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The UAA Presidents Council established a program of All-Academic Recognition in 1998. Qualifying student-athletes are recognized at the completion of the fall, winter, and spring seasons each year. The honor is intended to recognize the high level of academic achievement demonstrated by student-athletes who effectively balance their significant commitment of time, effort, and energy in athletic endeavor with their highly challenging academic responsibilities.
Within the UAA, All-Academic Recognition is awarded to student-athletes who have completed at least one full year of college study and who carry a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.200. The 3.200 minimum cumulative grade point average is the same academic standard used as a qualifying threshold by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) for the nomination of Academic All-America® candidates in all sports.
Since the inception of the UAA All-Academic Recognition program an average of approximately 58 percent of the total eligible UAA student-athletes — members of all teams who have completed at least one year of undergraduate study — have achieved this honor. Percentages vary by institution and sport with a highs of over 67 percent of eligible players student-athletes receiving All-Academic recognition.
Biennial studies completed by the Association over the last ten years have consistently shown that the cumulative grade point averages of athletic teams have been statistically equal to or greater than the campus population GPA. In the most recent study, covering the 2006-07 academic year, 48 percent of all women’s teams and 43 percent of all men’s teams across the UAA had average cumulative GPA’s equal to or higher than the overall average for their respective campuses. Of the 64 women’s teams and 70 men’s teams included in the study, 54 women’s teams (84 percent) and 42 men’s teams (60 percent) met or exceeded the 3.20 GPA standard for nominating individuals for Academic All-America® recognition.
Many student-athletes from UAA institutions have been recognized for their achievements as scholars and athletes. During the 2006-07 academic year, 19 student-athletes from UAA institutions were recognized as College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-Americans ®, 84 received All-America honors in team or individual sports, and one was an individual national champion. In addition, seven student-athletes from UAA institutions were among the select group of seniors across the country named NCAA Postgraduate Scholars.
Teams throughout the UAA are perennial contenders for post-season play. In 2003-04, UAA teams were selected or qualified to compete in NCAA championship competition in baseball, football, softball, and volleyball, as well as men's and women's championships in basketball, cross country, soccer, tennis, and track & field. UAA schools finished as national runner-up in baseball, men's cross country, women's basketball, softball, and men's tennis, and placed third in men's basketball and men's and women's swimming and diving. In all, 17UAA teams posted top ten finishes in their national championships, and 16 others finished in the top twenty. |
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