CHI ALPHA SIGMA STUDENT-ATHLETE HONOR SOCIETY

MINNEAPOLIS -- Augsburg University has become just the second institution of higher learning in Minnesota, and first Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference school, to establish a chapter of Chi Alpha Sigma, a national honor society that honors collegiate student-athletes who excel both in the classroom and on the fields of competition.

According to the organization's website, "Chi Alpha Sigma is the first and only nonprofit organization that was established to recognize college student-athletes who excel both on and off the field of competition. Founded in 1996 by then-DePauw University head football coach Nick Mourouzis, Chi Alpha Sigma continues to provide outstanding student-athletes with an opportunity to become connected within a fraternal association that aligns their educational and athletic successes for a lifetime."

Student-athletes who have received a varsity letter in their sports, achieved junior academic standing or higher after their fifth full-time semester, and maintain a 3.4 or higher cumulative grade-point average are eligible for membership in Chi Alpha Sigma. Members are selected by athletic department personnel and head coaches based on outstanding scholarship, earned athletic letters, and excellent character and citizenship. Members are also eligible for postgraduate scholarships through the society.

Currently, 284 schools in all three NCAA divisions and the NAIA have Chi Alpha Sigma chapters, including Augsburg and the University of Minnesota-Morris in Minnesota.

Augsburg student-athletes have a long tradition of success in both the classroom and on the athletic field. Several Auggie teams have earned academic honors from national coaches associations over the years, and 43 Auggies have been named CoSIDA Academic All-Americans since 1981. Augsburg's 500-plus student-athletes earned a combined grade-point average of 3.20 in the 2018-19 school year.

For more information on Augsburg's Chi Alpha Sigma chapter, contact Associate Athletic Director Kelly Anderson Diercks at diercks@augsburg.edu or 612-330-1245.