THIS IS KENTUCKY
CENTER FOR ACADEMIC & TUTORIAL SERVICES
(CATS)
The University of Kentucky keeps the term "student-athlete" in the proper perspective  student first, athlete second.
For that reason, the University of Kentucky Athletics Association opened the nation's first academic center for student-athletes in 1981. The academic center is simply known as CATS  Center for Academic & Tutorial Services.
The CATS Center is located inside Memorial Coliseum. The center, specifically designed with student-athletes in mind, contains a large general study area, along with several smaller rooms used for tutoring, computer assistance and small group sessions.
Plans are on the drawing board for expansion of the CATS Center. The expansion would add a language laboratory, additional tutoring rooms, an expanded computer facility and a media center.
Currently, the UKAA budgets close to 3500,000 per year for the CATS Center.
The philosophy at the University of Kentucky is this: Colleges should be able to offer the student-athlete every opportunity to succeed not only in athletics, but in academic life as well.
"Academically," says UK Basketball Coach Rick Pitino, "we hope to make our players overachieve in the classroom the same way they do on the basketball court, so that if they don't make it in the NBA, they can leave their college life with the beginning of a great career."
Football Coach Jerry Claiborne agrees. "There's no question, the CATS Center is a very important part of not only our football program, but our entire athletics program here at Kentucky," he says. "Academic pursuits come first in our program."
Indeed, academics do come first. The combination of the CATS Center and Claiborne brought a national championship to UK in 1989. The UK football program was awarded the 1989 College Football Association's Ac-
The CATS Center is located in Memorial Coliseum.
ademic Achievement Award for the nation's highest graduation rate for its 1983 freshman class.
Bob Bradley, Assistant Athletic Director for Student Services, supervises the CATS Center. Bradley is assisted by Barbara Deniston, Director of Student Development, and Mike Jenkins, Academic Counselor, The CATS Center also employs four graduate assistants and numerous tutors, both from the University and surrounding community.
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Not only has the football program flourished, but so has the entire UK Athletics program. Kentucky again placed more athletes on the Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll than any other league school last year.
"The CATS Center is an incredible advantage to a student-athlete over another without an academic center," Bradley says. "This is a medium which the student-athlete can get any question about his or her academic endeavors answered."
The philosophy at the University of Kentucky is this: Colleges should be able to offer the student-athlete every opportunity to succeed not only in athletics, but in academic life as well. Looking at recent statistics in Academic Honor Roll selections and graduation rates, Kentucky is standing by its philosophy, At UK, the CATS Center certainly plays an instrumental part in keeping academic matters and athletics totally in sync,
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