BAKERSFIELD, Calif.,- Behind the support of CSU Bakersfield President Dr. Horace Mitchell and following noteworthy improvements to academic performance by CSUB student-athletes, a multiyear grant of $870,000 awarded by the NCAA to CSU Bakersfield will continue to transform the academic support and graduation success of student-athletes.
The NCAA awarded CSU Bakersfield with the Accelerating Academic Success Program (AASP) Grant last week to help support CSUB Athletics' continued efforts to enrich their academic-enhancement programs and student-athlete graduation initiatives. It is the largest grant ever received by CSUB Athletics.
CSUB's three-year award marks the third round of AASP funding distributed by the NCAA who has awarded more than $4 million in grants to nine Division I schools to support academic programs that help student-athletes earn their degrees. The goal is to support the school's efforts to meet the requirements of the Division I Academic Performance Program, which was developed to ensure schools provide an environment that supports education while enhancing the ability of student-athletes to earn a degree.
The comprehensive grants will be distributed over a three-year period and used to fund increased academic support services staffing and space; technology upgrades (software and hardware); career planning; professional development; and increased availability of summer financial aid for student-athletes.
The participating schools are required to match grant dollars each year of the program, with either direct funds and/or in-kind contributions. In the first year, the school must commit a 25-percent match, 50 percent in year two and 75 percent in year three.
President Horace Mitchell, who has served on the NCAA Board of Governors and the NCAA Division I Board of Directors applauded the work of the AASP Grant Committee by stating, "Working together, a committee of CSUB faculty and staff developed an exceptional plan for improving the academic success and personal development of our student-athletes. The excellence of the proposal was recognized by the NCAA with the awarding of this grant. Already our student-athletes have been doing well academically, but with this grant we will be able to extend their academic success and enhance their preparedness for their lives beyond their student-athlete experience."
CSUB is continuing a major upward shift in the academic performance of student-athletes. The athletics department recently achieved their highest cumulative grade-point-average of all-time while all teams are well above the minimum graduation requirements set by the NCAA. The number of student-athlete graduates is also at its highest point in CSUB history with over 50 student-athletes receiving their degrees during commencement this past June alone.
"CSU Bakersfield is committed to providing a first-class academic experience for all of our student-athletes," said associate athletics director for academic enhancement Dena Freeman-Patton. "Thanks to this grant from the NCAA, and support from President Mitchell, we will be able to make improvements in the following areas: facilities, staff, summer school, academic support programming and life skills. I would like to thank everyone involved in the development of the grant initiatives, especially the Kegley Center for Student Success staff. I am excited about the opportunities that will be available to our student-athletes and how this will impact their lives."
According to interim director of athletics Kenneth "Ziggy" Siegfried, expansion of the Kegley Center will be a major part of the AASP grant for CSUB.
"The current space we have is nice, but it is too small for our student-athletes," Siegfried said. "We couldn't conduct study halls there or provide enough tutoring. There is a commons area in the old student-housing complex that we will be able to move into and the square footage is going from 1,500 square-feet to over 7,000 square-feet."
Freeman-Patton credited several members of the CSUB campus community and the athletics department for their support and assistance in acquiring this historic grant. The members of the AASP grant oversight committee are:
- Dena Freeman-Patton, Associate AD of Academic Enhancement, Chair
- Kenneth Siegfried, Interim Director of Athletics
- Marcus Brown, Associate AD of Compliance
- Cindy Goodmon, Sr. Associate AD/SWA
- Dr. Thomas Wallace, Vice President for Student Affairs
- Dr. Jacqueline Mimms, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management
- Dr. Jacquelyn Kegley, Professor of Philosophy/Chair of Academic Senate
- Dr. Roy LaFever, Faculty Athletics Representative, Professor of Chemistry
- Cheryl Holsonbake, Senior Research Associate, Institutional Research, Planning and Assessment
- Vincent Oragwam, Director of Grants and Contracts
- Rod Barnes, Head Men's Basketball Coach
- James Garces, Student-Athlete, SAAC Representative
What They're Saying About The AASP Grant for CSUB
"This grant will facilitate the ongoing effort to emphasize academics in the student-athlete experience. Our goal is to create scholar-athletes with broad interests and deep intellectual capabilities; this grant will move us closer to this goal."—Dr. Roy LaFever, Faculty Athletics Representative/ Professor of Chemistry
"My hope is that the Kegley Center tells students that their university cares about them and is here to give support and guidance about how to put one's foot forward surely and in a steady pace to graduation. It is the skills development, the educational resources, and faculty and staff instruction that will allow students to discover their wings—wings to fly out into the world seeking their own success and destinies." —Dr. Jacquelyn Kegley, Professor of Philosophy/Chair of Academic Senate
"The grant allows CSUB the opportunity to enhance the academic services provided to our student-athletes. The awarding of the grant acknowledges the NCAA's confidence in the University's commitment to providing quality academic programs and services." —Dr. Thomas Wallace, Vice President for Student Affairs
"This is a transformational grant for our department. It will allow us to continue to build upon our recent success in the areas of academic excellence and life skills for our student-athletes. We are very appreciative to the NCAA AASP Grant Committee for selecting our institution and I look forward to sharing our future successes." –Kenneth "Ziggy" Siegfried, Interim Athletics Director
