Dr. Morris Council III, an assistant professor in the College of Education at the University of West Georgia, began his duties as UWG's Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) in the Fall of 2021.
Since taking over the role, Council has been instrumental in transforming the lives of students and student-athletes on the campus at the University of West Georgia. He has been the lead wolf on a number of projects, including the Fuel for Performance Station and the W.O.W. Learning community.
Fuel For Performance Station at West Commons
In the summer of 2020, UWG president Dr. Brendan Kelly cast a vision to improve healthy eating on campus. Student-athletes were at the forefront of that idea, as a heavy workout and practice load combined with limited resources present a challenge with nutrition and healthy eating.
Fast-forward to the summer of 2022 and that vision has become a reality, not only for student-athletes but for all students at UWG with the launch of the Fuel for Performance Station at West Commons.
Designed to promote healthy dietary and nutritional choices, the Fuel for Performance Station offers lean proteins and a variety of vegetables, and complex carbohydrates. This service is available to all students but was designed to meet the unique needs of elite athletes.
But Fuel for Performance was just one of three goals within the initial phase of this collaborative effort. The second goal was a Protein Program where student-athletes would have protein powder and recovery snacks will be provided throughout the year. The program includes a shaker cup for each student-athlete and with the assistance of DineWest, UWG secured protein powder and fueling snacks to support its 14 varsity sports and championship cheer programs.
"The first goal when President Kelly arrived at UWG, one of his priorities was a much-needed boost in nutrition," Council said. "The Protein Program is the heart and soul of that initial investment in our student-athlete experience."
The final goal was to provide educational programming for student-athletes, particularly incoming freshmen. Education classes for current first-year students will begin in the Spring 2023 semester. Topics will be created by need and interest.
Based on a collaboration with the College of Education Health and Community Wellness program, the educational piece of the program will be coordinated by
Melissa Brillhart. Brillhart is a seasoned registered dietician and certified health coach with a successful history of working in the industry.
W.O.W. Learning Community
When Dr. Council took over the role of Faculty Athletic Representative in the fall of 2021, one of his first projects was the W.O.W. Learning Community. Collaborating with Housing & Residence Life, the learning community is a way to combine incoming student-athletes and the student body into a learning community where the students grow with each other in and out of the classroom over the course of their first year in Carrollton. At its core, the Living Learning Community (LLC) is committed to building tradition and community among students at the University of West Georgia. The unique learning community is the first of its kind at UWG, intentionally prioritizing extra-curricular activity to build community with students and student-athletes. .
Council, who earned his Ph.D. in Special Education and Applied Behavior Analysis at The Ohio State University in 2016, brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding to the position as a former student-athlete who played football at Miami (Ohio) University before starting his career in the world of academia. Council previously served as a football learning specialist at Ohio State prior to arriving in Carrollton in 2016.
His research, teaching, and service are conducted through a paradigm of equity and access. His research agenda focuses on instructional interventions for improving academic outcomes for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) individuals diagnosed with high incidence disabilities.
Council resides in Stonecrest, Ga. with his wife, Shirnelle Council, and sons Dallas and Zayd.
