University of North Texas Athletics
North Texas Performs Well in Academic Report
10/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
DENTON, Texas (10/27/10) - The NCAA released its most recent Graduation Success Rate (GSR) data Wednesday and University of North Texas athletics teams continue to perform well. The most recent GSR information is based on the four freshmen classes in that entered school from 2000-01 through 2003-04. It allows a six-year window in which student-athletes can go on to earn their degree.
"We continue see the positive returns on the resources we have invested into academic success for our student-athletes," Director of Athletics Rick Villarreal said. "We have always placed a high priority on classroom achievement and this is one ingredient by which we can measure that."
The women's swimming and diving program led the way for all North Texas athletic teams with a GSR score of 93, followed closely by the women's soccer program which had a score of 91.
Five of the 12 North Texas teams improved their GSR score from last year, including football which went from 59 to 62 in the latest report. The softball program had the largest leap, improving their GSR score from 60 to 71.
The NCAA also released the most recent federal graduation rate data in conjunction with the GSR information. The GSR holds institutions accountable for transfer students, whereas the federal graduation rate does not. The GSR also accounts for midyear enrollees. The NCAA calculates the federal graduation rate for student-athletes because it is the only rate by which to compare student-athletes to the general student body.
All seven of the women's sports achieved a GSR score at or higher than its comparable federal graduation rate. On the men's side, only golf and track and field had a GSR score below their comparable federal graduation rate.
The federal graduation rate, which is based on the same six-year period for graduation used in the GSR, has North Texas student-athletes graduating at a rate of 69 percent. The graduation rate of all students at North Texas during the same period was 47 percent.
"This is the best federal graduation rate of student-athletes we have had since I've been at North Texas," Villarreal said. "We would like that number to be in the 70 to 80 percent range and we will continue to take measures to make those improvements."
The Graduation Success Rate was developed by the NCAA as part of its academic reform initiative to more accurately assess the academic success of student-athletes. This year marks the sixth year that GSR data have been collected. The NCAA began collecting GSR data with the entering freshman class of 1995. The latest entering class for which data are available is 2001.
