Michael Harris - Director - Student-Athlete Academic Services - Staff Directory

Staff Directory

Michael Harris

Title:
Director - Student-Athlete Academic Services
Email:
Phone:
552-8533

Michael Harris, Director, joined the Office of Student-Athlete Academic Services (SAAS) in 2018. As Director, Harris reports to the Office of the Provost & Dean of Faculties, providing strategic leadership in all aspects of student-athlete academic services, and formative education while facilitating and strengthening collaborations between the BC academic and athletic communities.

As a member of the Undergraduate Academic Officers Committee and Athletics Executive Team, Harris is responsible for delivering and evaluating programs and services that enhance student-athlete retention, success & well-being. Harris also represents BC Athletics on campus and conference committees dedicated to cultural and community engagement.

Under Harris’s leadership, BC has continued to be one of the nation’s leaders in graduation and student success metrics. At BC, Harris has spearheaded technology and academic facility enhancements that have improved the BC student-athlete experience. He’s also been instrumental in the facilitation of University and Athletics Department initiatives aimed at supporting marginalized students and communities.

Prior to his current role, Harris served as the Associate Director of ASPSA/Director of Football Academics at his alma mater, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). Harris returned to Chapel Hill following a series of university reforms targeting academic services for student-athletes.

While in Chapel Hill, Harris implemented initiatives that led to the achievement of APR and GSR milestones. Before Harris' tenure at UNC, he served as the Assistant Athletics Director for Academic Services and Career Development at the University of Maryland (UMD), where he provided leadership and oversight of the football program, the Gossett Football Team House Academic Center, and the Learning & Tutorial Services of all UMD student-athletes. During Harris' tenure, the UMD football program achieved annual academic milestones, including NCAA APR Public Recognition in football and an Athletics Department GPA average of 3.00.

Harris is an individually certified member of the National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Professionals (N4A), and he has completed the Dr. Charles Whitcomb NCAA Leadership Institute (2011) and the N4A Steve McDonnell Professional Development Institute for Leaders & Managers (2012). Harris has broad-based experience in student-athlete support services after previously serving in leadership capacities at Towson University and Western Carolina University.

A native of Rougemont, NC, and a 2003 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, Harris was a three-year letterwinner in football. Harris has a Master of Business Administration from the Merrick School of Business at the University of Baltimore, and he is currently pursuing his Education Doctorate (Ed.D) in Higher Education from the Lynch School of Education & Human Development at Boston College.