NEWS

INDIANAPOLIS — While the Newberry College athletic teams are having historic years on the field and court, their commitment to the "student" portion of student-athlete continues to shine as the Wolves were ranked among the top in the conference in the latest Federal Graduation Rates and Academic Success Rates released by the NCAA.

“Our commitment and goal for Newberry College Athletics is to be student-centered, which places an emphasis on academic achievement and graduation,” said director of athletics Sean Johnson. “We are excited about the positive strides we are making and look to continue that improvement.”

The Federal Graduation Rate is calculated by taking the total number of graduates from the first-time, full-time enrollees in the reported academic year who received athletic aid, and dividing that by the total number of enrollees. The Academic Success Rate is calculated using all enrollees, including transfers, mid-year enrollees and non-scholarship student-athletes. This latest reporting was for the cohort of student-athletes who first enrolled full-time in the 2015-16 academic year, and uses statistics over a six-year period.

The Wolves were able to post a graduation rate of 65%, tied for the top spot among the current conference membership and two full percentage points ahead of the next closest score in the league. Newberry boasts a 71% graduation rate among female student-athletes and 62% among males.

In terms of academic success rate, the Wolves sit fifth highest in the conference with 77%, just six percentage points back from the leader in the league, with two schools within two percentage points as well. While the men’s teams at Newberry have turned in a 72% success rate, the women’s teams have elevated themselves to 93%, one of the highest in the conference.

“These results reaffirm the commitment that our student-athletes have to excel in the classroom, and it is a statement about the type of student-athlete being recruited by our coaches,” added President Maurice Scherrens. “I am so very proud of the achievements of our student-athletes in the classroom and on the fields and courts of competition.”

Newberry’s student-athletes also boast a higher graduation rate and success rate than the general student body, bettering by double digits in both categories.