FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:  Eddie Francis

(504) 286-5343 or (504) 236-1009

efrancis@suno.edu

October 17, 2011

SUNO Athletics earns NAIA Five Star recognition

New Orleans, La. – The Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO) Department of Athletics was recognized by the NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) as a 2010-2011 Champions of Character Five Star Award winner.  The NAIA recognized 220 colleges and universities and 23 conferences with the award.  Included in the conferences was the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, of which SUNO is a member.

"This is exciting for us and shows how committed we are to excellence, as an institution,” said Dr. Victor Ukpolo, SUNO’s Chancellor.  "I am proud of our athletics department, and I look forward to their continuing to represent the University with pride."

"I’ve never been prouder of my athletes," said Elston King, SUNO’s Director of Athletics.  "I challenged them to get more involved in community efforts, buckle down in the classroom, and they have done just that.  They earned this award."

To receive Five Star Award recognition, member colleges and universities had to score 60 or more points on the NAIA’s Champions of Character Scorecard.  Also, conferences named to the list had to have 60 percent of their members scoring 60 points or more, each.  The Scorecard was designed to promote the NAIA’s vision and strategy into measurable goals and to monitor progress toward advancing character-driven intercollegiate athletics.  The NAIA is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, and serves as the governing body for athletics programs at nearly 300 colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada.

Southern University at New Orleans is a four-year public institution founded in 1956.  Located in the Gentilly area, the University is an accredited liberal arts teaching institution which serves more than 3,300 students.  SUNO, known for its highly engaged faculty and personal academic support, offers undergraduate degrees in seventeen academic programs and graduate degrees in four academic programs.  The University accepts students under the Louisiana Board of Regents regional admission criteria, and is a member of the Southern University System.  More information about Southern University at New Orleans is available at SUNO.edu.

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