<P><B>Dec. 28, 2005</B><P>
<P><a href="http://daytonflyers.collegesports.com/Dec2005GSRbySport.html">Dayton's GSR Rankings by Sport</a>
<P><p><B>INDIANAPOLIS - </B>
The University of Dayton Division of Athletics was well-represented in the first-ever release of the NCAA's new Gradation Success Rate (GSR). The UD football and men's basketball teams led their respective conferences for students that began their collegiate careers between 1995 and 1998.
<P>"We couldn't be more pleased with the results," VP and Director of Athletics <A HREF="http://daytonflyers.collegesports.com/genrel/kissell_ted00.html" >Ted Kissell</a> said. "Our student-athletes, coaches, and staff are very proud. The University has a well-deserved reputation for supporting academic excellence and for creating a culture of expectation and achievement."
<P>Overall, 11 Flyer athletics programs had a GSR of 90 percent or higher including six men's programs. The UD Men's cross country and men's tennis as well as the women's running and women's soccer programs each held a 100 percent GSR.
<P>"The credit for this success begins with our coaches in the recruiting process. We pride ourselves on recruiting for character as well as talent. We also have an exceptional staff in Student-Athlete Academic services, and professors on our campus who educate the whole person."
<P>The Flyer football team held a GSR of 96, which was the best among the eight schools in the Pioneer Football League that reported to the NCAA. Dayton was followed by Butler (91), San Diego (83) and Davidson (82). Those athletes also led UD to an 86-21 record and five PFL Championships during their playing career as well as a Division I-AA Mid-Major National Championship in 2002.
<P>Dayton's men's basketball team had a GSR of 91, which is tied for the top score in the A-10 and the sixth highest score in the nation. UD and Richmond (also 91) were the only two schools in the A-10 with a GSR above 90. During the reporting period, the Flyers won 190 games, three Atlantic 10 West Division Championships (1998, 2000, 2004) and the 2003 Atlantic 10 Tournament Title. Dayton also made six postseason appearances with three berths in the NCAA Tournament (2000, 2003, 2004) and three trips to the NIT (1998, 2001, 2002).
<P>The UD women's basketball team had a GSR of 92 that ranked as the fifth-highest score in the nation and the third best score in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
<P>
The GSR is a new NCAA measurement that improves the federally-mandated graduation-rate by including transfer data in the calculation. It was developed in response to college and university presidents who wanted graduation data that more accurately reflected the mobility among students in today's higher education climate.
<P>Research indicates that complex patterns of college attendance are becoming the norm for U.S. college students -- it is estimated that about 60 percent of all new bachelor's degree recipients are attending more than one undergraduate institution during their collegiate careers.
<P>Overall first-year GSR results indicate that after removing students who leave institutions while academically eligible, about three-fourths of all Division I scholarship student-athletes graduate either from the institution they started at or where they transferred.
<P>"This is an important finding, one that I believe reflects that fact that by and large, athletics departments are successful at keeping student-athletes on track to graduate, either at their institution or another one," said NCAA President Myles Brand.
<P>Todd Petr, NCAA managing director of research, said the total number of students included in GSR compared with the total in the federal cohort is evidence that the GSR is a more comprehensive rate.
<P>For the four-year span that encompasses the current data (entering classes from 1995-98), there were 67,277 students tracked within the federal cohort. Within the GSR, however, the initial cohort for those years is 91,051 students -- an increase of about 35 percent.
<P>"Clearly, the federal methodology has been missing a significant number of scholarship student-athletes who are competing on NCAA teams," Petr said. "By the old standards, some 24,000 students who contributed on the field of play were not included in the calculation of the rate. Additionally, more than 16,000 students who left institutions in good academic standing were universally viewed as academic failures." |
