Spring Break
SJSU athletes hitting the books with force
John Hornberg
Issue date: 5/13/09 Section: Sports
Recent academic reports for student-athletes have resulted in more penalties for SJSU's athletic teams, but there is a silver lining this year for the university's teams.
According to the SJSU Athletics Web site, all 16 teams scored above the minimum 925 Academic Progress Rate, or APR, threshold to avoid sanctions from the NCAA for poor academic performance.
But 11 of SJSU's 16 Division-I sports teams registered their highest multiyear academic progress rates since the NCAA began tracking academic progress in 2003, said Lawrence Fan, the university's sports information director.
"The difference for the whole department is partially because of the commitment the athletics department and the university has made in regard to its student-athletes in terms of its academic pursuits," he said.
But the university will still have sanctions for next year. The football team will lose five scholarships for the upcoming season, according to a report released by the NCAA. The women's basketball team will lose one scholarship, and the men's soccer team will also lose scholarships.
The APR sanctions are based on each team's multiyear APR score, Fan said, which is based on a team's academic performance during a four-year period.
The reason for the sanctions against teams such as football and men's soccer go back to previous academic transgressions, Fan said.
The overall athletics department progress rate for 2004-05 was 897, Fan said. The total score for all teams this year was 949.
"We need to do more institutionally in terms of an academic support system," former SJSU President Don Kassing told the Spartan Daily last year after the first report of major sanctions were made.
Academic changes have occurred for student-athletes in the last five years, Fan said. The university has added several staff members, including a learning specialist and an academic adviser, to encourage academic improvement for student-athletes.
According to the SJSU Athletics Web site, all 16 teams scored above the minimum 925 Academic Progress Rate, or APR, threshold to avoid sanctions from the NCAA for poor academic performance.
But 11 of SJSU's 16 Division-I sports teams registered their highest multiyear academic progress rates since the NCAA began tracking academic progress in 2003, said Lawrence Fan, the university's sports information director.
"The difference for the whole department is partially because of the commitment the athletics department and the university has made in regard to its student-athletes in terms of its academic pursuits," he said.
But the university will still have sanctions for next year. The football team will lose five scholarships for the upcoming season, according to a report released by the NCAA. The women's basketball team will lose one scholarship, and the men's soccer team will also lose scholarships.
The APR sanctions are based on each team's multiyear APR score, Fan said, which is based on a team's academic performance during a four-year period.
The reason for the sanctions against teams such as football and men's soccer go back to previous academic transgressions, Fan said.
The overall athletics department progress rate for 2004-05 was 897, Fan said. The total score for all teams this year was 949.
"We need to do more institutionally in terms of an academic support system," former SJSU President Don Kassing told the Spartan Daily last year after the first report of major sanctions were made.
Academic changes have occurred for student-athletes in the last five years, Fan said. The university has added several staff members, including a learning specialist and an academic adviser, to encourage academic improvement for student-athletes.
Be the first to comment on this story