Dissertation Defense Announcement

College of Education announces the Final Dissertation Defense of

Ashlesha Lokhande

for the Degree of Doctor of Education

February 26, 2019 at 1:30 PM in Ball Hall, Room 123 

Advisor: Reginald Green

An analysis of African American Football Players' perception of their non-athletic career readiness post-graduation from a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Institution. 

ABSTRACT: The NCAA's core values indicate their commitment to the academic success and career development of their student-athletes. They assure the student-athletes' academic and career readiness takes precedence over their athletic competitiveness. However, with the increasing commercialization, the relationship between college athletics and higher education is similar to an uneasy marriage, with student-athletes caught in the middle of this strenuous relationship. This is evident because of the lower graduation rate and career maturity levels of African-American student-athletes. This problem is also magnified as African-American student-athletes are graduating at a lower rate than their White counterparts. This trend has to be reversed, hence, this study analyzes the African American football players' perception of their non-athletic career readiness post-graduation from a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision institution. The study also assesses the processes and procedures African-American football players use to prepare themselves for a non-athletic career post-graduation and the factors that play a significant role in their career readiness. Keywords: African-American student-athletes, career readiness, athletic academic services