Flagler College receives Presidents’ Award for
Academic Excellence
ST. AUGUSTINE – Flagler College is one of 26 NCAA Division II
member institutions to be honored as part of the Presidents’ Award
for Academic Excellence for achieving a four-year Academic Success
Rates of 90 percent or higher. This is the sixth year of the program.
Flagler increased by two percentage points from 2015 with an
Academic Success Rate (ASR) of 94 percent. Last year was Flagler’s
first year in the 90th percentile. Flagler is one of four schools in the
state of Florida to receive the presidents’ award and it led the way, in
ASR, in the entire state. The St. Augustine-based school is the lone
Peach Belt Conference member institution to receive this award.
“We are beyond thrilled to witness the continued success our
student-athletes are achieving in the classroom,” said Ryan Erlacher,
associate athletics director of Flagler. “Their dedication to attaining
academic excellence is truly inspiring. We are extremely proud of
the way they represent not only our athletics department, but the
institution as a whole. Finishing in the top 10 nationwide, No. 1 in
the state of Florida, and No. 1 in the Peach Belt Conference is truly a
remarkable accomplish-
ment.”
The Academic Suc-
cess Rate is the percent-
age of student-athletes
who graduate within six
years of initial collegiate
enrollment and includes
virtually all Division II stu-
dent-athletes, including
transfers and those not receiving athletic scholarships.
The Division II ASR also captures about 51 percent more stu-
dent-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 el-
igible. The national ASR is 71 percent for Division II student-athletes
who entered college from 2006 through 2009.
Division II student-athletes continue to graduate at a higher rate
than the general student body. The federal rate for the 2009 entering
class of student-athletes was 56 percent, compared with 49 percent
for the general student body.
UNG Named 2017 NCAA Award of Excellence Winner
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The University of North Georgia’s Operation
Nighthawks of Honor initiative was announced as the overall winner
of the 2017 NCAA Division II Award of Excellence, an accolade
2016-17
recognizing positive campus and community engagement events
hosted during the past year. The announcement was made during
the NCAA Division II Business Session at the 2017 NCAA Conven-
tion on Saturday, Jan. 21 in Nashville, Tennessee.
North Georgia receives $1,500 and a nationally televised
basketball game during the 2017-18 season.
“Winning the NCAA Division II Award of Excellence speaks
volumes to our student-athletes’ commitment to service and their
respect for those that have honorably served our country,” stated
UNG athletic director Lindsay Reeves. “Operation Nighthawks of
Honor holds a special place in the hearts of our UNG community
because it is a student-led initiative that pays specific respect to
our institution’s military heritage and sacrifice. It is a testament
to the tireless work that both our student-athletes and staff puts
forth and the tremendous value that the Nighthawk Nation places
on supporting our military.”
On hand to accept the award for UNG was President Dr. Bonita
Jacobs, Athletic Director Lindsa y Reeves, and student-athlete
Hannah Peevy.
On the 14th anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the
United States, the Nighthawk Athletics Department announced
a perpetual military initiative called Operation Nighthawks of
Honor where each of the department’s sports teams will annually
celebrate the men and women of our military who have bravely
served or are serving our country, paying specific tribute to service
members that have a distinct connection to UNG.
One of only six federally designated senior military colleges in
the nation, UNG carries the distinction of The Military College of
Georgia and its nationally recognized Army ROTC program attracts
students from across the state, region, and nation.
Each of the department’s 13 sports teams was assigned a North
Georgia graduate or former student killed in action while serving
the country. The teams commemorated their service members all
season.
At the end of the season, memorabilia used to honor the fallen
soldiers is sold in an online auction, with the all of the proceeds
supporting the UNG Boar’s Head Brigade Corps of Cadets Endow-
ment Fund.
Each year, Division II selects one finalist from each conference
and one independent representative to be recognized for events
that exemplify any of the six Division II attributes: learning, bal-
ance, resourcefulness, sportsmanship, passion and service.
P
B
C
Y
E
A
R
B
O
O
K
5