The Center for Athletic Academic Services or (CAAS) is the University of Memphis’ home for academic support and advising services for our 400+ student-athletes. The mission of the CAAS is to provide the necessary academic support services for all student-athletes to be successful in the classroom and pursue an undergraduate degree while competing as an athlete. The center is also dedicated to the personal and professional development of all student-athletes through its PAWS (Preparing Athletes for Winning Success) program.

CAAS’ full-time staff consists of the Director, Associate Director, Assistant Director, PAWS Coordinator, a Learning Specialist and four Academic Counselors. CAAS is also assisted by graduate assistants, interns, tutors, academic mentors and student workers. Academic support services are provided in a variety of ways, including orientation programs, tutoring, mentoring, academic counseling, study hall, and academic advising. CAAS also has a unique responsibility as it conducts eligibility evaluations for all freshmen prospective student-athletes and monitors their status with the NCAA Eligibility Center.
CAAS is housed on the sixth and seventh floors of Wilder Tower and covers an area of 8,000 square feet. The center consists of computer stations, a variety of study areas (including tutor rooms, study carrels, and tables), and the offices of the CAAS staff. In addition to CAAS, Wilder Tower houses campus-wide student services, including admissions, bursar, financial aid, registrar, student development, and academic advising.
The University of Memphis Athletic Department is committed to graduating student-athlete. A testament to the Athletic Department’s commitment to graduating student-athletes and the work of the CAAS is the NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR). Based on the 6-year 2009-10 cohort, the University of Memphis Graduation Success Rate reached an all-time high of 85% (this is up from 81% in 2012). The 2010-11 cohort GSR rate will be released publicly in October 2017 by the NCAA.

The internal graduation rate for student-athletes who exhaust athletic eligibility at UM is 91% from 2002-03 through 2016-17. This data is a UM statistic only and is not formally reported to NCAA.

ACADEMIC REVIEW 2016-2017

Academic Statistic	Fall 2016	Spring 2017
Total Athletes Reported	399	350
Tiger 3.0 Club	256 (64%)	220 (63%)
Student with 4.0 GPA	37	34
Dean’s List	157 (39%)	128 (37%)
Department Semester GPA	3.177	3.199
Male Student-Athlete GPA	3.002	3.017
Female Student-Athlete GPA	3.478	3.382
Semester Hours Earned	13.8	13.5

TEAM 4.0 Semester GPA

Team	Number of SAs
Baseball	4
Football	2
Men’s Golf	4
Rifle	2
Men’s Soccer	3
Women’s Soccer	13
Softball	4
Men’s Tennis	1
Women’s Tennis	3
Men’s Cross Country	3
Women’s Cross Country	11
Men’s Track and Field	10
Women’s Track and Field	4
Volleyball	7

CAAS Highlights

First time ever, Spring 2017, CAAS hosted an early Graduation Ceremony for fourteen Student-Athletes that had athletic competition conflicts for the traditional graduation date, May 6.
The following teams posted All-time high GPAs achieved during 2016-17:
- MFB 2.747 S’17
- MGO 3.628 F’16
- MSO 3.57 S’17
- MTI 3.295 F’16
- WSO 3.782 F’16
- WSB 3.49 F’16
The Women’s Teams have posted a 3.0 Combined GPA in 30 of the last 31 semesters.
The Men’s Teams posted the highest combined GPA EVER with a 3.014 in the Spring Semester 2017.
Our Athletic Department and the Women’s Soccer team earned national rankings for number of community service house completed:
- Athletics Department ranked 25^th across all D-1 schools – spring 2017.
- Women’s Soccer – Ranked 2^nd across all D-1 Women’s Soccer Programs – Spring 2017.
CAAS Scholar Athletes of the Month:
- MFB = Tau HoChing, Hunter Hill, Darrell Henderson
- MTE = Jan Pallares
- WGO = Ellie Youree
- MBB = Karim Azib
- WSB = Katie Brignac
- MBA = Alec Trela
- MTI = Kolbeinn Gunnarsson
- WSO = Valerie Sanderson
- WTE = Anki Wind
CAAS Achievement Award Winner:
- Brea Elmore – WBB
Zach Curlin Male Student-Athlete of the Year
- Jake Elliott – MFB
Elma Roane Female Student-Athlete of the Year
- Taylor Williams – WBB
College of Education, Outstanding Doctoral Higher and Adult Education Student Award.
- Meghan Pfeiffer – CAAS Staff Member
  - Exemplary Doctoral student in Higher and Adult Education in the Department of Leadership.

