said. "Some arc tired. But once they get here, they start working with tutors and get going. "There is some natural resentment," Baker said. "Because they arc in college now, (they fecll they shouldn't have to be forced to do anything. Some of them aren't ready for that freedom." Baker said that most of the athletes she works with need special attention, just like most students, in adjusting to the course work. "They need a little help in understanding the difference between high school and college." Baker's position is one of guidance, not one of discouragement. "If I bring an athlete in here who is a good person but has had a bad background," Colson said, "I know that Jo Baker is going to help that person get on the right track." Baker previously worked in athletic academic advising at the UC Berkeley. There, she said, the faculty exhibits an attitude of elitism toward athletes. "Berkeley is very elitist," Baker said. "So when you bring in somebody who is 'special action,' Berkeley tends not to want their special action students well known." She said she feels Cal tries to keep its drop-out level high, so it main tains an aura of elitism. Baker was instrumental in the progress of football player Russell White, who was a classic case of what athletic academic services can do. White was a Proposition 48 casualty because he could not score the required 700 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test. However, he was accepted by Cal anyway. His acceptance created a lot of resentment from the faculty. It was later learned that White had dyslexia. Through Baker's in- fluenceandacademicad vising, he increased his grade point average from 1.75 to 3.2. "Had Russell not been an athlete, no one would have cared," Baker said. "He never would have made it without academic advising." The Fresno State Lady Bulldogs defeated Jackson finished the game with 19 the Long Beach State Lady 49ers 86-84 In points and six assists. Thompson didn't the North Gym on Feb. 8. Trlse Jackson (22) fair as well, scoring only one point, but of Long Beach State and Jolayne Thompson Is averaging nearly six points per game (42) of Fresno State chasea loose ball during for the season, the recent Big West Conference contest. "They give us no respect I'm tired of this ESPN stuff." -^Gary Colson and watch it the next day. The time slot is terrible." Curt Pircs, a publicist for the Bristol, Conn- based ESPN network, said the games attracting the ^^^^^^^^^^^ largest audiences are the mmm^^^^^^mmm ones given priority in promotional spots. "No one is saying anything about the quality of play," Pires said. "Ifs just an on-air promotion. We try to showcase the games that are in prime time on the East Coast. If we were Colson upset with ESPN By Dan Evans "I tnjn]< mjS jssuc has to do with time zones, not Staff Writer the fact that ESPN doesn't like the basketball we're F playing out here," said Pimm, "lt always comes SU basketball coach Gary Colson sat bock in a back to numbers. I don't think [ESPN) means to metal folding chair in the Selland Arena press slight us, but the maior markets for that time are in room,hishairinshamblesandhistieloosened.Hanging the East and Central time zones." on his every word was a small army of pen-wielding Asbury said the fact that the Big West game is sportswriters with microphones and portable tape scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. PST — midnight EST recorders. — 's a maJor factor in his argument. Colson,thesecond-yearheadcoachofthcBulldogs, "No one is going to watch our games in the had just guided his squad to its third consecutive East," he said. "I talk to friends of mine back there victory before more than 9,500 fans and a national a"d they'reas^ec^by^lft^e.They tape|heg^ame ESPN television audience. Or were they? The Bulldocs' win over theUniversityof Pacific was the third game of ESPN's "Big Monday" tripleheader broadcast that night, but Colson, while pleased with the win, was upset over the network's treatmentof West Coast college basketball. "They give us no respect. I'm tired of this ESPN stuff," Colson complained. "They ~^~^^^^~m^—~ talkabout'tripleheaders'and don't evep announce the last game. That's ridiculous. The Eastls the only thing -**ke shows off the air." that counts; the West doesn't exist." "h's logical to put games on in the time slots Colson said his main complaint is with ESPN's when most of their fans are going to be watching, promotional spots for "Big Monday" - a tripleheader The Big West is on at 9 p.m. on the West Coast that begins at 7 p.m EST — featuring teams from the because that's when people are home watching the Big East Conference, followed by the Big Eight Confer- game." encc and concluding with the Big West -the league in Colson said there is enough quality basketball which the Bulldogs compete. on