NEW HAVEN, Conn. (December 9, 2024) – Five members of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference – Caldwell University, Chestnut Hill College, Goldey-Beacom College, Holy Family University and Thomas Jefferson University – have been awarded the 2024 NCAA Division II Presidents’ Award for Academic Excellence, the NCAA recently announced.
The Presidents’ Award is bestowed upon Division II institutions which achieve an Academic Success Rate of 90 percent or higher. Nationwide, 44 schools earned the honor, with only two conferences gaining more honorees than the CACC’s five.
“Academics has always been a primary tenet of the CACC,” said CACC commissioner Dan Mara. “This award is a testament to the academic philosophies of our five institutions that were recognized. I’m confident that the student-athletes of the CACC will continue to excel at a level at or above their peers.”
The Division II Academic Success Rate was developed at the request of presidents who believed the federal graduation rate was outdated. It includes transfers into a school into the calculation and removes those who transferred out of the school while academically eligible. The ASR also includes more than 30,000 non-scholarship student-athletes who were enrolled during the four years covered in the most recent data.
The Division II Presidents’ Award for Academic Excellence is being given out for the 14th year.
The Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its affiliation with NCAA Division II. Conference institutions compete for championships in 18 sports – eight for men, nine for women, and one co-ed. The CACC contains 12 members in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Membership includes Bloomfield College of Montclair State University, the University of Bridgeport, Caldwell University, Chestnut Hill College, Dominican University New York, Felician University, Georgian Court University, Goldey-Beacom College, Holy Family University, Post University, Thomas Jefferson University, and Wilmington University.