Academic Program Receives Awards

Lincoln -- The National Consortium for Academics and Sport recently presented the University of Nebraska Athletic/Academic Center with a pair of national awards at the 2004 Giant Steps Awards Banquet in Orlando, Fla.

Nebraska earned the Degree Completion Award and the Highest Combined Award for Degree Completion and Community Outreach.

Associate Athletic Director for Academic Programs and Student Services Dennis Leblanc said Nebraska’s awards were a credit to the hard work and dedication of Husker student-athletes.

"These awards are a tribute to the work ethic of Nebraska student-athletes. Nebraska student-athletes are focused on degree completion and many give willingly of their time to speak to people throughout the entire state of Nebraska," Leblanc said. "Our program is thrilled to be recognized as one of the nation’s elite, and we thank Richard Lapchick and the National Consortium for these very special honors."

Richard Lapchick is the President and Executive Director of the National Consortium for Academics and Sport, which has a membership of 221 schools.

The Degree Completion Award recognizes the school that continued to provide financial support to those student-athletes who have exhausted their athletic eligibility resulting in college graduation. A combined total of 39 fifth-year and returning Huskers graduated from Nebraska while receiving financial aid from the athletic department in 2002-03. In all sports combined, Nebraska boasts a 90 percent exhausted elibibility student-athlete graduation rate.

Nebraska was also honored for continuing to have one of the premier outreach programs in the nation. In 2002-03, Husker student-athletes volunteered to reach out to nearly 65,000 people throughout the state of Nebraska. Cornerstone outreach programs included the statewide Tour of Excellence, American Education Week, "School is Cool" Week and the Husker E-mail Literacy Program.