Dear Student-Athletes:

TDs, 3 pointers, goal kicks, intervals, tapering, and hit and run are words in your athletic vocabulary. Now acronyms such as "APR," and terms such as "progress towards degree," and "6, 18 and 24 hour rules" must also enter your vocabulary, as such items determine your academic eligibility for athletic competition.

This combination of vocabularies signals your condition as a student-athlete. Yes, you are here to compete, to excel, and to win on the field of competition. But you are also here to succeed academically, which at Tennessee we define as graduation from the university. This dual responsibility can be a heavy burden to bear, but thousands of student-athletes have born this burden and have succeeded in all areas at Tennessee. I am confident that you will succeed as well.

Your efforts are supported by many offices and individuals on this campus. Please take full advantage of the Thornton Center and its academic counselors. Also, please consider participating in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), which is your forum for making concerns known to administrators and coaches. Finally, as Faculty Athletics Representative I am charged with overseeing student-athlete welfare, so please contact me as well with your questions and concerns.

I look forward to meeting all of you, to helping you when I can, and to watching you compete in the coming year.

Sincerely,

Dr. Todd Diacon
Vice Provost and Faculty Athletics Representative