University of Tennessee Athletics
Scogin Named To NCAA Committee On Academics
July 19, 2016 | General
By Brian Rice
UTSports.com
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- After leading Tennessee student-athletes to record performances in the classroom in his three years at UT, Senior Associate Athletics Director and Assistant Provost Dr. Joe Scogin has been named to the NCAA Division I Committee on Academics.
In representing Tennessee on the committee, Scogin will bring the expertise that has helped to empower UT student-athletes to be successful in the classroom and in the professional ranks after leaving school to a national platform that will benefit student-athletes across the NCAA.
“The Committee on Academics has one of the most critical missions within the NCAA governance structure, and I feel blessed to be able to represent the Southeastern Conference, the University of Tennessee, and serve our Association members in this important role,” Scogin said.
Since Scogin took over leadership of the Thornton Athletics Student Life Center in 2013, UT athletes have consistently improved in the classroom by every metric possible, including graduation rates, team grade point averages and academic progress rate scores. Nine Tennessee teams earned perfect APR scores last school year.
A total of 240 Vols and Lady Vols, nearly half the student-athletes on campus, earned academic honors form the Southeastern Conference in the 2015-16 academic year. 164 student-athletes were named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in their respective seasons (fall, winter, spring), while 76 received SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll honors.
Scogin was also instrumental in the development of the VOLeaders Academy, a dynamic partnership between the UT Center for Leadership and Service, the Center for Sport, Peace and Society and the Department of Athletics. VOLeaders recently completed its first year with a capstone trip to Brazil, where student-athletes took part in cultural and educational activities while interacting with locals and immersing themselves in Brazilian culture.
“Being given the opportunity to serve on this committee says a lot about the great things going on at Tennessee,” Scogin said. “The primary role of the Committee on Academics is to ‘support the Association’s academic mission through the management of Division I academic matters.’ The opportunity for the University of Tennessee to have a seat at the table on this national stage speaks volumes about the academic progress our student-athletes have achieved and the national respect our program has attained.”
Scogin will continue to lead the team at the Thornton Center while participating on the committee. His term runs through Aug. 2019.
“I am looking forward to serving the membership and working alongside some of the most respected professionals across the country,” Scogin said.
