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Big 12 Conference Academic Programs
Performance in the classroom is just as important as accolades on the field when looking at the student-athlete. The Big 12 Conference recognizes student-athletes in four areas for academic achievement. Those areas include the Commissioner's Honor Roll, Academic All-Big 12 teams, the Phillips 66 Big 12 Classroom Champions, and the Big 12 Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship.
Submitted through the Directors of Student-Athlete Support Services at each institution, those honored are not necessarily the stars on the field and court but those who participate on the team. They include the letterwinners and non-letterwinners and recognize every student-athlete who has excelled in the classroom. More than 2,000 Big 12 student-athletes are named to the Commissioner's Honor Rolls at the end of each of semester.
Nominated by the Directors of Student-Athlete Support Services and the Athletic Media Relations Directors, members of the all-academic teams have posted at least a 3.00 grade point average either cumulative or the previous two semesters and are regulars (i.e. letterwinners) on his or her respective team. First-team honorees are regulars who have at least a 3.20 GPA. Last year, a few academic teams in the Big 12 exceeded 100 student-athletes recognized by the conference. In addition, student-athletes have gained recognition by being named to ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America teams.
Additional funding prior to the 2002-03 selection process allowed each school to name two outstanding scholars to the annual list of honorees. Conference officers also voted to name the postgraduate scholarship program awards after longtime Big 12 and Big Eight Conference Associate Commissioner and student services’ pioneer Dr. Prentice Gautt in 2004. Dr. Gautt passed away on March 17, 2005. The all-time group has solid representation of scholars throughout the 21 sponsored Big 12 sports and has provided more than $1,025,600 through the 2006-07 academic year for much-needed financial aid. Three faculty representatives, one senior woman administrator and one director of athletics form the selection group for the prestigious awards, which help the students to continue their formal education. Since its inception the Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship program has produced over a dozen physicians, several attorneys for the underprivileged, college professors, Peace Corps volunteers and positions of national prominence. Criteria for these awards include a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 on a 4.0 scale, participation in at least two years of intercollegiate athletics at the scholar-athlete’s respective institution, and completion of athletics’ eligibility. The scholar-athletes must also graduate from their respective member institutions within 15 months of their selection as postgraduate scholarship recipients and are expected to enroll in graduate/professional schools within 15 months after they graduate. The $2,500 individual annual grants began in 1996-97, were raised to $5,000 in 1999 and climbed to $6,900 prior to the 2003-04 term. In 2006-07, the awards climbed to $7,500. Most honorees in recent years have also been named to Academic All-Big 12 Conference teams as well as the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
This program emphasizes academics and sportsmanship by a student-athlete for postgraduate studies.
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