Elite Athlete Friendly University
‘Supporting Australia’s Elite Athletes to achieve academic excellence’
In October 2004, the Australian National University became a member of the national network of Elite Friendly
Universities by signing an agreement with the Australian Sports Commission and the ACT Academy of Sports.
ANU aims to identify elite athletes and assist them in the development of skills to help them successfully balance their
sporting and academic aspirations.
Definition
Key Facts
Flexible Study Options
Admission
Athlete Profile
Contact us
Defining Elite Athletes
Whilst the majority of elite athletes within Australia will be on scholarship within the Australian Institute of Sport or the network of institutes and academies of sport, there are many athletes that may fall outside of this cohort. The following strategies are therefore suggested for identifying elite athletes studying at universities within Australia .
- For athletes to access the support identified within the guiding principles outlined above, they must be identified and recognised by one of the following organisations as an elite athlete:
- If an athlete falls outside of these organisations, they may still submit an application and be considered as an Elite Athlete. The National CACE (Coach and Athlete Careers & Education) Manager will act as a representative from the Australian Sports Commission to investigate, verify and make a recommendation to the university.
Key Facts
- There are currently 15 students under the program, participating in a wide range of sports – Athletics, Rowing, Netball etc., who study nearly across all Colleges
- When students apply for entry they will receive 5 bonus points if recognised as Elite Athletes
- This will be noted on the Student System
Flexible Study Options
The ANU will use their best endeavours to meet the student athlete needs highlighted below:
- Provide advice and planning to Students on academic planning
- Providing support in negotiating and securing cross-institutional study
- Assessment related needs:
- Ability to negotiate assessment deadlines based on sporting related travel commitments
- Ability to sit exams externally under exam conditions, within the athlete’s environment (e.g. whilst travelling, in their hotel etc)
- The minimum attendance at lectures, tutorials or practicals waived where student-athlete unavailable due to sporting commitments
- Ability to:
- tailor academic study load to integrate with sporting commitments, available for first year students as well.
- negotiate lecture, tutorial and practical timetables to accommodate sporting commitments
- extend minimum time to complete course due to periods of decreased study load
- take several leaves of absence where required due to increased sporting commitments (e.g. Olympic Games year)
- complete cross institutional study options with interstate universities, and flexibility within this policy provided for student athletes (e.g. first year student’s eligible, increase number of subjects able to be completed by cross institutional study
- Provision of summer study alternatives and/or ability to swap between distance education mode and on campus mode, depending on sporting commitments
- Recognition of credit achieved at interstate universities
Access to distance education materials, and/or class notes for missed lectures, tutorials or practicals
Admission
Prospective domestic students must apply via UAC (Universities Admissions Centre) http://www.uac.edu.au/, not directly to the ANU.
The university will consider accompanying documentation when considering athletes’ applications for admission and will take this into account when considering entry, as per the university’s Special Consideration Process.
Contact
Mr. Mark Erickson
Deputy Registrar
Division of Registrar & Student Services
Pauline Griffin Building 11
The Australian National University
Canberra, ACT 2601
Australia
Tel: +61 2 6125 0438
Fax: +61 2 6125 8418
Email: mark.erickson@anu.edu.au
Admission
Elite Athletes
Athlete Profile
