Excellence in both athletics and academics is a rare achievement, but at Stephen F. Austin State University it is becoming a tradition.
The first goal of the Stephen F. Austin Athletic Intercollegiate Athletics Department is to assure student-athletes the best opportunity to earn a degree of their choice.
Since the NCAA began compiling student-athlete graduation rates seven years ago, SFA has led the Southland Conference in graduation rates each year. In fact, SFA is among the top in Division I public institutions in the state of Texas.
In 1996-97, SFA produced their first ever First Team Academic All-American, and a member of the Second Team Academic All-American Team. SFA also added two more District VI Academic All-Americans in the 1997-98 academic year.
Also, during the 1997-98 academic year, fifty-two student-athletes at SFA were named to the Southland Conference Commissioner's List, or academic all-conference teams.
SFA Athletics Academic Coordinator Stephanie McDonald can be reached over the phone by calling 409-468-3501 or by e-mail by clicking on her name.
In an effort to make sure that every student-athlete at SFA is prepared for life after college, Stephen F. Austin Academic Coordinator Stephanie McDonald also serves as the coordinator of the NCAA CHAMPS/Life Skills Program.
Because of the demands placed on a student-athlete's time, many feel that it is difficult for student-athletes to access campus-wide student activities, programming and experiences. For that reason, the CHAMPS/Life Skills Program has been designed to provide student-athletes with the education and experiences to assist in bridging the gap from college life to professional life in the working world, and also to make meaningful contributions to their communities.
The program is designed to reach each student-athletes based on their individual needs. The program focuses on the individual as a whole - academically, athletically, and emotionally - and on the changing needs and skills of the individual in the years during and after college.
