LOUDONVILLE, NY – Siena College leads all Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference institutions with a total of six Siena Athletics programs posting perfect multi-year academic progress rates, according to the 2020-21 NCAA Division I Academic Progress Rate Report. The Siena men's cross country, men's golf, men's track, women's cross country, women's soccer, and women's track programs each achieved unblemished multi-year APR scores of 1,000.
 
"The APR data continues to demonstrate the high level of academic achievement of our student athletes and teams, and their resiliency to excel through a global pandemic and instability in the intercollegiate landscape," said Division I Committee on Academics chair Dianne Harrison, president emerita at California State University, Northridge. "The APR has been and continues to be a valuable real-time tool that provides us with an opportunity to identify and work with schools that may need additional assistance to improve their academic support services. Overall, the Academic Performance Program furthers the NCAA's commitment to academic excellence and integrity."
 
The APR is an annual scorecard of academic achievement calculated for all Division I sports teams. The APR report measures eligibility, graduation, and retention each semester or academic term, with student athletes earning one point for remaining eligible and one point for staying in school or graduating. The NCAA Division I Academic Performance Program helps to ensure that schools are fulfilling their commitment to equip student athletes with the tools and resources necessary to achieve academic success. The most recent APRs are multi-year rates based on scores from the 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, and 2020-21 academic years.
 
"The passionate pursuit of knowledge is part of Siena's mission and has always been fervently embraced by our student athletes, coaches, and staff," said Siena College President Chris Gibson '86, Ph.D. "Academic excellence is not just a department standard, but proudly ingrained in our culture. Looking ahead, the recently opened Bob Guido '68 Athletic Academic Center – with dedicated space for studying and individual tutoring – will support our Saints academically in new and impactful ways."
 
In addition to the six Siena Athletics programs which earned perfect APR scores, women's lacrosse (995) and women's swimming and diving (986) also finished ahead of the national four-year Academic Progress Rate of 984, which was up one point from the last publicly reported rate in May 2020. Women's lacrosse also achieved the highest rate increase of any Siena Athletics program, earning a seven-point bump from the previous report. Additionally, the Siena Men's Basketball rate of 972 exceeded the national sport average by four points.
 
"We are incredibly proud of the commitment of our student athletes to their academic success," said Siena College Vice President and Director of Athletics John D'Argenio. "In a time when some people may question whether athletes are students, I think that these results answer that question. Our student athlete development office, coaches, and campus partners are committed to mentoring and guiding our student athletes to help us fulfill our mission of "Building Better Saints." Much well-deserved credit goes to our coaches who continue to identify and recruit student athletes who value a college degree and work hard to earn one."
 
After leading all MAAC schools in NCAA Public Recognition Awards for each of the most recent four years (2017-20) in which they were bestowed, Siena continues to sit at the head of the conference class with its six athletic programs boasting perfect scores. Fairfield University and Iona College finished tied for second with five programs apiece achieving perfect APR scores. The NCAA Division I Academic Performance Program has suspended the conferring of public recognition awards, as well as the issuance of penalties and loss of access to postseason competition for low-achieving teams, through 2023 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
"The MAAC and its members take pride in their student athletes' work in the classroom. The success of our multi-year APR reflects their dedication to their areas of study away from competition," said MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor. "Congratulations to all the teams and programs for their continued success in the classroom."
 
The Division I Committee on Academics has developed and implemented policies and initiatives to improve academic support services on campuses. Additionally, the national office is actively involved in working with schools to enhance their academic programs to help student athletes successfully earn their degrees.
 
The public announcement of the APR data was approved by the NCAA Division I Board of Directors following a one-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, APR data was not released publicly, and penalties were not assessed, as a result.