Courtesy of Morgan State Athletic Communications
BALTIMORE, Md. -- Morgan State Director of Student-Athlete Development Chad Allen and Academic Coordinator Alex Parker have been accepted into to the 2021 National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals (N4A) Institute. In addition, Allen also received the N4A Opportunities Scholarship.
The 16th annual Steve McDonnell Professional Development Institute (PDI) will be presented virtually Nov. 7-9.
"I am grateful that N4A provides our industry with yearlong workshops, panels and seminars that allow us to talk about best practices and share solutions to unique challenges faced on our campuses," Allen said. "Being the recipient of the N4A Opportunities Scholarship means a lot to me and our department in terms of increasing the professional development budget for our staff. I will enjoy taking advantage of the resources that the N4A and NACDA membership will provide during the 2021-22 year."
N4A is the official community of practitioners dedicated to the academic and personal development of student-athletes, preparing them for success. The Association is committed to the advocacy, education, professional development, and advancement of its members, while promoting integrity in practices on an institutional and global level.
"I am extremely grateful and honored to be a part of the 2021 cohort. This experience is pivotal in my journey to continue to make a transformative impact on our student athletes," Parker said. "I am most excited about learning and connecting with others in the field. PDI is a major professional development opportunity and I look forward to applying this new network and skill set to make a positive influence."
"I look forward to meeting, networking and sharing best practices with other industry professionals during this transformational leadership experience," Allen said. "My goal while attending this program will be to advance my knowledge, leadership and skills in the area of student-athlete development."
The Steve McDonnell Professional Development Institute (PDI) is N4A's longest running and most comprehensive professional development opportunity for N4A members. The two and a half-day immersive experience brings industry leaders together for the purpose of advancing participants' knowledge, leadership and skills.
The PDI is comprised of five individual tracks, each dedicated to providing a robust, transformative professional development experience for industry professionals. Two tracks (Leader/Manager & New Practitioner) focus on professionals at specific junctures in their career while the other three tracks (Learning Specialist, HBCU Professionals, and Student-Athlete Development) emphasize intensive training in a specific career track regardless of years in the profession. Allen will participate in the student-athlete development track, while Parker will take part in the new practitioner track.
Student-Athlete Development: The Student-Athlete Development (SAD) track is designed for professionals who work in or aspire to work in the growing field of student-athlete development at the collegiate, high school, or professional level. Program development, funding models, national trends, and collaboration with campus and athletic department staff are areas of focus for this track. Faculty are current student-athlete development directors, directors, and experienced administrators.
New Practitioner: The NP track is designed for professionals who are somewhat new to the field (working less than 5 years) and want to grow their skills, knowledge, and best practices for serving student-athletes in an advising or similar capacity. Faculty are experienced Directors, Advisors, Associate & Senior Associate Athletic Directors.
Applying for the N4A Professional Development Institute is a highly competitive application process and Allen is honored to have been accepted as a member of the 2021 class with the chance to represent both himself and Morgan State.
"After recently completing both the MOAA Rising Stars Mentorship program and the NCAA Leadership Academy Workshop during 2020-21, I feel like I am a student-athlete all over again trying to maintain a work life balance," Allen said with a laugh. "Seriously speaking, I accept the challenge of having this opportunity to grow further professionally while representing Morgan State athletics in yet another national program."
"These types of opportunities help to raise awareness in our industry that HBCU's like Morgan State are producing talented student-athletes, coaches and administrators. As we like to say around campus, Let them know, the Bears are rising."