the West Coast to merit equal time with the East. ESPN promos that run throughout the week feature "I ESPN analyst Dickl Vitale gets on there and video and voice-overs of the Big East and Big Eight ta|ks about all of those guys back East, but we've games,whiletheBigWestcontestisgivenonlyoneline got people who can coach out here, too," Colson on a graphic at the end of the spot. said. "VVe'vegot 30 million folks inCalifomia alone. But this is not Colson's only complaint. "They experiment with different announcers and color-people out here," he said later from his office in the North Gym. "It's like they're pacifying us out here Ion the West Coast)." Tom Asbury, head coach at Pepperdine University in Malibu, echoed Colson's sentiments. r , "I would agree withGary," Asbury said. "In fact, I'd probation and unable to play on television, the take it a step furtherby saving West Coast basketball is conference remains the third part of the weekly not recognized as it should be, period. It's all centered tripleheader. around the Big East and the Atlantic Coast Conference, but we've got Arizona, UCLA and UNLV all playing "UNLV has been the premier basketball pro- great basketball right now." g™m in the country over the past few years; them Some West Coast coaches wouldn't agree. a"d Duke," Saunders said. "Without them, until UC Santa Barbara head coach Jerry Pimm said his other schools reach that level, the luster (in the Big conversation with "Big Monday" anchorman John West) is lost. The fact that ESPN hascontinued with Saunders at last year's NCAA Final Four led him to a conference that has lost it's premier draw, I think, believe that the issue was not the quality of basketball, shows nothing but respect." got 30 million folks inCalifomia alone. We've got the WAC, we've got the Big West, the WCC, the Pac-10. There's some big-time basketball out here." John Saunders, ESPN's "Big Monday" studio anchor, said Colson's complaints are unfounded. Though UNLV, the Big West's most successful team of late and the!990 NCAA Champions, i
Object Description
Title | 1992_02 Insight February 1992 |
Alternative Title | Insight (California State University, Fresno) |
Publisher | Dept. of Journalism, California State University, Fresno. |
Publication Date | 1992 |
Description | Weekly during the school year. Vol. 1, no. 1 (Oct. 8, 1969)-v. 29, no. 23 (May 13, 1998). Ceased with May 13, 1998, issue. Title from masthead. Merged with Daily collegian. |
Subject | California State University, Fresno Periodicals |
Contributors | California State University, Fresno Dept. of Journalism |
Coverage | October 8, 1969 – May 13, 1998 |
Format | Microfilm reels, 35mm |
Technical Information | Scanned at 600 dpi; TIFF; Microfilm ScanPro 2000 “E-image data” |
Language | eng |
Description
Title | Insight Feb 12 1992 p 6 |
Alternative Title | Insight (California State University, Fresno) |
Publication Date | 1992 |
Full-Text-Search | .-,...,. Baker helps FSU student-athletes adjust^ Director cares about academics, athletics By Chris Branam Staff Writer Picture this: Three years from now senior Davon Satter- white hits a three-point shot at the buzzer to lead the FSU basketball team to an upset over rival University of Nevada, Las Vegas. While Satterwhite is being interviewed after the game, he thanks his mother, his teammates, God and Jo Baker. Jo Baker? Baker is theassistantdirectorof Athletic AcademicServicesatFSU. Despite that long title, her job is simple. She helps student athletes cope with balancing sports and studies. Baker is involved in a hands-on role with most of the athletes on campus, meeting individually with them and guiding them through their years at PSU. Satterwhite said Baker is a big help. "She makes sure we take the right classes and stay on course to graduate." Satterwhite is a freshman basketball player. Baker's job is to help Satterwhite adjust to the college experience. Baker said that the athletes she deals with come into the school with varying qualities. 'They come in with all different abilities — academic and athletic," Baker said. The Athletic Academic Services department is divided into two areas: advising and tutorial. In advising, athletes are given personal counseling and course advising. In tutorial, the services include tutoring and resume workshops. Thedirectorof thedepartment. Or. Robert Knudsen, is the liaison for the program, meeting with the Academic Senate and representatives from other campuses. While Knudsen handles most of the glamorous aspects of the department. Baker and her staff do the "grunt" work. "My job is to organize so that we can meet the needs of students in the most positive way," Baker said. The organization process re quires long hours and much patience. Baker said she keeps daytime hours for her own advising, cou nselingand pa perwork, nighttime