Schedule
Symposium Program
About the Research Grants
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND – The inaugural American Athletic Conference Academic Consortium Symposium will be held March 23-24 at the Hilton at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The two-day event, hosted by Temple University, will focus on student-athlete well-being.
The American Athletic Conference Academic Consortium was founded in 2016 as a presidential initiative by the league’s 12 member institutions to promote academic excellence and to develop opportunities for collaboration and professional development for faculty, administrators and students. The core focus of the Consortium is the establishment of research and formulation of programming relative to student well-being, with particular emphasis on the issues surrounding college athletics. The Consortium aims at fostering partnerships among member institutions and developing initiatives that advance the academic mission at each institution.
“The American Athletic Conference is committed to being a national leader in the area of student-athlete health and well-being. This symposium will foster partnerships among our member institutions and create greater opportunities for collaboration as we look to develop initiatives for the advancement of research and programming in this vital area,” American Athletic Conference Commissioner Mike Aresco said. “We are pleased and proud that our presidents, athletic directors and faculty athletic representatives have enthusiastically supported and provided the necessary funding for the establishment of the Academic Consortium, which will support multiple initiatives, including the Philadelphia Symposium hosted by Temple University.”
The symposium is expected to draw more than 60 faculty members, administrators, students and staff from American member institutions. Many of those attending are engaged in research at their schools in a variety of disciplines with regard to student-athlete well-being. Attendees will hear from keynote speakers and will have the opportunity to participate in discussions involving the areas of mental health, concussions, nutrition, eating disorders, substance abuse, personal development, career development and other related topics that have been identified as areas of importance in higher education and collegiate athletics.
During the symposium, inter-institutional teams will be formed in order to explore various educational and research opportunities. Those teams will present their findings at a later date. At the conclusion of the 2016-17 academic school year, five $10,000 grants will be awarded for further research in student-athlete well-being.