UIndy Athletic Academic Advising

University of Indianapolis Athletic Department
NCAA Division II
Great Lakes Valley Conference

At the University of Indianapolis, our Athletic Academic Advising Philosophy is rooted in the core values of the NCAA Division II model: Balance, Responsibility, and Excellence. We believe that student-athletes are students first, and we are committed to empowering them to achieve academic success, athletic distinction, and personal growth.

Objective

To provide comprehensive, individualized academic support that empowers student-athletes to excel in the classroom, thrive in competition, and develop the skills necessary for lifelong success.

Core Pillars of Our Philosophy

1. Student-Athlete Centered Approach

We recognize each student-athlete as a whole person with unique academic, athletic, and personal goals. Our advising approach is developmental, not prescriptive—fostering independence, accountability, and informed decision-making.

2. Academic-Athletic Integration

We value the dual identity of our student-athletes and actively support the integration of their academic and athletic commitments. Advising strategies are designed to accommodate athletic schedules while promoting timely degree completion and exploration of academic interests.

3. Holistic Development

We collaborate with campus partners, coaches, and support services to address the full spectrum of student-athlete needs—academic support, mental health, leadership development, career planning, and community engagement.

4. Equity and Access

We are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable advising environment that honors diverse backgrounds, identities, and experiences. Our services are proactive and accessible to all student-athletes.

5. Data-Informed and Outcomes-Driven

We utilize academic performance data, progress-toward-degree metrics, and NCAA benchmarks to monitor success and refine support strategies. Continuous assessment ensures we are meeting the evolving needs of our student-athletes and maintaining compliance with institutional and NCAA standards, with a focus on student-athlete retention, persistence and graduation rates.

Goals of Athletic Academic Advising

Promote academic integrity, engagement, and achievement
Assist student-athletes in developing meaningful academic and career plans
Ensure compliance with NCAA, conference, and institutional academic policies
Encourage self-advocacy, time management, and personal responsibility
Foster a culture of excellence, support, and high expectations

Components of a Degree

Each student athlete is required to complete at least 120 credits to graduate from UIndy. These 120 credits are broken down into 3 different distinct areas.

General Education Core. All degree-seeking students are required to complete the Core. The purpose of a Gen Ed Core is to give students a perspective in various topics of academia. A 1.7 cumulative GPA (C-) must be earned overall in the Core courses in order to satisfy graduation requirements. Some requirements of the Core will be satisfied in a student’s major.
Major. UIndy offers approximately 100 different undergraduate majors that students can choose to pursue. Each major has a curriculum guide listing the required courses with a suggested timeline of when the class should be taken. It should be noted that majors are unique in the amount of credits required. Some majors have different grade requirements in their courses that can be found on the curriculum guides. You can see a list of available majors offered by UIndy by clicking here.
Minors/Pre-Professionals/Electives. As mentioned above, all students are required to complete a minimum of 120 credit hours to graduate. The amount of credits left to reach 120 after the Gen Ed Core and Major are completed is the third piece of a degree component. Many college students like to complete a minor and/or acquire a pre-professional concentration to move forward in graduate school, or simply like to take elective coursework that is interesting to them and reach the 120 credits that way.

NCAA Continuing Eligibility

The NCAA progress toward degree requirements are designed to guide student-athletes through their academic journey to graduation. These standards ensure student-athletes take the appropriate steps toward their degree, tackling everything from GPA to term-by-term and annual credit hour requirements.

Below is a list of NCAA Continuing Eligibility requirements. This is only a list of general rules. All academic eligibility questions should be referred to either Associate A.D. for Academics Andrea Walker or Associate A.D. for Compliance Katie Christman.

Good Academic Standing: All student-athletes must be considered to be in “good” academic standing, which is determined by UIndy’s Office of the Registrar, in order to compete in their sport.
Full-Time Enrollment: All student-athletes must be enrolled as a full-time student, which is 12 credits at UIndy. However, we encourage student athletes to enroll in 15-16 credits to stay on path to graduation and allow for course change flexibility.
9-Hour Rule: All student-athletes must earn 9 credits in both terms (semester 1 & semester 2) to be eligible.
24-Hour Rule: All student-athletes must earn 24 credits each academic year, including Spring Term and Summer Term.
2.0 GPA Rule: All student-athletes must be in good academic standing to be eligible to represent UIndy in athletic competition and practice. Entering the fall semester after one full year of eligibility, all student-athletes must have a minimum of a 2.0 cumulative GPA (NCAA bylaw: 14.2.9.3.4). For more information on UIndy Academic Information and Policies and NCAA Compliance Rules, please see Associate A.D. for Academics Andrea Walker or Associate A.D. for Compliance Katie Christman.
Degree Applicability: After a student-athlete begins their third year of enrollment (5th Full-Time Semester) all credits must be applicable to his or her degree requirements.
NCAA 12-Hour Rule: All student-athletes must maintain full-time enrollment to participate in athletics. If at any point a student-athlete drops below 12 credit hours in a semester, they are immediately ineligible for practice and competition.
- Student-athletes are advised to be enrolled in 15 to 16 credit hours per semester. If a student-athlete is in a four credit-hour course, they are advised to be enrolled in 16 credit hours. This ensures a four-year graduation pathway and also meets NCAA Eligibility requirements.
- If a student-athlete is in their final semester, they may not be required to maintain full-time status if they are meeting all graduation requirements. Student-athlete must confirm with Associate A.D. for Academics Andrea Walker or Associate A.D. for Compliance Katie Christman AND contact financial aid to ensure no negative implications.