Left to right, Mark Kosciuszko, Mo Harris, Kiesha Jones, Carma Burcham,
Lori Nostrandt, and Jason Hodel
Ferris State University student-athletes have an extra coach, one who makes sure they stay eligible to participate in their respective sports. Carma Burcham, assistant to the registrar for athletic eligibility, has been responsible for initial, continuing and transfer eligibility for the past 17 years.
Prior to a student-athlete completing high school and months before attending FSU, Burcham helps coaches determine who is and isn't eligible. In addition to maintaining grades and receiving adequate ACT scores, high school students need to have successfully completed core courses.
Guidelines Keep Changing
Guidelines for eligibility are provided in part by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the form of Division I and II manuals, totaling nearly 900 pages. The eligibility requirements don't stop there. Decisions are continually made by the NCAA based on interpretations of rules. Burcham maintains her knowledge of the changes through the NCAA legislative database and the NCAA News.
Once a student-athlete enrolls at Ferris State, eligibility checks are conducted daily during the athlete's sport season and at the end of each semester. Burcham ensures that the athletes continue to take courses relative to their fields of study.
Burcham has served as the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic conference (GLIAC) contact for the NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse for the past four years, a position in which she excels, according to FSU Athletics Director Larry Marfise.
Eligibility checks
are conducted
daily during
an athlete's
season.
"We are very fortunate to have someone like Carma, who cares about the student-athletes and has their best interests at heart," said Marfise. "She has the patience and ability to comb through volumes of rules and regulations and interpret their original intent. It's tedious, time-consuming work; Carma is a Godsend."
As the GLIAC's contact for the NCAA Clearinghouse, Burcham often works with schools around the league to determine the eligibility of their athletes. It's not unusual for her to receive calls from previous Ferris coaches who are now at other institutions. Former FSU men's basketball coaches Gary Waters (now at Kent State University) and Terry Smith (now with Grand Valley State University) are among those who continue to appreciate Burcham as a resource.
Graduations Are The Reward
Many student-athletes have provided Burcham with a sense of accomplishment by successfully completing their playing and academic careers.
"One of the most gratifying aspects of my job is graduation day," said Burcham. "I attend every commencement and have an opportunity to see many student-athletes receive their diplomas. That's when I see the rewards of what we've been working for all this time."
Commencement does not mean the end of Burcham's student/ "coach" relationship. Her office contains a collage of photos of former student-athletes, and she hears from many of them long past their graduation.
"Former students still call back and ask if their pictures are up in my office," said Burcham. "Others call, asking if I still remember them or if they may use me as a reference. Of course I remember them how could I forget my friends?"
