SIUE student-athletes continue to excel in the classroom and have now posted 14 consecutive semesters (seven years) of a cumulative grade point average (GPA) better than 3.0.
Completing its first season as a fully certified NCAA Division I member, SIUE Athletics continued its run of outstanding performance in the classroom with a 3.095 grade point average among the 245 student-athletes during the 2013 spring semester. More than 64 percent of SIUE’s student-athletes finished with a GPA of 3.0 or better.
“The SIUE Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is committed to the academic excellence of our student-athletes,” said Director of Athletics Dr. Brad Hewitt. “Inspiring tradition, pride, commitment and excellence is something we work towards daily. It’s about more than winning the game, acing the match or bringing home the championship. It’s about more than teamwork, leadership and discipline.
“At SIUE, intercollegiate athletics is a team effort aimed at achieving success both on the playing field and off,” Hewitt added.” It’s about student-athletes who give their personal best, on the court and in the classroom.
“It’s about a collegiate institution that provides a liberal arts education that prepares our student-athletes for the next game as well as for the next decade. It’s about providing resources that make these goals a reality.”
Hewitt also credited the Academic Support Staff and the changes that have been implemented since completing certification to NCAA Division I status.
“The expansion of study space for student-athletes in the Vadalabene Center provides the resources needed to make sure timely graduation is a focal point of their personal mission and the mission of the Athletics Department,” Hewitt continued. “Our coaches continue to recruit top-notch student-athletes who are committed to academic success as well as athletic success.
“The academic success of our student-athletes is a reflection of the academic resources the university provides, the outstanding faculty and support of university leadership.”
There were 80 student-athletes (32.7 percent) who earned a spot on the Dean’s List with GPAs of 3.5 or higher.
The women’s golf team finished with the highest team GPA for the second straight semester with a 3.7. Women’s tennis was next with a 3.423. Men’s cross country was next at 3.343.
Of the 16 SIUE athletics programs, 11 teams finished the spring semester with a GPA better than 3.0. That includes women’s basketball (3.059), women’s track and field (3.101), women’s cross country (3.276), men’s golf (3.333), softball (3.277), men’s soccer (3.224), women’s soccer (3.227) and volleyball (3.256).