June 9, 2010
RUSTON - For the second consecutive year, Louisiana Tech saw major improvements in the majority of its Academic Progress Rates (APR) released today by the NCAA as part of its continuing academic reform efforts.
Louisiana Tech saw eight of its 16 NCAA sanctioned programs record their highest multi-year APR rate ever while seven of the programs recorded their highest single year APR score ever. Four of the programs also earned a perfect 1,000 score on the single year rate.
The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each quarter by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete. The APR includes eligibility, retention, and graduation in the calculation and provides a picture of the academic culture in each sport.
Each sport earns a single year rate and then a multi-year rate, which is a four-year average of the single year rates.
"Our student-athletes continue to perform well in the classroom and meet the high academic standards expected for our athletic programs by our university," said Tech Athletics Director Bruce Van De Velde. "We appreciate their effort as well as the commitment of the Louisiana Tech faculty, staff and coaches."
For the 2008-09 academic year, LA Tech baseball (963), men's cross country (965), football (939), men's golf (994), men's indoor track (940), men's outdoor track (941), women's basketball (953) and women's soccer (970) each achieved their highest multi-year rate.
Men's basketball (930), men's cross country (1000), football (946), men's golf (1000), men's outdoor track (943), women's cross country (1000) and softball (1000) all recorded their highest single year rate as well.
NCAA sports falling below a 925 over a four-year average are subject to various penalties. The men's basketball program is facing a penalty this year with the reduction of one scholarship as its four-year average is 912.
The penalty stems mainly from a single-year rate of 882 recorded in 2005-06, the year before current Bulldog head coach Kerry Rupp was hired. Since Rupp's arrival on campus, the men's basketball program has seen its four-year average improve 59 percentage points from 853 to 912.
This year's single-year rate of 930 is the program's best since the APR was implemented six years ago. During Rupp's three years at Tech, eight Bulldogs have earned their degrees including two members of this year's team in Kyle Gibson and Magnum Rolle. Two more Bulldogs will also earn their diplomas this summer as Shawn Oliverson and David Jackson are scheduled to graduate.
In the most recent Federal Graduation Rate Report released last fall, Louisiana Tech ranked No. 1 in the state of Louisiana among Football Bowl Subdivision public institutions in the four-year average student-athlete graduation rate.
