Student Publications
University of Houston
151C Communications Bldg
Houston, TX 77204-4015
713.743.5350

©1991-2007
Student Publications,
All rights reserved.

Last modified:

Contact:
ktruitt@uh.edu

News

Athletics will hold on to scholarships

Maggard: New progress-rating system better meter of athlete's academic work than GSR

by LEAH YANEZ
The Daily Cougar

The UH Athletics Department will not be losing any NCAA scholarships this year, according to the association's Academic Progress Rate released March 1.

The APR, a new system for measuring the academic progress of student athletes, states that from 2003 to 2005, the UH men's golf team ranked the highest in academic performance among the University's athletes, while the men's basketball team ranked lowest. 

In women's sports, the UH volleyball team ranked highest and the basketball team was the least academically successful. 

"I'm disappointed that we are indeed the lowest," women's basketball head coach Joe Curl said. "But I'm proud of our University, because we are on the mark."

The Athletics Department scored 929 out of a possible 1,000 points in the APR. In order to avoid penalties, an athletics department must score at least 925 points. Universities lose NCAA scholarships if they do not meet the minimum requirements.

Athletics Director Dave Maggard, who is on the NCAA Academic Eligibility Compliance Cabinet, said the APR is a better calculation of the student athlete's progress than systems that have been used in the past.

"In the next five years, (the APR) will be a much more significant indicator of what you're doing with your student athletes than the federal graduation rate," Maggard said. "If someone leaves in good academic standing, that shouldn't really count against us."

Before 2003, the academic standard for athletics departments was set by the Graduate Success Rate test.

With the new system, institutions are not penalized for student athletes who leave the program in good academic standing or those who become professional athletes but are still eligible to play. 

Instead of losing all points for those students, as programs did under the GSR, an athletics department loses just one point. 

"As we move forward, (the APR) will be more significant," Maggard said. "As you go along, you have to be at least as good as your cohorts within the University so you won't be penalized."

Coaching changes, injuries and other life situations affect the University's rating. 

Last year, the men's basketball program hired a new coach and, in return, lost some players. These transfers counted against the score.

Curl said one of his players from Louisiana left the team this year because she felt it was her civic duty to go home after Hurricane Katrina. 

"It's really circumstances that mess you up," Curl said. "I want to make quality decisions that benefit the student athletes and their families. 

"I'm not going to play the numbers game. I'm dealing with human beings," he said.

Curl said that worrying about grade-point averages and what is best for student athletes is more important to him than the NCAA ranking. 

Maria Peden, the associate athletic director, works with student athletes and gives Maggard academic reports about the students every week.

"We're constantly measuring how they're doing," Peden said. "If we see a red flag, we might increase tutoring, we might set up a time to meet with their professor. We're always out on campus, spot-checking a class."

Student athletes are provided tutors, academic advising and study hall time. In some cases, academic assistance and other life skills classes are mandatory. 

"I've emphasized to the coaches, as well as the student athletes, you don't go to class, you don't come to study hall, you don't take advantage of the tutors, you don't play," Maggard said. "There are consequences. 

"We want everybody to succeed. When a class comes in, … we want to indicate to all of them … ‘We want you to be a great athlete, but above all, we want you to graduate,'" Maggard said. "Our graduation rate is going to continue to move up. There's no question about that."

Peden said there is room for athletes' academic success to grow.

"We're obviously happy that we're not facing any penalties," Peden said. "But we still have some work to do." 

Send comments to dcnews@mail.uh.edu