App wins SB Graduation Rate Award

[firemoose]

Announced today that App Athletics has taken the Graduation Rate Award given by the Sun Belt. By 5 full percentage points over the next closest school. Nice job by our student athletes.

http://www.appstatesports.com//ViewArti ... =210096039

App State Wins Sun Belt Graduation Rate Award
Courtesy: Appalachian State Sports Information

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Appalachian State University athletics collected one of the Sun Belt Conference’s most prestigious honors on Monday evening when it was named the winner of the Sun Belt’s 2015 Institutional Graduation Rate Award.

Appalachian State earned the 2015 Institutional Graduation Rate Award on the strength of its student-athletes owning the highest Federal Graduation Rate among all current Sun Belt members for the 2013-14 academic year. The graduation rates are calculated and published yearly by the NCAA in its Division I Graduation Rate Annual Report.

Appalachian State’s student-athletes compiled a 73-percent Federal Graduation Rate in 2013-14, which was five percent better than the next-highest Sun Belt institution.

“We’re proud and honored to receive this award,” Appalachian State director of athletics Doug Gillin said. “Our No. 1 goal as a department is for student-athletes to earn a degree from Appalachian State. This award is a testimony to the commitment of our coaches, academic services personnel, faculty, staff and student-athletes to achieve that goal.”

[appgrunt71]

Very proud of my school. Matter of fact, I consider this a top honor. It shows we are going down the right path. This award is fundamental to who we are. This is our identity, producing outstanding student athletes, who will become responsible engaged citizens. Go App!

[McLeansvilleAppFan]

Better than a Bubas, and everyone knows how much I love the all-sports Cups.

[DaphneUrquhart]

THIS is why I'm part of Yosef! Very few of our players will play professional sports. All of them will have to support themselves and their families in the real world.

I'm proud of our full-time students who are also full-time athletes. Go Apps!

[appstate77]

I'll take this award above anything the Sunbelt offers, including championships and bowl games!

[AppState89]

This right here is what makes me proud!!!!!! Most of these athletes will never make it to the pros, but they will make it to the pros in something else. This right here will make me even happier next year when I give to YOSEF!!!!

GO Apps!!!!

[asutrnr81]

This right here is what makes me proud!!!!!! Most of these athletes will never make it to the pros, but they will make it to the pros in something else. This right here will make me even happier next year when I give to YOSEF!!!!

GO Apps!!!!

Some rental car company should use this statement or a variation in their advertising.

[asutrnr81]

I'll take this award above anything the Sunbelt offers, including championships and bowl games!

Easy '77, a bowl win and a few championships to go along with the graduation award would be nice.

[asutrnr81]

I do not know why I am even saying this but just because I can. Remember this is all with athletes, staff, and coaches working at ASU prior to Evert's and Gillin. Some things were not broke and I think holding everyone being recruited, and hired now to this standard is important....if it is truly an important standard for Appalachian.

"You never take off the logo"--Gillin

4 Pillars:
Academic Integrity
Social Responsibility
Competitive Excellence
World Class Experience

I love his stands and what he has to say.

I just do not believe there has to be a purging of all things AppState. To me Beas leaving so soon is telling....as is some of the academic hires on the academic administrative side.

[DoubleA]

Great progress, with strong increase in FGR from prior years. Hope this continues to be an area of emphasis. Noticed that the BOG is emphasizing improved 4 year graduation rates for UNC system and ASU has made great strides recently with improved 4 yr FGR for our student body. Would expect to see improvement in athletics, as well. The thing I like about FGR as compared to APR, FGR tells us what % of cohorts graduate from ASU. As someone else mentioned, athletics perhaps realizes its greatest impact when student-athletes become ASU alums - hopefully proud alums who represent the school well.

[DoubleA]

Just as a point of reference, our student-athlete FGR has been running in the upper 50's to low 60s in prior years, so a 73% FGR rate in 2013-2014 is a huge leap and should be applauded. Hope it holds up as our new standard. Also, 73% FGR puts us near the top of our BOG approved academic peer group, behind Miami of Ohio, JMU and Binghampton. This is fantastic, as we have historically run closer to the middle of the pack in terms of our academic peer group. IMHO, we should pay more attention to our academic peers than the Sunbelt Conference when it comes to academics, although the Sunbelt award is nice recognition. We should win this every year.

[asu66]

Very proud of my school. Matter of fact, I consider this a top honor. It shows we are going down the right path. This award is fundamental to who we are. This is our identity, producing outstanding student athletes, who will become responsible engaged citizens. Go App!

Proud as can be of our Mountaineers. Many more outstanding academic achievements will follow.

[JMappfan5]

I say it's great to be a MOUNTAINEER!!!