Faculty Senate report on Athletics and Academics

The information provided serves as an example of the academic profile summary for Athletes across teams.

• Current graduation rate for cohort from incoming freshmen from 1997 is 63%. This rate includes those athletes that transfer and graduate elsewhere or do not complete their degree.

• 4-year exhausted eligibility graduation rate is 86%. This includes a running percentage that includes all athletes that have entered Southeastern from 1988 through 1997. To be considered in this calculation, the athlete must have completed their athletic eligibility at Southeastern.

• Fall 2003   116 of 300 athletes received 3.0 G.P.A. or better.

Currently, Athletics and Student Enhancement Services (SES) co-employee a Student Success Coordinator, Heather Jensen, whose duties include identifying athletes in academic jeopardy, creating a plan with students for improving academic performance, teaching and expecting student accountability, and serving as a liaison between academic units and Athletics.

Heather is located in NCBS 207, and can be reached at extension 2227.

Key thoughts:

• The athletic program is integral in attracting and recruiting academically stronger students.
• Your assistance in responding to inquiry about each student athlete’s academic performance in your class will promote greater student accountability.
• Our athletes are held to high academic standards, positively impacting progressions and graduation rates.

Summary of On-line Progress Reporting System:

Spring 2004, first use, 2 transmissions

1605 grade requests (all athletes, all classes)

First “close-out” yielded 72% faculty response (1163/1605)

Second “close-out” yielded less than 50% faculty response

Closeout - faculty responses no longer accepted, approximately 7-10 days

System design:

Hyperlink to on-line request included in pre-written email (problem - addressed)

PeopleSoft navigation

Information entered into search boxes (term code, class number, etc.) by faculty (problem - addressed)

Student list revealed in search

Information requests included:

• Current grade
• % grade (problem - addressed)
• Absences
• Comment box
• Save and submit

Faculty responses:

• Difficulty with system navigation
• Wrong set of names (initial problem, but corrected)
• Lack of understanding of who needed info and who to contact
• Want a contact person (Heather Jensen)(proposed change to form)
• Need assistance (proposed change – assistance from Heather Jensen)
• Would like explanation of when, how often, etc.
• Second request – may or may not have been grade changes (proposed change)

Athletics responses:

• Need information to be more indicative of “next steps” (proposed change)
• Time is of essence (proposed change)
• Want additional feedback with “at-risk” athletes (less than 2.0, but begin alert with less than 2.5) (proposed change) (Heather will contact faculty with additional requests for information)

Faculty Athletic Committee and Athletic’s proposed changes to On-line system: (for faculty “friendliness” and athletics “usefulness”)

• Delete “% grade” (done)
• Auto-populate “term code” – faculty would simply press “search” (done)
• Add (for inferior grade) “Due to tests?” “Due to missed assignments?” “Can assignments be submitted?” (indicates need for tutoring, academic counseling, or if immediate priority is project/assignment completion)

· Clarify and post times, dates, and closings of each new grade request (communicate with indicated faculty at beginning of each semester, with initial classrolls, follow-up email from Heather Jensen, with attached hyperlink to system)(simplify instructions, offer personal assistance)

• With subsequent grade request, show previous grade and allow option of faculty response as “no edits” (done)
• Send form on first of month (for 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th months of each semester), close-out last day of month (on-going opportunity for grade submission, based on differing course grading timeframes)
• Send feedback to departments on % of closeout (offer incentives to faculty for participation, i.e., tokens from athletics, departmental recognition for 100% closeout, recognize academic units at athletic banquets, notes of appreciation from students, etc.)