hours for tutoring and weekend s for rneeting potential recruits. "She is a person who just really cares," FSU head basketball coach Gary Colson said. "And I think that is what the job is all about." Colson first met Baker when he was an assistant coach at University of California, Berkeley. He noticed Baker's role in the players' lives and remembered her when former assistant adviser, Keith Carodine, moved to another position at FSU. "She was doing a tremendous job with the athletes," Colson said. "When this job came open, my first thing was to let Jo know. Sure enough, we got her." Baker is the person who has to answer the questions for Fresno State's recruits. She explains to them the academic advising program, discusses their interestsand shows them the facilities. "We don't like coaches to answer academic questions," Baker said. "It's not their area of expertise." Satterwhite met Carodine during the recruitment period. Satterwhite said that the fact that FSU had such a program was a factor in his decision to attend the university "It was a big plus," Satterwhite said, "because they care about us getting our degrees first and basketball second. That's what it's all about: life after basketball." Colson said that Baker's presence is crucial for the successof his program as well. "Because we spend a lot of money recruiting a kid, if we get him in here and lose him academically, that would be disastrous," Colson said.- The stereotypical high school athlete generally would go through the motions of meeting an academic adviser and only ask questions regarding the athletic reputation of a school. Baker said this stereotype is starting to change. As Assistant Director of Athletic Academic Services, Jo Baker helps student-athletes succeed at Fresno State University. "Some go through the motions," Baker said. "But some do come in prepared The most common questions are: 'Will we be given tutors?' and "What is the graduation rate?'" Recent NCAA legislation mandated that all of its member universities must reveal their graduation rate. Mostof these figures have hovered well below the graduation rate of students in other disciplines. A recent study endorsed by the NCAA revealed that FSU's graduation rate for its athletes in a five-year program was 29.3 percent'(17 of 58) for the fall of 1984 recruiting class. Both players and coaches recognize Baker's importance in helping to raise thatJigure. "Baker really likes thechallenge of getting young athletes through school," Colson said. "She is tremendous in getting their goals straight." All junior college transfers, freshmen a nd / or students on pro- bation who are experiencing academic problems are required to attend study table. Baker said. "Some really resent the mandatory study table," Baker said. "Some arc tired. But once they get here, they start working with tutors and get going. "There is some natural resentment," Baker said. "Because they arc in college now, (they fecll they shouldn't have to be forced to do anything. Some of them aren't ready for that freedom." Baker said that most of the athletes she works with need special attention, just like most students, in adjusting to the course work. "They need a little help in understanding the difference between high school and college." Baker's position is one of guidance, not one of discouragement. "If I bring an athlete in here who is a good person but has had a bad background," Colson said, "I know that Jo Baker is going to help that person get on the right track." Baker previously worked in athletic academic advising at the UC Berkeley. There, she said, the faculty exhibits an attitude of elitism toward athletes. "Berkeley is very elitist," Baker said. "So when you bring in somebody who is 'special action,' Berkeley tends not to want their special action students well known." She said she feels Cal tries to keep its drop-out level high, so it main tains an aura of elitism. Baker was instrumental in the progress of football player Russell White, who was a classic case of what athletic academic services can do. White was a Proposition 48 casualty because he could not score the required 700 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test. However, he was accepted by Cal anyway. His acceptance created a lot of resentment from the faculty. It was later learned that White had dyslexia. Through Baker's in- fluenceandacademicad vising, he increased his grade point average from 1.75 to 3.2. "Had Russell not been an athlete, no one would have cared," Baker said. "He never would have made it without academic advising." The Fresno State Lady Bulldogs defeated Jackson finished the game with 19 the Long Beach State Lady 49ers 86-84 In points and six assists. Thompson didn't the North Gym on Feb. 8. Trlse Jackson (22) fair as well, scoring only one point, but