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Monday, 6/30/97 Athletes pass non-athlete graduation rates But football rates declined for first time since standards tightened

By Traci Mack Daily Bruin Staff Everyone knows the frustration of studying hard for a test, or staying up all night to write a paper, then getting a mediocre grade. On the other hand, your friends on the softball or basketball team are catered to by tutors who help to drill information into their heads, and they get As. It seems that the rigors of schoolwork that we go through every quarter are much easier for student athletes who receive assistance for their every academic need. This idea would seem to be supported by the fact that athletes are edging non- athletes in terms of getting a diploma. The National Collegiate Athletic Association released its annual report last week on graduation rates among Division I schools. 58 percent of athletes who entered college in 1990 graduated within six years. In the same class, only 56 percent of non-athletes received their diplomas. This is the first time in the history of the study that graduation rates among athletes has been greater than that of non-athletes since standards for athlete's graduation were raised in 1986. Among the colleges with the highest rates were Notre Dame, Northwestern, and Stanford. Athletes who were transfer students were counted as non-graduates by the NCAA. From a college student's perspective it may seem that all of the free tutoring and scholarship assistance can give athletes an unfair edge. However, some students don't agree with the idea that athletes are getting something for nothing. Rich Hatten, a recent graduate of UCLA with a degree in political science, said, "(The athletes) are providing a service to the school. They have to work even harder." Also from the NCAA report came a somewhat disturbing fact - for the first time since freshmen eligibility requirements were made tougher, Division I-A football players showed a notable decline in graduation. The 1990 class graduated at a rate of 52 percent. This figure is down from the 56 percent graduation rates shown among 1989's class. What could this mean to players in college now? "It's hard to say exactly what it could mean," said second-year student Kris Farris, an offensive tackle on the Bruin football squad. "Obviously, it's not something you like to hear. There is definitely added pressure on football players to graduate. I'm sure (the football player's graduation rates) won't stay down." The NCAA is also unsure about the significance of the drop. "This is the first time it's happened," said Ursula Walsh, the NCAA's director of research. "We'll just have to wait and see if this is a trend or a blip." Overall, the NCAA says its study proves the success of the "satisfactory progress" rules, which affect incoming college freshmen. These rules include minimum grades in college preparatory classes and required scores on tests such as the SAT and ACT. So, it remains to be seen - will college athletes shed their image of scholarship-receiving freeloaders as a result of this study? Will football players continue their slide into graduation oblivion? Will graduation rates of athletes slip back to their usual position below non-athletes? One thing is for sure: athletes at UCLA and elsewhere work for the same thing that all of us do - a chance to grasp that diploma on graduation day. Previous Daily Bruin Story Student-athletes: Should they stay or should they go now?, April 30, 1997