Issue link: http://catalog.e-digitaleditions.com/i/202818
UI Student-Athletes Set Record for Graduation Success T By Gary Barta wo days before our exciting victory over Northwestern at Kinnick Stadium on Oct. 26 and Iowa's upset of nationally ranked Penn State in women's soccer the night before, the UI's student-athletes notched another significant victory. This one occurred in the classrooms that dot the UI campus. Data released by the NCAA indicated that Iowa's student-athletes had again outperformed their peers nationally and set yet another record for graduation success. THE FIRST PAGE… Specifically, the graduation rate for student-athletes that entered the UI in the fall of 2006 was 72 percent — a full seven percentage points better than the national average for their peers in NCAA Division IA athletics. The UI also scored an 88 percent in the NCAA's Graduation Success Rate. That mark was one point better than last year's record-setting mark of 87 percent and six points better than the national average. The UI Athletics Department recently released is strategic plan for the next five years. It is built on the premise that Hawkeyes win, graduate, and do it right. Our victories in soccer and football are great examples of our aspirations to win. The Hawkeyes' success in the classroom is yet another chapter in a long list of successes achieved academically by student-athletes at the UI. Here's the full news release for your enjoyment: University of Iowa student-athletes have outperformed their peers nationally academically again this year — and set another record for graduation success — according to data released Oct. 24 by the NCAA as part of its annual report on the work in the classroom by studentathletes across the country. Student-athletes that entered the University of Iowa in the fall of 2006 graduated at a rate of 72 percent, according to the NCAA. That mark — which uses the federal government benchmark for graduation success — means UI student-athletes have graduated at a rate of 70 percent or better in four of the last five years. According to the NCAA, the graduation rate for all student-athletes nationwide who enrolled in the fall of 2006 was 65 percent. The graduation rate for all students who enrolled in the UI in the fall of 2006 was 70 percent. The UI also set a record by posting a score of 88 percent in the NCAA's Graduation Success Rate (GSR). That mark was one point better than last year's record-setting mark of 87 percent. According to the NCAA, the GSR for all NCAA Division I institutions was 81 percent. 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 student-athletes. The GSR also accounts for mid-year enrollees and is calculated for every sport. Continued on page 20 4