Dec. 19, 2005
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Fourteen University of Maryland teams were above 75 percent Monday as the NCAA released first-time Graduation Success Rate (GSR) figures for specific programs.
Three Maryland teams - women's soccer, women's golf and women's gymnastics - were at 100 percent in the GSR report, which covers student-athletes who entered the university between 1995 and 1998.
The GSR is a different measure than the graduation rate previously used by the NCAA. It
does not count against any institution those individuals who matriculate and then leave while eligible, but does give credit for those who transfer into the institution and ultimately earn a degree.
"We think this is a different, and better way of looking at graduation rates, because it takes into account those individuals who transfer in and graduate, and those who transfer out while eligible," said Anton Goff, the assistant athletics director in charge of Maryland's Academic Support and Career Development Unit (ASCDU).
"This is a better picture of what is actually happening inside a program," said Goff.
The GSR is also different from the Academic Progress Rate (APR), which is a measure of continuing academic progress for current student-athletes, rather than a graduation rate.
The NCAA today also released the four-year composite of the team-by-team federal rate calculations for comparison purposes. Overall institutional GSR data, as well as the single-year federal rate data for those matriculating only in 1998 (information normally released by the NCAA), will be released in approximately a month. New APR data is anticipated to be released in February 2006.
Data compiled by the NCAA and the Department of Education does not include student-athletes who are not on athletics aid. This is particularly relevant at Maryland since eight men's teams were without full scholarship funding during the study period, including teams that excel in the classroom such as men's tennis.
GSR CALCULATION
Based on a six-year window for graduation
Includes all scholarship student-athletes entering the institution, including transfers and walk-ons who eventually earn athletics aid
Student-athletes who withdraw from the institution while academically eligible to compete are removed from the six-year cohort
FEDERAL RATE CALCULATION
Based on a six-year window for graduation
Includes scholarship student-athletes matriculating at the institution in a given year, not including transfers
Student-athletes who transfer or withdraw from the institution while academically eligible to compete count against the rate
UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND GRADUATION SUCCESS RATES
1995 through 1998 figures
GSR Fed Rate
Women's Basketball 58 38
Women's CC & Track 85 83
Field Hockey 94 82
Women's Golf 100 n/a*
Gymnastics 100 89
Women's Lacrosse 83 76
Women's Soccer 100 76
Softball 81 79
Women's Swimming 91 75
Women's Tennis 88 67
Volleyball 70 50
Baseball 66 57
Men's Basketball 30 25
Men's CC & Track 86 83
Football 63 62
Men's Golf 50 50
Men's Lacrosse 80 77
Men's Soccer 67 42
Men's Swimming 87 79
Men's Tennis 86 n/a*
Wrestling 79 73
* - not enough scholarship student-athletes in the study period to be releasable based on federal reporting standards.
Maryland did not sponsor water polo or competitive cheer during the study period
