Jael Fedora, a member of the Davis & Elkins women’s soccer team, was Valedictorian for the Class of 2012.
The Davis & Elkins College athletic program achieved a record-setting all-sports Academic Success Rate (ASR) of 88 percent, according to data released Thursday by the NCAA.
Overall, D&E’s 88 percent ASR ranks first among West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC) schools.
“Our student-athletes work very hard in the classroom and our ASR reflects their efforts. Their excellence is a reflection also of the tremendous support they receive from the administration, our outstanding faculty, and coaching staff,” stated Athletic Director Ronnie Palmer.
The Academic Success Rate Report is mandated by the NCAA and compiled for Division II institutions annually. This is the seventh year for the Division II ASR, which continues to demonstrate that generally student-athletes graduate at a much higher rate than the overall student body.
The study was based on data from the entering class of 2005. Unlike the Graduation Success Rate Report (GSR) used by Division I institutions, the ASR includes data on transfer students and student-athletes not receiving athletic scholarships. Therefore, the ASR captures the financial aid model of Division II.
Five D&E Sports Achieve 100 percent Rate
The ASR report revealed that, overall, Davis & Elkins College student-athletes graduate at an 88 percent rate, while the national average is 72 percent. Even more impressive is the fact that five teams (men’s cross country, women’s basketball, women’s cross country, softball, and women’s tennis) achieved a 100 percent academic success rate.
Commenting on the achievement, Davis & Elkins President G.T. ‘Buck’ Smith noted: “In recent years, our coaches and athletic administrators have put academic achievement as the #1 expectation of our student-athletes. This emphasis clearly is paying off – not only in our students’ academic performance – but in their discipline and passion on the playing field and court as well. For us, successful athletes tend to be – first of all – highly successful students.”
Over the seven-year period 2005 to 2012, the Davis & Elkins athletic program improved its Academic Success Rate from 67 to 88 percent, up from even last year’s then-record 77 percent ASR in 2011.
Related to the Presbyterian Church (USA), Davis & Elkins College is located in Elkins, 2 hours east of Charleston, 3 hours south of Pittsburgh and 4 hours west of Washington, DC. For more information about Davis & Elkins College, please call 304-637-1230 or visit www.dewv.edu.