of Long Beach State and Jolayne Thompson Is averaging nearly six points per game (42) of Fresno State chasea loose ball during for the season, the recent Big West Conference contest. "They give us no respect I'm tired of this ESPN stuff." -^Gary Colson and watch it the next day. The time slot is terrible." Curt Pircs, a publicist for the Bristol, Conn- based ESPN network, said the games attracting the ^^^^^^^^^^^ largest audiences are the mmm^^^^^^mmm ones given priority in promotional spots. "No one is saying anything about the quality of play," Pires said. "Ifs just an on-air promotion. We try to showcase the games that are in prime time on the East Coast. If we were Colson upset with ESPN By Dan Evans "I tnjn]< mjS jssuc has to do with time zones, not Staff Writer the fact that ESPN doesn't like the basketball we're F playing out here," said Pimm, "lt always comes SU basketball coach Gary Colson sat bock in a back to numbers. I don't think [ESPN) means to metal folding chair in the Selland Arena press slight us, but the maior markets for that time are in room,hishairinshamblesandhistieloosened.Hanging the East and Central time zones." on his every word was a small army of pen-wielding Asbury said the fact that the Big West game is sportswriters with microphones and portable tape scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. PST — midnight EST recorders. — 's a maJor factor in his argument. Colson,thesecond-yearheadcoachofthcBulldogs, "No one is going to watch our games in the had just guided his squad to its third consecutive East," he said. "I talk to friends of mine back there victory before more than 9,500 fans and a national a"d they'reas^ec^by^lft^e.They tape|heg^ame ESPN television audience. Or were they? The Bulldocs' win over theUniversityof Pacific was the third game of ESPN's "Big Monday" tripleheader broadcast that night, but Colson, while pleased with the win, was upset over the network's treatmentof West Coast college basketball. "They give us no respect. I'm tired of this ESPN stuff," Colson complained. "They ~^~^^^^~m^—~ talkabout'tripleheaders'and don't evep announce the last game. That's ridiculous. The Eastls the only thing -**ke shows off the air." that counts; the West doesn't exist." "h's logical to put games on in the time slots Colson said his main complaint is with ESPN's when most of their fans are going to be watching, promotional spots for "Big Monday" - a tripleheader The Big West is on at 9 p.m. on the West Coast that begins at 7 p.m EST — featuring teams from the because that's when people are home watching the Big East Conference, followed by the Big Eight Confer- game." encc and concluding with the Big West -the league in Colson said there is enough quality basketball which the Bulldogs compete. on the West Coast to merit equal time with the East. ESPN promos that run throughout the week feature "I ESPN analyst Dickl Vitale gets on there and video and voice-overs of the Big East and Big Eight ta|ks about all of those guys back East, but we've games,whiletheBigWestcontestisgivenonlyoneline got people who can coach out here, too," Colson on a graphic at the end of the spot. said. "VVe'vegot 30 million folks inCalifomia alone. But this is not Colson's only complaint. "They experiment with different announcers and color-people out here," he said later from his office in the North Gym. "It's like they're pacifying us out here Ion the West Coast)." Tom Asbury, head coach at Pepperdine University in Malibu, echoed Colson's sentiments. r , "I would agree withGary," Asbury said. "In fact, I'd probation and unable to play on television, the take it a step furtherby saving West Coast basketball is conference remains the third part of the weekly not recognized as it should be, period. It's all centered tripleheader. around the Big East and the Atlantic Coast Conference, but we've got Arizona, UCLA and UNLV all playing "UNLV has been the premier basketball pro- great basketball right now." g™m in the country over the past few years; them Some West Coast coaches wouldn't agree. a"d Duke," Saunders said. "Without them, until UC Santa Barbara head coach Jerry Pimm said his other schools reach that level, the luster (in the Big conversation with "Big Monday" anchorman John West) is lost. The fact that ESPN hascontinued with Saunders at last year's NCAA Final Four led him to a conference that has lost it's premier draw, I think, believe that the issue was not the quality of basketball, shows nothing but respect." got 30 million folks inCalifomia alone. We've got the WAC, we've got the Big West, the WCC, the Pac-10. There's some big-time basketball out here." John Saunders, ESPN's "Big Monday" studio anchor, said Colson's complaints are unfounded. Though UNLV, the Big West's most successful team of late and the!990 NCAA Champions, i |