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Dual Career Policy

Commitment to supporting excellence in sport and academia

The term ‘dual career’ in this policy document relates to students pursuing a career in elite/professional sport, who are in receipt of a sports scholarship, whilst simultaneously studying for their degree. The principles of this policy were endorsed at the meeting of the Taught Student Education Board in June 2018.

  1. The policy is for a defined number of identified athletes at elite level only. These athletes will be university sports scholars and will have a qualified athlete lifestyle advisor allocated to them. The policy will not extend to BUCS level athletes (i.e. athletes representing the University in Wednesday afternoon sport).
  2. Dual career athletes will be identified to their parent school/faculty by the Sport and Physical Activity Service through their Sports Scholarship Programme. This will be communicated to faculty Pro-Deans for Student Education, Heads of School, Faculty Education Service Managers and personal tutors within 7 days of final sports scholarship awards being made.
  3. Prospective university sports scholars are required to complete an online application form and attend an informal interview outlining their sporting history, aspirations and demonstrate why they need the support provided by a sports scholarship.
  4. Each prospective sports scholar is required to meet a minimum sporting criteria; the level of which will vary depending on the sport but as a minimum, there will be an expectation that athletes will be competing at a national/junior international level.
  5. Sports scholars will be expected to attend a compulsory induction day at the start of the academic year. The purpose of this day is to introduce sports scholars to the team of support staff (lifestyle advisors, strength and conditioning coaches, physiotherapists, sports nutritionists and sports psychologists) that will work with them during their time at Leeds and outline the university commitment to dual-career athletes and how to access this support and what it will provide.
  6. Preservation of academic integrity is paramount. In order to be granted flexibility, there is an expectation that the student athlete achieves the minimum expected academic standards across their programme of study, with any issues arising referred and addressed though the programme’s support arrangements.
  7. There is a commitment to ensuring that the student athlete’s wellbeing is placed at the heart of decision making. Through the scholarship programme, student athletes will be taught skills that enable them to manage their time more effectively and therefore minimise stress.
  8. The onus will remain on the student athlete to ensure they are communicating any potential clashes or issues well in advance with both their lifestyle advisor and personal tutor.
  9. Flexible study and assessment options will only be sought where academic timetabling clashes with the student athlete’s training and competition schedule. Flexible study and assessment options will be considered by the parent school where an athlete can demonstrate a clash with their timetable due to elite sport commitments. Sign off from the Sport and Physical Activity department will verify requests.
  10. The Sport and Physical Activity Service will communicate positive news stories to faculty marketing teams for wider dissemination.
  11. As outlined in point 1 above, this policy refers to a specific cohort of students in receipt of a sports scholarship. Any other students wishing to discuss the arrangements for their programme must speak with their personal tutor and parent school in the first instance.

For further information about this policy, please contact either:

Andrew Lockwood, Assistant Head of Sport and Physical Activity (Development)

Sarah Todd, Performance Sport Manager