About The Carbonell Center
The Carbonell Center is home to The George Washington Athletics Educational Support Services (ESS). Established in 1983, the Educational Support Services program was initially designed to provide support services to a small group of students. The program has expanded to include services for all student-athletes, with an emphasis on individual responsibility and pride in academic accomplishments. The Department of Athletics employs five full-time staff members and 30-40 tutors to assist close to 400 student-athletes. Through the support of the faculty and administration, the mandate of the Department of Athletics, and the dedication of the student-athletes, the department claims a high graduation rate for all of its sports.
Staff:
| Name | Position | Telephone (Area Code: 202) |
Sport Responsibilities | |
| James Hellekjaer | Assistant Athletics Director, Educational Support Services | 994-8791 | hellekja@gwu.edu | Baseball, Men's Basketball |
| Natalie Ellard | Academic Advisor | 994-3362 | natalie.ellard@gwu.edu | Women's Basketball, Men's/Women's Swimming and Diving, Women's Rowing, Softball, Men's Water Polo |
| Stephen McNamara | Academic Advisor | 994-6585 | smcnamara@gwu.edu | Golf, Gymnastics, Lacrosse, Men's Soccer, Women's Tennis, Men's/Women's Track and Cross Country |
| Leah Fishman | Learning Specialist/Academic Advisor | 994-2414 | leah.fishman@gwu.edu | Women's Soccer |
Academic Counseling & Monitoring
The ESS staff is available for academic advising and counseling on classes and choices of majors. For official advising, students are routinely referred to their school advising office or program advisor.
Academic monitoring is provided for all student-athletes to track academic progress for NCAA eligibility as well as to assist students who may be experiencing academic difficulties. Students who are considered "at risk" for academic difficulty may be required to meet weekly with an Academic Support staff counselor.
Assessment
Educational assessment is recommended and coordinated for student-athletes on a case-by-case basis. The methods vary, depending on the student involved. When more formal testing is necessary, the student and the learning specialist can consult the Disability Support Services or the Counseling Center on campus. This learning specialist can also consult on referrals for formal diagnostic testing and assists students in following through with this process.
Study Hall
First-years, transfers, and continuing students may have required study hall hours and are evaluated on a case-by-case basis by the ESS staff.
Individual and Group Tutoring/Review Sessions
Tutoring is offered in a wide variety of subject areas. The ESS staff interviews, hires, and supervises approximately 30-40 tutors. Most tutoring is conducted on an individual basis. Students requesting assistance should consult the ESS staff.
Review sessions are conducted for classes that student-athletes often take and that seem to present difficulty for many students. Courses such as Physics, Chemistry, Math, Statistics, Biology, Accounting, and Economics often fall into this category. Students should contact the ESS staff to sign up for assistance.
Referral to University Support Services
The ESS staff acts as a referral service for student-athletes needing campus resources. Referral offices may include the Disability Support Services Office, the Office of Student Success, Academic Commons, or the GW Writing Center.