William Penn University is proud to announce that 75 student athletes earned academic all-Midwest Collegiate Conference honors in the 2011–12 academic year.

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As a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletes (NAIA), all William Penn University students participating in athletic programs are required to maintain a 2.0 GPA and take at least 24 credits per academic year. However, many coaches establish their own criteria, setting the bar even higher than that of the NAIA.

All coaches and faculty try to encourage their students to take as much pride in their school work as they do in their athletic performance. To receive academic all-MCC conference honors, student athletes must maintain a GPA of 3.2 or higher for 2 consecutive academic terms.

The William Penn University volleyball team had the highest GPA last year of 3.31. The softball team had the second highest with a 3.2, closely followed by the men’s golf team with a 3.19 and the women’s golf team with a 3.03. The national grade point average for student athletes is a 2.56 (Eric Ferris, Research in Higher Education, 2004).

At William Penn University, coaches, faculty and staff understand that the life of a college athlete is anything but easy. Academic coaches are available to help students with organization, time management, and study techniques. This one-on-one assistance is meant to push a student’s academic potential to match that of their athletic talent.

As a small college campus, a team and its coach serve as a second family to a student athlete, and that family plays a vital role in the student’s journey to academic success. As every athletic program on campus continues to grow, William Penn University instructors, coaches, and administration would like to thank all students for their hard work and dedication, both on and off the athletic field.