Oct. 25, 2012
NORMAL, Ill. - The Graduation Success Rate Report released by the NCAA Thursday showed that Illinois State student-athletes continue to graduate at a high rate.
The most recent student-athlete GSR class (those who enrolled in 2002 through 2005) recorded an 85 percent four-year Graduation Success Rate. The ISU four-year GSR has steadily increased from 77 percent in 2000 to this year's 85 percent mark. The GSR report also showed that Illinois State's numbers exceed the overall Division I Graduation Success Rate numbers and Federal Graduation Rates in most every sport.
ISU Director of Athletics Gary Friedman said the department's Graduation Success Rate numbers are a credit to ISU's culture and its people.
"Illinois State places a high value on academic responsibility and integrity among our students, and this recent report confirms our goal of Redbird student-athletes earning their degrees," Friedman stated. "It's a true credit to the leadership of University President Dr. Al Bowman. It is also a result of our coaches recruiting high-quality student-athletes into their programs, our academic staff and administration supporting their efforts, and our student-athletes' focus on their ultimate academic goal of graduation."
There were several notable accomplishments for Illinois State included in this most recent GSR release. Seven of ISU's teams' four-year GSR had a 100 percent graduation rate: men's golf, men's tennis, women's basketball, women's golf, gymnastics, women's tennis and volleyball.
In addition, 10 teams achieved four-year GSRs of greater than 92 percent. Those programs include those teams listed above, plus softball, soccer and women's cross country/track and field.
Illinois State Senior Associate Athletics Director for Compliance Cindy Harris, who is responsible for overseeing the reporting of the data to the NCAA, was pleased with the numbers included in this year's release and is proud of Illinois State student-athletes and their dedication to academic success.
"We are always thrilled to see that the NCAA's data set demonstrates what so many of us who support our Redbird student-athletes already know and are proud of; that our student-athletes graduate," Harris stated. "Nearly nine out of 10 of our student-athletes are earning their degrees within the NCAA's prescribed six-year period for GSR (Graduation Success Rate). We will continue to strive to do better and not get complacent with our graduation goals for our student-athletes. Today's data is a bit of a `report card' of how we are doing and we are pleased."
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