UI Student-Athletes Set New Graduation Rate Records

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  IOWA CITY, Iowa – Student-athletes at the University of Iowa have established new records for graduation rate success, according to an annual report of the NCAA released earlier today.

  Student-athletes that entered the University of Iowa in the fall of 2007 graduated at a rate of 78 percent, according to the NCAA’s report on the academic work done by student-athletes across the country. That mark – which used the federal government benchmark for graduation success – is a new record for the UI and also means UI student-athletes have graduated at a rate of 70 percent or better in five of the last six years.

  According to the NCAA, the federal graduation rate for all student-athletes nationwide who enrolled in the fall of 2007 was 66 percent. The federal graduation rate for all students who enrolled in the UI in the fall of 2007 was 70 percent.

  The UI also set a new record by posting a score of 89 percent in the NCAA’s “Graduation Success Rate,” or “GSR.” That mark was one point better than last year’s record-setting mark of 88 percent. According to the NCAA, the GSR for all NCAA Division I institutions was 82 percent.

  “The data shared today by the NCAA is further evidence of the commitment our student-athletes, coaches, and staff make to the academic piece of our mission. I am most proud of our student-athletes for tackling their academic pursuits as vigorously as they do their athletics dreams and aspirations.” Gary Barta, UI Director of Athletics

  Seven UI teams scored a perfect 100 on their GSR: Men’s basketball, field hockey, men’s golf, women’s golf, softball, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, and volleyball. All counted, the GSR for 18 of Iowa’s 24 teams was better than the national average among its peer sport group.

  The NCAA introduced the GSR in 2005 to more accurately assess the academic success of student-athletes. Unlike the federal graduation rate, the GSR holds institutions accountable for transfer students. The GSR also accounts for mid-year enrollees and is calculated for every sport.

  “The data shared today by the NCAA is further evidence of the commitment our student-athletes, coaches, and staff make to the academic piece of our mission. I am most proud of our student-athletes for tackling their academic pursuits as vigorously as they do their athletics dreams and aspirations,” said Gary Barta, the UI director of athletics.

  “This announcement also provides me an opportunity to thank everyone on the UI campus that makes this success story possible annually. These numbers are a reflection of a team effort that includes a long list of individuals and units and departments on the UI campus who are committed to the academic success of our student-athletes including, most notably, the entire staff who work in our Student-Athlete Academic Services unit.”

  Last spring, paced by all-time high scores in nine sports programs, all 24 of the University of Iowa’s intercollegiate athletics programs were shown to be achieving at a rate that surpassed the national benchmark for academic success established by the NCAA.

  The NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate (APR) report for 2013-14 revealed that – for the fifth consecutive year – all of Iowa’s 24 sports programs were well above the 930 threshold that signals a red flag with respect to academic progress. The highlights of results for the UI’s student-athletes include:

• All 24 of the UI’s sports programs scored well above 930, the threshold that triggers NCAA sanctions ranging from loss of practice time to participation in national championships participation. Nine UI sports teams posted all-time high scores. That list of sports includes Iowa’s football, men’s basketball, baseball, men’s golf, men’s swimming and diving, women’s rowing, women’s soccer, women’s swimming and diving, and volleyball.
• The APR for 16 of the UI sports teams was better than the national average for their peer group. The list of 16 includes Iowa football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and wrestling programs.
• Men’s golf and baseball ranked among the top 10 percent of their peers and were honored last week by the NCAA for that accomplishment.
• Men’s golf scored a perfect 1,000.
• The APR for 15 of Iowa’s programs either increased or held steady year-over-year.
• The largest increases in APR were achieved by Iowa’s men’s gymnastics (plus 20) and men’s basketball (plus 18) teams.

The Academic Progress Rate measures eligibility and retention of student-athletes competing on every NCAA Division I sports team. The APR scores from last spring were based on a multi-year rate that averaged scores from the 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, and 2012-13 academic years.

The goal of the NCAA’s academic performance program is improvement, not punishment. Not only does the program ensure accountability for student-athletes, teams, and institutions, but it also provides fairness by considering individual circumstances per team and school. The 2013-14 academic year marked the 10th year of APR data for most teams.

Beginning in 2012-13, teams must have earned a minimum four-year APR of 900 or a 930 average over the most recent two years to be eligible to participate in the NCAA championship. An APR of 930 projects a Graduation Success Rate of approximately 50 percent.

To participate in 2014-15 championships, teams must have earned a 930 four-year average or a 940 average over the most recent two years to participate in the NCAA championship. In 2015-16 and beyond, teams must earn a four-year APR of 930 to be eligible to participate in post-season competition.