American Athletic Conference Academic Awards

204 Student-Athletes received All-Academic Team Honors, which is the highest to date and includes a 33% increase over three years!
Team Academic Excellence Award – for the fourth-consecutive year, U of M has lead the American Athletic Conference in Team Academic Excellence Award recipients. These teams earned this award for the top team GPA in the AAC:

Men’s Golf Men’s Soccer
Women’s Soccer Women’s Tennis

Scholar Athlete Sport Excellence Award
- Jake Elliott – MFB
Football Scholar Athlete of the year
- Jake Elliott
All-Academic Team
- 204 UM student-athletes
- Program-high for UM Athletics – increased every year since joining the AAC: (153 - 2014; 180 - 2015; 185 - 2016; 204 - 2017)
Institutional Scholar-Athlete Scholarship; Male and Female.
- Alex Klatt – MTI
- Martina Rodriguez Sala - WCC

Student-Athlete Academic Awards

Spring 2017 the UofM Honors Assembly honored 3 student-athletes as a top student on campus and/or scholarships in multiple academic areas across a variety of disciplines, including:
- Chardae Greenlee-WTR: Outstanding Senior Award – Department of Sport and Leisure Management, In recognition of meritorious scholarship, leadership and service to the University, the community and the profession. Phi Kappa Phi – Oldest and largest national honor society which recognizes superior scholarship in all academic disciplines.
- Lindsey Grace Stickrod – WSB: Highest Grade Point Average for the University – Undergraduate. Kimmelman Scholar.
- Sessen R. Stevens – WSO: Omicron Delta Kappa – National Honor Society established to recognize and encourage the achievement of exemplary character and superior quality in scholarship and leadership, and to cooperate in worthwhile endeavor and join with the faculty members on a basis of mutual interest, understanding and service.
- Aubrey Ballard – MCC: John Tully/Regions Bank Scholarship.
2017 Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Semifinalist Top 20 Male and Female
- Andrew Watson, JR – Men’s Tennis
- Cheyenne Creighton, JR – W. Basketball
- Lindsey Stickrod, SR – Softball
Baseball – ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award for Team GPA above 3.0
Football – Two members were named to CoSIDA Academic All-Americans:
- Jake Elliott, SR earned first team honors
- Daniel Montiel, SR earned second team honors.
Football – Elliott and Montiel named to the 2017 NFF Hampshire Honor Society
- Comprised of college football players from all divisions who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college careers while being a starter or a significant contributor in one’s las year of eligibility.
Men’s Golf – Srixon/Cleveland Golf All-America Scholar. The criteria for selection: under 76 stroke average, cum. GPA at least 3.20, high moral character and in good standing with the university.
Women’s Golf – Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-American Scholar Team. The criteria for selection are some of the most stringent in all of college athletics. The minimum cumulative GPA is 3.50.
- Leighann Cabush, SR
- Sydney Colwill, SO
- Emily Goldenstein, JR
Rifle Team – Eight Members of the Rifle Team earned Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association (CRCA) Scholastic All-American Accolades.
- Jack Berhorst, SR
- Levi Clark, FR
- Leighton Dempster, SO
- Makennon Doran, JR
- Amberlie Ezell, FR
- Amy Fister, SR
- Eli Rischling, JR
- Abby Votava, FR
Rifle Team – Great America Rifle Conference Scholar Athlete
- Amberlie Ezell, FR
Men’s Soccer First Team Academic All-District, CoSIDA
- Chandler Klemm
Women’s Soccer
- Overall Highest Team GPA for Div. I Women’s Soccer Programs (15-16)
- Valerie Sanderson – NSCAA Senior College Women’s Scholar All-American.
Men’s Tennis – Earned its 13^thIntercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) All-Academic Team honor for having a team GPA of 3.2 or higher. Four players honored as ITA Scholar-Athletes for posting a GPA of 3.50 or higher during the past academic year.
- Shakeel Manji, JR
- Chris Patzanovsky, SO
- Felix Rauch, SO
- Andrew Watson, JR
Men’s Track and Field/Cross Country – Academic All-America, CoSIDA. Recognized for combined performances athletically and in the classroom.
- Olushola Olojo, JR - Third Team with a 3.99 GPA in business economics.
Men’s Track and Field/Cross Country – CoSIDA All-Academic District Teams
- Olushola Olojo, JR - District 3 team. 3.99 GPA in business economics and finished first in the triple jump in the 2017 American Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Women’s Track and Field/Cross Country – USTFCCCA All-Academic Individual
- Chelsea Ladd, JR
- Martina Rodriguez Sala, SR
Maryse Bard-Martel, W. Soccer and Chardae Greenlee, W. Track & Field –selected to attend the NCAA Career in Sports Forum.
Chardae Greenlee – Women’s Track& Track & Field was a recipient of the NCAA Ethnic Minority and Women’s Enhancement Scholarship.

TEAM Academic Awards

U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I All-Academic Team.
- Women’s Cross Country (3.56)
U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division I All-Academic Team.
- 6^th Consecutive season both teams received the national honor.
- Men’s Team posted a 3.39 GPA
  - 14^th Highest
- Women’s Team posted a 3.36

Center for Athletic Academic Services

University of Memphis Athletics

Center for Athletic Academic Services

CAAS Highlights

Student-Athlete Academic Awards

TEAM Academic Awards