University recognized for athletes' high grad rates
MSU President Mark E. Keenum, center, accepts a trophy during the Halbrook Awards ceremony from Commissioner of Higher Education Glenn Boyce, left, and Andy Halbrook, right.
Mississippi State University took top honors during the Halbrook Awards for Academic Achievement Among Athletes ceremony held last Monday [Oct. 5] as part of the Mississippi Association of Colleges and Universities Annual Conference.
MSU was the winner in the Public University Division for the highest percentage of both male and female athletes graduating -- with 73 percent of males graduating and 88 percent of females graduating. The university’s overall graduation rate for athletes is 78 percent.
“Winning the prestigious Halbrook Awards for Academic Achievement as the Mississippi public university with the highest graduation rates for both our men and women athletes is indeed a signature win for our overall program of athletics,” said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. “I’m extremely proud of what these awards say about our commitment to keeping the ‘student’ aspect in the proper perspective for our talented student-athletes.”
Administered cooperatively by the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, the Mississippi Community College Board, and the Mississippi Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, the purpose of the Halbrook Awards program is to recognize colleges and universities that maintain and achieve high academic standards for student athletes, thus encouraging high graduation rates.
“We’ve always been proud here at MSU of the success our student-athletes have off the field, in addition to what they do on their respective playing surfaces. Receiving recognition from the Halbrook Awards is a great reminder of the academic achievement of our Bulldogs,” said Athletics Director Scott Stricklin.
Seth T. Heck, a member of the MSU baseball team and a senior management major from Edmonds, Washington, and Allyson L. McDonald, a women’s golf team member who is a senior interdisciplinary studies major from Fulton, additionally received David M. Halbrook certificates for academic achievement among athletes.
While serving in the Mississippi Legislature, Representative David M. Halbrook Sr., along with his brothers, John Halbrook, James Halbrook, and J.A. Halbrook, endowed the Halbrook Awards.
MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.
Allison Matthews | Public Affairs
