NATCHITOCHES – Outlining strategies behind exemplary academic performance of Northwestern State student-athletes in recent years, NSU president Dr. Chris Maggio and athletics director Greg Burke were recently featured presenters at an NCAA Academic Success conference.
 
Maggio and Burke took part in the program during the July 24-25 NCAA Accelerating Academic Success Program conference "Success Through Learning, Collaboration and Partnership."
 
Maggio was one of three university presidents on a panel discussing "The Important Role of Chancellors and Presidents in Accelerating Academic Success. Other panelists were Dr. Dianne Harrison, president at Cal-State Northridge, and Dr. Laurence Alexander, president at University of Arkansas Pine Bluff.
 
Burke, along with Tennessee State AD Teresa Phillips, spoke at a session entitled "Wisdom Chats: Leadership, Longevity and Lessons Learned." The session was moderated by Dr. Carray Banks, faculty athletics representative at Norfolk State University.
 
Burke is beginning his 22^nd year as NSU's director of athletics. Phillips in her 29^th year at TSU. Maggio, who began his professional career at NSU as head women's track and field coach, is in his second year as university president after serving in top administrative positions during the past decade.
 
Northwestern was the recipient of a three-year NCAA AASP grant totaling $780,000 to support initiatives that have significantly elevated the academic profile of the NSU athletic program.
 
NSU student-athletes have collaboratively registered a GPA of greater than 3.0 for six straight semesters.
 
The new NCAA Graduation Success Rate that will be officially released in the fall will reflect a record high number (approaching 80 percent) for NSU Athletics.
 
The most recent departmental NCAA Academic Progress Rate for NSU is 967 on a 1,000-point scale with no history of sanctions or penalties for underperforming teams in any sport.
 
Earlier this year, two NSU student-athletes, Polina Mutel in women's tennis and De'Shalyn Jones in women's track and field, were named Southland Conference Student-Athlete of the Year in their sports.
 
Joining Maggio and Burke at the event in Orlando, Fla., were assistant athletics director for student development Kaitlyn McCanna and academic coordinator Carlea Ulrich. The cost of attending the conference was underwritten by the NCAA for athletic programs who qualified for the AASP grant since its inception in 2013.