Bratzke Student-Athlete Academic Success Center
The Bratzke Student-Athlete Academic Success Center now located in the Whitlock Building opened in June of 2000 after the generous donation given by its benefactor, Chad Bratzke. Chad was a walk-on to the EKU football team and went on to achieve success in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts. The former EKU All-American, Bratzke earned many academic honors while at EKU including Colonel Scholar and Presidential Scholar.
The Bratzke Student-Athlete Academic Success Center offers a variety of support services including mentoring, tutoring, study hall, academic progress monitoring and academic advising to help assist the more than 350 EKU student-athletes reach their full academic potential. The Bratzke Center offers a separate tutoring room, computer lab, academic advising office suite and quiet study space. A staff of academic advisors, tutors, and mentors work one on one with student-athletes to provide them support in their transition from high school to college and throughout their careers at EKU.
Academic Services Provided for Student-Athletes
Learning Support
Bratzke offers a comprehensive learning support program providing academic resources to help student-athletes succeed in the classroom and beyond. Services include access to tutors and mentors to improve study skills, organization, and time management, as well as course content specific tutoring. Weekly sessions help our student-athletes balance academic responsibilities and develop skills to become effective learners. Assistance is given to students with documented learning disabilities or academic deficiencies in coordination with the Center for Student Accessibility (CSA) to ensure they are registered with their office. Bratzke Advisors collaborate closely with campus advisors and other campus partners to ensure student-athletes are set up for success from the time they arrive on campus through graduation.
Bratzke staff will provide guidance and implement sessions to address main areas of academic skill development. Sessions include but are not limited to: goal setting, time management, organization, study skills, and self-advocacy. Sessions will also be designed to facilitate training for mentors, tutors, advisors, coaches, and other athletic staff regarding academic skill development and other educational expectations for our student-athletes.
As an EKU student-athlete we want you to take advantage of all the resources available to you. You can request a tutor through the Bratzke Center, or utilize the tutoring labs on campus. Tutoring through the Bratzke Center is free for all student-athletes, and recurring appointments can be set up for you to maximize your efforts. Bratzke Center Tutoring Program goals are to foster skill development, encourage critical thinking, promote independent learners, and enhance engagement and collaboration with the academic community at EKU. The tutorial center employs tutors in various content areas. Tutors can be undergraduate students and graduate students with a 3.0 or higher GPA. In addition to content specific tutors, Bratzke also offers College Skills Tutors that can assist with time management, organization and setting you up for success during the semester.
Student-Athletes have the opportunity to check out MAC laptops, Dell Laptops and calculators through Bratzke.
Upon arrival all athletes will be asked to complete the “Bratzke Academic history form.” The data collected provides designated Bratzke Staff with information to guide access to accommodations and determine if additional academic skill development may be needed. If a student-athlete voluntarily disclosed that they had a 504 Plan or an IEP in place during high school, they may qualify for accommodations through the Center for Student Accessibility(CSA). Designated Bratzke Staff will serve as a liaison with the CSA, guiding the student-athlete through the process to sign up for services.
Student-athletes are assigned study hall hours based upon their EKU GPA, their year in school, and the recommendations of their coaches. In general, All incoming freshmen are assigned 6-8 hours a week and incoming transfers a minimum of 4 hours of study hall a week. After the initial term of enrollment at EKU, continuing study hall requirements will be based on GPA, coach and advisor recommendation and current review of academic progress and success in the classroom. Students are to accumulate all their hours by Noon on Friday. Those who did not meet their study hall requirements by end of the week will be reported to their coaching staff.
Study Hall Expectations
THE BRATZKE TEAM
Bratzke staff are here to create and maintain a positive learning environment. It is expected that our student-athletes treat others with respect and utilize their time wisely while being productive in study hall.
CHECK-IN and CHECK-OUT
The computer at the front desk will register the time you arrive and the time you leave. If you should have any problems with the program, please alert the front desk monitor. If you sign-in and leave the facility without signing out, your time will not count toward your weekly total. In addition your coach will be notified. Teamworks is an app you will use to check in and out of study hall along with help manage your daily schedules and communication with athletic department, Bratzke Staff and Coaches.
COMPUTER LAB
You are allowed to check e-mail and use computers for homework, projects, and assignments only. You are not allowed to use the lab for social media. Save your work to your Google Drive or EKU One Drive or email it to yourself.
CELL PHONES
Please refrain from using them during your tutoring session, mentoring session, or study hall. If you need to make a call please step outside of the center to minimize distractions.
NO SLEEPING
Please come prepared to study. If you are sleeping, you will be asked to leave.
NOISE
Bratzke is a quiet study area for our athletes. Please minimize distractions and keep voices low.
FACILITY APPEARANCE
Please help us keep the center clean and organized.
ACADEMIC SUPPLIES
Academic supplies can be provided upon request to include markers, pens/pencils, note cards, paper, etc.
Students in the Setting Targets, Achieving Results (S.T.A.R) program, meet weekly or more with their Bratzke Athletic Academic Advisor to review academic progress, establish weekly objectives and discuss any current issues each semester. The program provides a foundation for students-athletes to build strong academic skills and to be accountable for their academic journey. Academic progress is also shared with coaches in accordance with the FERPA release.
Eastern Kentucky University offers great opportunities for student-athletes to connect with many great career options through job fairs, co-op/internship experiences and much more through their college and major of choice. Each college has an enrollment and career counselor that can assist with the job search. Furthermore, Bratzke staff support student-athletes through graduation and with their journey to life after college.
In conjunction with EKU Athletic’s student development and career services, we offer resume, networking, job searching workshops and more specifically tailored to our student-athletes in the fall and spring semesters.
How Not to Suck at Money helps college students build core financial skills through an interactive game. Students learn how to budget, invest, plan and spend intentionally, all through choice-based gameplay and short videos. Every element of How Not to Suck at Money was informed by research with over 1,500 college students, which resulted in a game that can be played on any device (mobile, tablet or desktop) in their spare time. There is no download required and students can start with whatever topic is most interesting to them. Students that complete the game receive a certificate of completion that can be showcased on LinkedIn as well as a financial education playbook which summarizes key learnings and additional resources.
EKU Career Services
NCAA
| Entering Semester: | NCAA GPA Requirements: | NCAA Degree Applicable Credit Hour Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | N/A | 6 |
| 3 | 1.8 | 24 |
| 4 | 1.8 | |
| 5 | 1.9 | 48 and declared major |
| 6 | 1.9 | |
| 7 | 2.0 | 72 |
| 8 | 2.0 | |
| 9 | 2.0 | 96 |
| 10 | 2.0 |
EKU
Our Mission & Goals
Our most important pursuit is inspiring the quest for academic excellence of our student-athletes through structured support programming focused on a culture of integrity, and accountability. We want to aspire greatness and educate our students to become self-directed thinkers and learners. We want our student-athletes to discover who they are as leaders and develop effective leadership skills to empower themselves and make a difference.
Our Goals
Success Tip Videos
Other Campus Tutoring Center
Contact Information
Bratzke Student-Athlete Academic Success Center
Whitlock Building
Room 463
Spring & Fall Hours
Mon-Thu: 8 am – 9 pm
Fri: 8 am – 4:30 pm
Sun: 3 pm – 8 pm
Summer & Winter Hours
Mon-Thu: 7:30 am – 5 pm
859-622-1628
Fax: 859-622-3074
bratzke.center@eku.edu