ROCHESTER, Mich. – With Oakland University's second-straight and sixth overall McCafferty Cup since joining the Horizon League in hand, the names, faces, and work of those who set up success on the court, field, and classroom, are busy at work doing all they can to bring an encompassed success to the student-athlete experience on campus.
Student-athletes at Oakland have two academic advisors, one mainly for the major which steers students to take classes and enroll in programs that fit their pathing as well as an advisor on the athletic side, working closely with compliance to make sure students are aligned with classroom and competitive demands.
"With all majors, freshman and sophomore years I can pretty much advise," said Evan Dermidoff, an Athletics Academic Adviser with the Golden Grizzlies, "When you get more into your specialized classes, your junior and senior year, that's when I have to rely on the major advisers."
Dermidoff graduated from Michigan State, earning his master's degree from Xavier before moving back to his home state of Michigan, eventually landing at Oakland for the past 15 years. Dermidoff not only advises student-athletes on what classes are needed, but also works closely with compliance and NCAA guidelines to ensure how the students are performing and keep them playing on the field.
"Some days I feel like a compliance coordinator, other days I feel like an academic advisor," said Dermidoff.
On the other side of the wall, Jenn Dempster sits as a Learning Specialist and Academic Adviser for Men's and Women's Basketball. The former coach moved into her current role after eight years with the Women's Basketball team.
"Because I have an education background; and was a former student-athlete, I know the demands of being a student-athlete with practice, going to class, and being on the road. I can relate very well to student-athletes," said Dempster.
With Dempster's experience as both a student-athlete and coach, the OU graduate and 1998 Oakland Hall of Honor inductee can easily empathize with the rigorous demands of the current student-athlete requirements.
"Academics need to go hand-in-hand," said Dempster, "student-athletes need to leave here with their degree. Such a small percentage of student-athletes make it big time, so they need to have their degree. No one can take that away from you. I try to emphasize that, help them achieve that goal, and walk out of here with a degree."
The semesters for an academic advisor are heightened during August and December when student-athletes' schedules are analyzed and adjustments are made as needed. The first two weeks following the start of school are characterized as the 'busiest' as both Dermidoff and Dempster ensure students are in the right classes.
"When teams are practicing, when they're traveling, and when they're in season and out of season, you take all that information and create ideal schedules for our 350 student-athletes," said Dermidoff.
In mid-October and mid-March, progress reports are sent to professors to get a feel for where student-athletes are during the semester to determine if any adjustments or additional resources are needed. May and June turn into orientation season as the new freshman class schedules are arranged. At the end of every semester, both Dermidoff and Dempster enter certification season with compliance to determine whether or not student-athletes are compliant, or eligible, for the next semester or academic year. Dempster says at the end of each semester, the competitive fire still burns for performance in the classroom.
"(Student-athletes) come in here and say I did this, this, and this, how come I didn't achieve the grade I needed?" said Dempster "That is their competitiveness on the playing field and, the court, transitioning over to the classroom. They want to be the best and be the best on the court. That goes hand-in-hand with a lot of these student-athletes."
As academic honor rolls for the Horizon League and individual team all-academic conference lists are released– such as four-straight Horizon League Scholar Athletes of the Season– it's not just the department, university, or parents that beam with pride.
"I'm proud I was able to be with them on that journey– in a small way. At the end of the day, they did all the work and the effort. They're going to class and they're studying, and they're doing well on their exams," said Dermidoff., "In a small way, I was with them, guiding them through that process, so there's a little bit of pride."
Between Dempster and Dermidoff, the combination proves as a tandem when it comes to providing the student-athletes with the means to knock out expectations academically in their four years.
"With Jenn and I working together, we're kind of a dynamic duo. We have a lot of years and experience here at Oakland, thirty-plus," said Dermidoff, "We know a lot of people at Oakland and, how it works. We've seen it grow and, because of our knowledge we're able to better serve our student-athletes and provide them with good information to navigate their college careers."
