Jacqueline Nicholson

Jacqueline Nicholson is the Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics for RIT Student Affairs. 

Jacqueline Nicholson is entering her second year at RIT as Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. She is a member of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A), currently serving as President for the 2022-2023 academic year, and is an advisory board member for the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA). She is also a member of Women Leaders in College Sports as well as the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). She recently finished a three-year turn as a member of the NCAA Division II Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field national committee as well as two years in the NCAA Division II Athletic Directors Association mentoring program. She will also serve as chair of the Liberty League Athletic Directors Council in 2022-2023. Jackie resides in Rochester with her daughter, Kylie. 

1. How do you teach or exemplify Applied Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking encourages students to connect the dots between concepts, solve problems, think creatively, and apply knowledge in new ways. Critical thinking is vital for success in all subject areas and in everyday life. One tactic that applies to critical thinking involves exploring a concept from multiple perspectives. This tactic establishes that an idea should be assessed from different points of view before an opinion is formed. It gives students a chance to share their viewpoints while listening to and learning from others.

2. Why do you think Applied Critical Thinking is important in your domain or role?

Critical thinking will assist you in better understanding yourself and, in turn, assist you in avoiding negative or limiting beliefs and focusing a lot more on your strengths. Having the ability to share your thoughts will increase your quality of life. Critical thinking helps us navigate everyday issues as they come into our lives; usually, a person is thinking critically without subconsciously thinking about it. It helps us to think things through and trust our gut feeling.

3. Can you share a story where quality Applied Critical Thinking was key to your success?

Over the past 12 months, I’ve had to spend a lot of time digesting and thinking through all things RIT Athletics related. A time where I’ve had to use critical thinking was around the development of our strategic plan. Though I had my vision and thoughts on where I wanted to plan to go, I truly had to step back and take a different approach and use the year to truly see, review and analyze everything that was occurring within our department. Critical thinking allowed me to step back outside of my own thoughts and look at the bigger picture of things to truly establish a vision for the department. Without taking the time to think critically, we would have ended up with a plan that was not well-thought out or what was best for the department of athletics.

4. How do you use critical thinking in other areas of your life outside of RIT?

To best express ourselves, we all need to know how to think clearly and systematically, which means we all are practicing some form of critical thinking. Every day, I stop to consider a situation before acting or forming a judgment. Critical thinking can include problem-solving, recognizing the value in a situation, and even thinking outside the box. I practice all my critical thinking skills every day before taking an active role in my decisions.

5. Any last critical thoughts?

Since we all learn in different ways and come from vastly different backgrounds, it is essential that as an Athletic Director, I approach my student-athletes in a way that helps them effectively learn and to think critically. Critical thinking will help all my students meet the challenges of living in a diverse, complex world. No matter what path or profession any person pursues, using critical thinking skills will always be relevant and beneficial to being successful.