Monday, 6/30/97 Athletes pass non-athlete graduation rates But
football rates declined for first time since standards
tightened
By Traci Mack Daily Bruin Staff Everyone knows the frustration
of studying hard for a test, or staying up all night to write a
paper, then getting a mediocre grade. On the other hand, your
friends on the softball or basketball team are catered to by tutors
who help to drill information into their heads, and they get As. It
seems that the rigors of schoolwork that we go through every
quarter are much easier for student athletes who receive assistance
for their every academic need. This idea would seem to be supported
by the fact that athletes are edging non- athletes in terms of
getting a diploma. The National Collegiate Athletic Association
released its annual report last week on graduation rates among
Division I schools. 58 percent of athletes who entered college in
1990 graduated within six years. In the same class, only 56 percent
of non-athletes received their diplomas. This is the first time in
the history of the study that graduation rates among athletes has
been greater than that of non-athletes since standards for
athlete’s graduation were raised in 1986. Among the colleges with
the highest rates were Notre Dame, Northwestern, and Stanford.
Athletes who were transfer students were counted as non-graduates
by the NCAA. From a college student’s perspective it may seem that
all of the free tutoring and scholarship assistance can give
athletes an unfair edge. However, some students don’t agree with
the idea that athletes are getting something for nothing. Rich
Hatten, a recent graduate of UCLA with a degree in political
science, said, "(The athletes) are providing a service to the
school. They have to work even harder." Also from the NCAA report
came a somewhat disturbing fact – for the first time since freshmen
eligibility requirements were made tougher, Division I-A football
players showed a notable decline in graduation. The 1990 class
graduated at a rate of 52 percent. This figure is down from the 56
percent graduation rates shown among 1989’s class. What could this
mean to players in college now? "It’s hard to say exactly what it
could mean," said second-year student Kris Farris, an offensive
tackle on the Bruin football squad. "Obviously, it’s not something
you like to hear. There is definitely added pressure on football
players to graduate. I’m sure (the football player’s graduation
rates) won’t stay down." The NCAA is also unsure about the
significance of the drop. "This is the first time it’s happened,"
said Ursula Walsh, the NCAA’s director of research. "We’ll just
have to wait and see if this is a trend or a blip." Overall, the
NCAA says its study proves the success of the "satisfactory
progress" rules, which affect incoming college freshmen. These
rules include minimum grades in college preparatory classes and
required scores on tests such as the SAT and ACT. So, it remains to
be seen – will college athletes shed their image of
scholarship-receiving freeloaders as a result of this study? Will
football players continue their slide into graduation oblivion?
Will graduation rates of athletes slip back to their usual position
below non-athletes? One thing is for sure: athletes at UCLA and
elsewhere work for the same thing that all of us do – a chance to
grasp that diploma on graduation day. Previous Daily Bruin Story
Student-athletes: Should they stay or should they go now?, April
30, 1997