Jim Campbell is a 1967 graduate of Lincoln Northeast High School and graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1971. Jim holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in Mathematics and Mathematics Education. He has spent 50 years teaching mathematics at both Northeast High School and the University of Nebraska. Jim spoke to us today about tutoring student athletics at the University of Nebraska.
Jim served as a member of the Nebraska Wesleyan University and Southeast Community College Honors Academy helping students to receive college credits for AP work done in high school. In 2010 Jim was rehired to teach part-time AP calculus at Lincoln Southwest and at Lincoln Northeast. He retired in 2016 from teaching but continues to tutor student athletes at the University of Nebraska. Jim started teach in 1081 at the Academic Center at UNL. It seemed that Coach Osborn would always ask him if he had room for two or three more students. Usually these where evening classes because those students had football practice and other classes during the daytime. Many of these students are good students, but need that extra push to maintain a good GPA.
The University of Nebraska is #1 with All American Academic students in Division 1 schools. The NCAA standards are:
1. Student must be a good starter and able to be a good leader.
2. You must have a GPA 3.0 (minimum at UNL) and a graduate student must have a GPA 3.3. Many of our students have a GPA of 3.7 or 3.8 or better.
3. The nominee must have attend the school for a full calendar year.
4. The student must have served in a leadership role and done outreach in the community.
Many of the student athletes have good leadership roles and do a lot of outreach in the community for younger students. Many of these student athletes show good life skills, which was one thing that Dr. Tom Osborn like to see. As of 2021 we have 341 who have been All American Academically.
There are about 600 tutors and many of them are students. To be a student tutor you must be either a junior or senior. You must take an exam yearly and make a score of at least 85%. Jim has to take that same exam each year. They must meet at least twice to review all the NCAA rules to become a good tutor.
A tutor is available to help the student athlete in his or her courses and probably help them work on those life skills. Sometimes they do run into a poor family or a family from a small town where some of the basics are considered not important. When they work with these type of athletes they need 12 weeks to work with them and they go back to the basics. Many times these students excel and get that degree.
Jim shared with the club three different stories. One of those student-athletes applied himself so well when tutored by Jim that he actually got his degree and was the first one in his family to go to college. His mother was so proud that when they did have a graduation party and Jim was invited he got a "big bear hug."
Thanks, Jim for sharing. Many of us don't know what goes on in the Academic Center at UNL -- now we know that those who do need help get the help they really need to exceed.
Jim's favorite quote is: We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give." How true this is.