Office of Central Student Administration

Murdoch University - An Elite Athlete Friendly University

Murdoch University is proud to be a member of the National Network of Athlete Friendly Universities. As such, we have developed an Elite Athlete Program to assist athletes competing at a national or international level to achieve their academic goals while meeting the demands of an often-vigorous training and competition regime.

Ellen Pettit - High Jump

Who is eligible to register under the Elite Athlete Program?

Athletes identified by one of the following organisations:

Australian Institute of Sport

State Institute of Sport (e.g. WAIS)

AFL Players Association

Australian Cricketers Association

Rugby Union Players Association

If you are registered with one of these organisations/associations, they will advise the University of your eligibility to register under the Program. In addition, you are encouraged to contact us so that we can ensure your name is registered with us.

If you are not registered with one of these organisations, but represent your sport at a national or international competition level, you should contact the person nominated below, and submit supporting documentation from your sporting group for our consideration. This should include information on your training and competition schedule, travel and any other commitments, such as team meeting schedules.

What can we offer you as an elite athlete?

We understand that sometimes you may have difficulties meeting assignment deadlines or sitting an exam due to the demands of your sport. As an elite athlete, you would be eligible to defer an exam or assignment due date if you are able to submit supporting documentation from your sporting body. If you are overseas or interstate, either training or competing, you can arrange to sit your exams wherever you may be, and the normal fee for making alternative exam arrangements will be waived.

Murdoch University offers considerable flexibility in the structure and delivery of most courses. This allows you to tailor your degree to meet your academic objectives as well as the demands of your sporting and other commitments.

A large number of units are available to study in both internal and external mode, and some are available on-line.  Many Unit Coordinators provide lecture recordings via the web, which can allow students to catch up on missed lectures.  A large number of unit web pages will also provide additional information to assist you to achieve the unit objectives.  Also, all our students are eligible to apply for an intermission of their studies for up to two years if required.

Elite athletes can face significant risk of being transferred between States before the completion of their degree, especially as in most cases they are studying in a part-time capacity. In recognition of this, the University may waive the normal Bachelor degree regulation requiring you to complete 24 points of your Part II units at Murdoch to be eligible to receive a Murdoch degree.

Where class attendance (such as in tutorials or laboratories) is considered part of the assessment for a unit, internal students may be exempted from specified attendance requirements due to sporting-related travel commitments, provided they are able to produce the appropriate supporting documentation. The Unit Coordinator may consider opportunities for ‘making up’ missed classes or perhaps assessing the student under the same criteria as an external student.

Your Program Chair will also be advised of your registration under the Elite Athlete Program, and they will arrange an annual meeting to discuss your goals and progress.

Who do I contact?

As an Elite Athlete, you will have a central point of contact to discuss any concerns or questions you may have in relation to your studies.  There are two staff overseeing the Elite Athlete Program at Murdoch University.  These are:

Ms Donna Shepherdson (administration)
Open & Distance Education Coordinator – External
Chancellery Building Room 1.022
Tel: (08) 9360 2498
Email: m.shepherdson@murdoch.edu.au

Dr Brian Nook (academic)
Head of School, Chiropractic
Economics Commerce & Law (ECL) Building Room 1.009
Tel: (08) 9360 7690
Email: b.nook@murdoch.edu.au

We look forward to meeting you and providing any assistance you may require to balance your academic and sporting goals. We welcome your feedback and any suggestions as to how we may improve our service to you.

	Document Author: Office of Central Student Administration Document Contact: Webmaster Authorised by: Darren Munday, Director <d.munday@murdoch.edu.au> Disclaimer & Copyright Notice © 2007 Murdoch University	Document creation: Creation Date Expiry date: Expiry Date Last Modified: 8 May 2007
	URL: http://www.oss.murdoch.edu.au/eliteathlete/index.html