|
Skyhawks boast 96-percent Academic Success Rate to rank seventh nationally in Division II
Stonehill's Academic Success Rate Report (PDF)
NCAA: "College athletes graduate at record high rates"
EASTON, Mass. (November 20, 2018) – Stonehill College has once again been recognized for its academic performance with regard to graduation rate by earning a 96-percent Academic Success Rating (ASR) as released by the NCAA, earning the NCAA Division II Presidents' Award for Academic Excellence. The ASR considers the academic success rate of the institution based on the graduation rate of student-athletes while also giving credit for any student-athletes that transferred from the institution while in good academic standing.
"Our student-athletes continue to embrace the opportunity to excel in all areas of their collegiate experience, and each year the Stonehill community is pleased to celebrate the Academic Success Rating achieved by our student-athletes," said Dean O'Keefe, '94, Director of Athletics at Stonehill. "The ASR scores are a tremendous credit to our student-athletes in their continued pursuit of academic and athletic excellence, and reaffirms the collaborative work of our coaches, faculty and staff is fostering an environment for our students to think, act and lead in preparation for future success."
Stonehill, which is one of 11 institutions across Division II to receive the NCAA Presidents' Award for Academic Excellence all eight years of its existence, has boasted an ASR of 96-percent or better each of the 13 years the NCAA has released ASR numbers. The Skyhawks' 96-percent ASR for the cohort period of 2008-2011 ranks seventh nationally and third among Northeast-10 Conference members. The NE10 leads Division II with four member institutions boasting an ASR of 90-percent or higher, with Bentley University (99%), Saint Michael's College (97%) and Assumption College (91%) joining Stonehill among the list of eight-time Presidents' Award honorees. In addition to its four institutions ranking in the ASR Top 25, the NE10 placed 13 of its 15 full-time members inside the top 75. The Conference is tied for first in Division II with the Sunshine State Conference with a conference ASR of 86%.
In addition to Stonehill's overall ASR of 96%, eight of Stonehill's 15 NCAA athletic programs (cross country and indoor and outdoor track & field are combined by the NCAA) received perfect scores of 100%. Those programs include women's basketball, field hockey, women's lacrosse, men's and women's soccer, softball, women's tennis and volleyball. 12 of Stonehill's programs had ASR's above the national average, or at least matching a 100% federal rate, with none below 90%.
Stonehill enjoyed remarkable success in its fields of competition during the four academic years included in the most recent ASR report, culminating with three-straight NE10 Presidents' Cups in 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12. The Skyhawks won 15 NE10 Championships over those four years and earned 32 NCAA Tournament bids. Stonehill student-athletes collected 41 All-America awards on their way to graduation, with Corey Thomas, '13 capturing the 2011 Indoor High Jump National Championship.
This is the 13th year the NCAA has released the Division II ASR. The NCAA developed the Division II ASR at the request of college and university presidents who believed the federal graduation rate was flawed. Division II's ASR data is similar to the Division I Graduation Success Rate as it takes transfer students into account. However, given the partial-scholarship financial aid model of Division II, ASR goes one step further and includes student-athletes not receiving athletic scholarships.
The Academic Success Rate is the percentage of student-athletes who graduate within six years of initial collegiate enrollment and includes virtually all Division II student-athletes, including transfers and those not receiving athletic scholarships. The Division II ASR also captures about 50 percent more student-athletes than the federal graduation rate. Unlike the federal rate, the ASR counts non-scholarship student-athletes and those who transfer to a school after initial enrollment elsewhere, while removing student-athletes who leave school while academically eligible. The national ASR is 73 percent for Division II student-athletes who entered college from 2008 through 2011. Division II student-athletes continue to graduate at a higher rate than the general student body. The federal rate for the 2011 entering class of student-athletes was 57 percent, compared with 50 percent for the general student body.
With 21 intercollegiate sports, Stonehill boasts one of the top athletic and academic programs in the country. While finishing in the top three of the Northeast-10 Conference Presidents' Cup standings for overall athletic performance 14 straight years, the Skyhawks are ranked third in the National Collegiate Scouting Association (NCSA) Power Rankings for Division II used to assess the academic and athletic standards of all NCAA and NAIA athletic programs.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.
NCAA Division II ASR Rankings
Top 10
Rk ASR Institution
1. 99 Bentley University
2. 97 Saint Michael's College
97 Thomas Jefferson University
97 Hillsdale College (Mich.)
97 Seattle Pacific University
97 Point Loma Nazarene University (Calif.)
7. 96 Stonehill College
8. 95 Eckerd College (Fla.)
95 Rollins College (Fla.)
10. 94 University of California, San Diego
94 University of the Sciences (Pa.)
94 Davenport University (Mich.)
94 Biola University (Calif.)
94 Flagler College (Fla.)
94 Regis College (Colo.)
NCAA Division II Presidents' Award Recipients All Eight Years
Stonehill College – 96%
Bentley University – 99%
Saint Michael's College – 97%
Seattle Pacific University – 97%
Hillsdale College – 97%
Eckerd College – 95%
Rollins College – 95%
University of the Sciences – 94%
University of California-San Diego – 94%
Rockhurst University – 92%
Assumption College – 91%
Northeast-10 Conference members in italics
