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presidents award for academic excellence 2020

Daemen Earns Presidents' Award For Academic Excellence

Wildcat Athletics Recognized For Academic Success Rate

12/3/2020 2:05:00 PM

By: CONTACT: Mike Miranto, Sr. Associate A.D. for External Operations & Communications | (716) 839-8385 | mmiranto@daemen.edu
AMHERST, N.Y. - Daemen College is one of 42 NCAA Division II member schools to receive the Presidents' Award for Academic Excellence, a prestigious honor that recognizes institutions with an Academic Success Rate (ASR) of 90% or higher among student-athletes. The marks the first time since gaining full NCAA membership status in 2015 that Daemen has received the award.

"We are overjoyed to receive this recognition from the NCAA," said Traci Murphy, director of athletics. "It's evident that academic success is a priority here, and this is an award that our entire campus can share in. Our coaches recruit talented student-athletes who embrace the opportunities they're given, both in competitive athletics and in the classroom. To assist them, we have incredible support services in place which clearly make a difference. While our teams have experienced competitive successes, the ultimate championship game for us will always be graduation day, and receiving this award makes that stance just a little bit sweeter." 

The ASR is the percentage of student-athletes who graduate within six years of initial collegiate enrollment and includes virtually all Division II student-athletes. Daemen has an ASR of 90% and is one of just two East Coast Conference members to be awarded, joining Saint Thomas Aquinas College.  
 
Unlike the federal rate, the Division II ASR includes nearly 34,000 non-scholarship student-athletes and accounts for those who transfer to a Division II school after initial enrollment elsewhere, while removing student-athletes who leave school while academically eligible. The national ASR for the four cohorts of student-athletes who entered college from 2010 to 2013 is 74%.

"The Presidents' Award for Academic Excellence recognizes Division II member schools for their commitment to a balanced college experience that supports the academic success of college athletes," said Sandra Jordan, chancellor of the University of South Carolina Aiken and chair of the Division II Presidents Council. "Ten more institutions earned this award than last year, setting an all-time high for this program, but most importantly, this means college athletes at these schools are achieving academic success that will benefit them for the rest of their lives."
 
Division II student-athletes continue to graduate at a higher rate than the general student body. Even when using the less-inclusive federal graduation rate, the 2013 entering class of student-athletes graduated at a rate of 62%, compared with 53% for the general student body.
 
Schools receiving the Presidents' Award are:
School Four-Year ASR Conference
Bentley University 99 Northeast-10 Conference
Saint Michael's College 98 Northeast-10 Conference
Thomas Jefferson University 98 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference
Hillsdale College 97 Great Midwest Athletic Conference
Biola University 96 Pacific West Conference
Rollins College 96 Sunshine State Conference
Point Loma Nazarene University 95 Pacific West Conference
Trevecca Nazarene University 95 Great Midwest Athletic Conference
Seattle Pacific University 94 Great Northwest Athletic Conference
Dominican University of California 94 Pacific West Conference
Cedarville University 94 Great Midwest Athletic Conference
Eckerd College 94 Sunshine State Conference
Rockhurst University 94 Great Lakes Valley Conference
Maryville University of Saint Louis 94 Great Lakes Valley Conference
Davenport University 93 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Regis University (Colorado) 93 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference
University of the Sciences 93 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference
Stonehill College 92 Northeast-10 Conference
Flagler College 92 Peach Belt Conference
William Jewell College 92 Great Lakes Valley Conference
Le Moyne College 91 Northeast-10 Conference
St. Edward's University 91 Lone Star Conference
Mercyhurst University 91 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
Assumption University 91 Northeast-10 Conference
Southern Wesleyan University 91 Conference Carolinas
St. Thomas Aquinas College 91 East Coast Conference
Adelphi University 91 Northeast-10 Conference
Lewis University 91 Great Lakes Valley Conference
Florida Southern College 91 Sunshine State Conference
Barry University 91 Sunshine State Conference
University of Puerto Rico, Bayamon 91 Independent
Concordia University, St. Paul 91 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference
Michigan Technological University 91 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Saint Anselm College 90 Northeast-10 Conference
Western Washington University 90 Great Northwest Athletic Conference
Davis & Elkins College 90 Mountain East Conference
Truman State University 90 Great Lakes Valley Conference
Converse College 90 Conference Carolinas
West Chester University of Pennsylvania 90 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
Daemen College 90 East Coast Conference
Caldwell University 90 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference
Georgia College 90 Peach Belt Conference

Daemen College features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.


 
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