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Maria Hickman is the Senior Associate Athletics Director for Academics and Student Development. She has overseen the academic staff in the Dodie Anderson Academic Center and the daily academic and life skill operation for all student-athletes since January 1, 2013. Under Hickman’s leadership the athletics department has experienced record-setting grade-point averages for its student-athletes and continues to lead the SEC with the number of student-athletes named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll. Student-athlete participation in community service has increased significantly.
Hickman serves as a member of the athletic department’s senior staff and is the secondary sport administrator for women’s basketball. She is athletics department liaison with the University Athletics Advisory Council. She also reports to the Provost Office.
When arriving to South Carolina in 2007, Hickman served as an academic advisor for football. Throughout the years her responsibilities regularly grew. After being promoted to Director of Academics she assumed supervisory responsibilities and oversaw the Guest Coach Program and served as liaison to the Registrar’s Office. Under her direction, the football program has seen a rise in graduation numbers and earned record setting semester grade point averages. In 2014, the football program was recognized for being in the top 10% of Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores for their sport, affirming the students’ consistent progress towards earning a University of South Carolina degree. She served as the chair of the Student-Athlete Recognition Committee from 2012-2013.
Prior to South Carolina, Hickman worked at the University of Richmond from 2005-2007, where she served as an Academic Coordinator with the football, baseball, field hockey and lacrosse teams and Life Skills Coordinator. Before that, she worked as a graduate assistant at the University of Louisville while earning her master’s degree in sport administration.
Hickman is an active member in National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA) and the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A). A native of Statesville, N.C., Hickman graduated from Mars Hill College with a dual degree in business administration and sports management.
