The transition to college can be a difficult one, but there are many resources available to students at Gonzaga! Within the Athletic Department, our student-athletes will be introduced to many members of the department throughout that first semester and should feel welcome to reach out with any questions or concerns at any point during your Gonzaga career. As a first semester freshman, you will be enrolled in a one-credit EDPE 195 New Athlete Orientation course aimed at equipping you with the necessary skills and resources (as well as some fun competitions!) to be successful as a student-athlete at Gonzaga. Incoming freshman and transfer student-athletes will also meet weekly with an athletic academic advisor to discuss the transition and make sure someone is checking in on you—school, your sport, friends, family, and everything in between. While transitioning to a Division I student-athlete can be challenging, we hope to provide resources and be right beside you every step of the way!

In order to earn a degree from Gonzaga University, students must complete a minimum of 128 semester credits, or an average of 16 credits per semester. Students pursuing degrees in Nursing or Engineering may have more than 128 total credits required for that program. Additionally, students wanting to pursue double majors or multiple minors may also need more than 128 total credits. It is with this in mind that all students are taking around 16 credits per semester in order to stay on track to graduate on time.  

Gonzaga students work closely with his or her assigned Primary Advisor within their chosen field of study. These relationships should continue to be cultivated each semester and it is the responsibility of the student to be communicating frequently with his or her Primary Advisor on graduation plans. Additionally, student-athletes have athletic academic advisors that supplement the information being provided from Primary Advisors. Athletic academic advisors are there to assist in planning courses around practice times and travel schedules and work collaboratively with colleagues across campus to ensure we are working together to best support our student-athletes.

No, there are not any majors that student-athletes are encouraged to not pursue due to being a student-athlete. We have student-athletes each year, across all of our teams, that are majoring in everything from Nursing, Human Physiology, and Biology to Engineering and Computer Science to Psychology, Communication Studies, and Environmental Studies. While there are increased demands on student-athletes depending on which major he or she chooses to pursue, we work very closely with professors and departments on campus to make sure our student-athletes are actively able to pursue both their athletic and academic goals at Gonzaga. Students are encouraged to have conversations early on, and often, with their Primary Advisors and athletic academic advisors about the nuances of the curriculum to make sure we are planning ahead each semester to avoid any potential conflicts.

Gonzaga Athletics creates a missed class letter for all student-athletes each semester detailing potential absences from courses based on travel and competition schedules. These letters are distributed during the first week of the semester to the student-athletes and it is the responsibility of the student-athlete to meet with his or her faculty that week, introduce themselves, and begin the conversation about absences due to athletic commitments. While athletic academic advisors are there to support students through challenges related to absences they may face due to travel and competition, we encourage student-athletes to work directly with his or her faculty as much as possible. Our campus faculty are extremely supportive of our University's various extracurricular engagements Gonzaga students have and are generally able to work to find a solution. Should issues or difficulties arise, student-athletes should be informing his or her athletic academic advisor as soon as possible.

You can typically find your athletic academic advisor in the Rian G. Oliver Student-Athlete Enrichment Lab Monday – Friday 8:30am-5:00pm. However, with additional programming and events, you are likely to see the academic staff at other times outside of 8:30am-5:00pm over the course of a semester! Athletic academic advisors also try to make themselves available via phone or email outside of business hours for emergencies.

There are a variety of tutorial services available for student-athletes at Gonzaga. Within the Athletic Department, we recruit, hire, and train undergraduate and graduate tutors to work with our student-athletes in a variety of subjects. Student-athletes can be paired one-on-one with a tutor, after consulting with his or her athletic academic advisor, and meet with that tutor throughout the semester. These appointments are geared at promoting active learning, encouraging motivation, and promoting academic independence and are free of charge for Gonzaga student-athletes. All Gonzaga students also have The Learning Studio in Foley Library as a free tutoring resource to all students and appointments can be made with those Learning Assistants at any point in the semester. Additionally, various departments on campus sponsor free tutoring programs as well, geared more towards drop-in hours versus one-on-one pairings. We also strongly encourage our student-athletes to seek out their professors if he or she is struggling in a course and visit them during office hours to receive help and assistance that way. For more information about all of the tutoring resources, please visit our Gonzaga Athletics Peer Tutorial Homepage.

Similar to other aspects of our University and our Athletic Department, we try to take the most individualized approach possible with our study hall program. We believe that our students become more active, independent, and successful learners by encouraging them to take ownership of their academic careers at Gonzaga. With that being said, in conjunction with our EDPE 195 New Athlete Orientation course that all freshman student-athletes are enrolled in, freshmen are required to spend one night per week in the fall semester in the library. This time is monitored and used to introduce students to the resources available in the library and to foster time management skills. After fall of their freshman year, study hall is on a team-by-team and student-by-student basis as determined by the team's athletic academic advisor or coaching staff.

The Center for Student Academic Success offers the Gonzaga University Summer Term (GUST) Program each summer to all incoming freshman and transfer students. This six-week program offers students the opportunity to get a head start on his or her Gonzaga degree, meet other students, network with professors, and learn valuable college survival skills through focused study in a fun summer setting. Incoming or transfer student-athletes can choose to participate in this program, usually starting around the end of June, to get ahead and get acclimated before the fall semester starts. Gonzaga Athletics works closely with the GUST Program coordinators to create a positive experience for all participants, while taking into account any athletic obligations during the summer as well. For more information, please visit the GUST Homepage.

Yes! There are a number of programs within the Athletic Department for freshman student-athletes, as well as the entire student-athlete population. One of Gonzaga University's foundational pillars is centered around Cura Personalis, or care for the whole person. We strive to incorporate this value into our programming and make sure student-athletes are growing and developing as people throughout their time at Gonzaga. Most of our programming is created and implemented through our Life Skills Program. For more information, please visit our Life Skills Homepage or reach out to Jillian Hall, Director of Life Skills, at hallj2@gonzaga.edu.