A real balancing act
Utah State University has a new athletics academic adviser and tutor coordinator who happen to be the same person. Shukria King now has two job titles on her business card since graduating from USU in 2005 with a bachelor of science in physical education and a minor in psychology.
Student-athletes must have a certain percentage of their degree completed each year, which requires a heavier class load than the 12-credit minimum requirement to be eligible to compete.
King works with student-athletes and their major’s academic adviser to ensure they are on track to graduate and there are no eligibility issues.
“Other advisers I have dealt with do not fully understand athletes, their responsibilities or the commitments they have to their sport, as well as their role as a student,” Erin Manning, a junior and tennis player majoring in community health, said about the vital role King plays for student-athletes.
Her college career included participating in women’s rugby, the Multicultural Student Union and receiving a teaching certificate, which she put to use by instructing classes in the HPER.
Hiring a former Aggie was a great move, academic adviser Amy Crosbie said, because, “Shukria brings a lot of experience to this position. It is so valuable to hire a new employee that is familiar with the inner workings of campus.”
King has a tough job, Crosbie said.
“Shukria joined our staff at an extremely crucial time,” she said. “The end of the summer is a busy time for Student Athlete Services because student athletes are returning and we are certifying them for competition. She has been forced to jump right in and learn the procedures of our office first hand.”
King’s responsibilities include being a sports counselor for men and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track, women’s basketball and men’s golf. She also runs the university’s study hall program.
The study hall program is mandatory for all new student athletes for their first semester to help them focus on their academic commitments in what can be a turbulent time in their lives.
The program is optional for upper-class student athletes with a GPA higher than 2.5. She is also the coordinator for the student-athlete tutoring services.
With all of those responsibilities, King still makes time for individual students and often gets rave reviews.
“When she helped me add a class, it was so easy to go into her office, tell her what I needed, and she took care of it right away. She is very easy to talk to and is very outgoing,” Manning said.
Brittany Hagen, women’s basketball player said of King, “She is so caring and honest. When I sprung changing majors on her right before school started and she handled it for me, I was glad she was my academic adviser.”
Crosbie was also enthusiastic about what King brings to the Student Athlete Services Office.
“Shukria is a natural people person. She is very easy to work with and has easily obtained a great rapport with the student-athletes,” Crosbie said.
When asked what the most satisfying part of her new job is, King said, “Just knowing that I am making an impact of people’s lives and helping them achieve their potential. I want to be a light in their lives.”
King is a self-described “military brat” who went to Kubasaki High School in Okinawa, Japan, where she was active in athletics and vice president of her senior class.
After graduating, she received an academic scholarship and moved to Logan to attend USU. Before being hired to her current position, she worked in the HPER peer advising office for more than three years.
-graham@cc.usu.edu