Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Historic Academic Heights Reached by FAU Athletics
4/23/2018 12:00:00 AM | Academics
BOCA RATON, Fla. - (April 23, 2018) Historic heights have been reached by Florida Atlantic University student-athletes with 10 of 19 of FAU athletic teams recording a perfect 1,000 on the NCAA Division I 2016-17 Academic Progress Rate (APR) Institutional Report, released earlier this week.
The Owls assumed new leadership in early March, when Brian White was hired as FAU vice president and director of athletics. White assumed a program that is based on sound academic principles which will enable him to build upon his vision of Winning it Right.
"We are absolutely thrilled to have a record number of student-athletes earning recognition for academic success,"Â said Brian White, FAU vice president and director of athletics. "This is critical for our mission to 'Win It Right' and a perfect example of the academic support staff, the coaches and most importantly the student-athletes working together to win on and off the competition field."
In 2013-14, four FAU athletic teams recorded a perfect 1,000 score. That number doubled by 2015-16 and it was met in 2016-17. Two more teams joined the ranks of perfection in 2017-18.
"The academic success of our student-athletes is a testament to their commitment to excellence in all that they do," said Dr. Kimberly Dunn, associate professor and FAU NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative. "It also reflects the dedication of the advisors, faculty, coaches, staff, and administrators who support our students in their academic endeavors."
The 2017-18 teams that tallied a perfect score were men's and women's basketball, beach volleyball, men's and women's golf, men's and women's tennis, women's cross country, softball, and women's swimming and diving.
"FAU student-athletes striving to achieve academic excellence is no longer a goal, it's the expectation," said Eric Coleman, Student Athlete Center for Academic Excellence (SACAE) director and associate director of athletics. "We are able to meet this expectation from the unwavering support from our campus partners and by having complete buy in from our coaches, support staff and students. FAUÂ SACAE is afforded tremendous support from the University. Without that, as well as the buy in and encouragement from FAU coaches, our counselors would not have outstanding students, who strive to do better each and every academic year. For that, we are grateful and proud of the academic success FAU student-athletes have achieved."
Note:
APR was implemented in 2003 as part of an ambitious academic reform effort in NCAA Division I, the Academic Progress Rate (APR) holds institutions accountable for the academic progress of their student-athletes through a team-based metric that accounts for the eligibility and retention of each student-athlete for each academic term.
