A new study that compares student-athletes to other undergraduates at UC Davis has found encouraging results for Aggie student-athletes concerning their admission qualifications, academic performance and graduation rates.

For example, the study's authors looked at UC Davis' 2000 freshman class and found that 85 percent of student-athletes who entered that year graduated within five years, compared with 75 percent of nonathlete students.

The report, which was produced by the UC Davis Office of Student Affairs, is unique in the breadth and depth of data compiled on recent entering classes at Davis. From 2001 to 2004, the study found, 97.4 percent of student-athletes at UC Davis met the University of California's eligibility criteria, compared to 97.8 percent of other entering Davis students.

In addition, 97 percent of UC Davis student-athletes who received athletic scholarships during that same period met UC eligibility criteria. In contrast, other UC campuses with similar data reported that one-third to two-thirds of student-athletes who received athletic scholarships were UC-eligible.

Accountability

Chancellor Larry Vanderhoef said the study was an important measure of accountability. "As we move forward to Division I in the NCAA, the campus has made a commitment to several core principles, including that we would not compromise the university's focus on academic integrity, and that high admission and graduation standards be upheld," Vanderhoef said. "This report confirms that we are keeping our promise to our faculty and to our students."

The report comes at a time when UC Davis is nearing the end of a six-month-long, campuswide study of its athletics program as part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I athletics certification program. The study is looking at the campus's academic integrity, governance and commitment to rules compliance, as well as its commitment to equity and student-athlete welfare. UC Davis' written report of its study is due to the NCAA on May 15.

UC Davis is currently in the third year of a four-year transition from Division II to Division I-AA status. Should the NCAA grant UC Davis its Division I certification, the campus's first year of active membership in Division I will be the 2007-8 academic year.

As part of the NCAA's Division I certification process, UC Davis will host a public forum next week on academic issues involving athletics. The forum is scheduled for 3-5 p.m. Monday, May 1, in the Mee Room of Memorial Union.

The student-athlete academic progress study was prepared at the request of the Academic Senate in order to create a baseline from which to evaluate the campus transition to Division I sports.

Daniel Simmons, a law professor who chairs the Academic Senate, said, "This baseline data establishes a clear benchmark by which the faculty can evaluate the academic integrity of UC Davis athletics in the future. The study will help to insure that the promises made to the campus community about the academic integrity of the athletics program will be met."

Meanwhile, Kimberly Elsbach, chair of the Athletic Administrative Advisory Committee, said her panel "will be closely monitoring this data set in the years to come so that if any concerns emerge down the road, the campus will be ready to identify and address them." Elsbach, a professor in the Graduate School of Management, is also the campus's faculty athletic representative.

Athletics Director Greg Warzecka said the findings are a testament to the quality work being done by coaches, administrators and student-athletes: "I'm proud of the leadership our coaches and academic advisors are demonstrating in helping student-athletes to thrive academically."

Graduation rates

One surprising study finding concerned the 2000 freshman class. While four-year graduation rates were lower for student-athletes (30 percent versus 43 percent), student-athlete graduation rates after five years were well ahead of other students (85 percent versus 75 percent). And student-athletes receiving athletic scholarships had an even more impressive five-year graduation rate of 88 percent.

"The change in graduation rates by five years marked a stunning reversal of fortunes between Davis student-athletes and nonathletes," said senior policy analyst Bill Kidder, a co-author of the report. "This was an exciting finding, the kind of thing you don't see every day in higher education research."

Jackie Turpin, a senior co-captain of the women's basketball team and an officer on the Student Athletic Advisory Committee, believes that one key to student-athletes' success is that lessons learned on the court carry over to the classroom. "As a student-athlete, my coaches instilled in me the value of thorough preparation, tenacity and managing my time wisely. Those skills continue to serve me well in my studies at UC Davis."

Other study findings:

• Admitted student-athletes entered with a mean high school GPA of 3.6, compared to 3.7 for other Davis students.
• Average SAT score differences were also small, as nonathletes averaged 26 points higher on the 1600-point scale.
• The cumulative GPA that student-athletes earned at UC Davis ranged from 2.8 to 2.9 each year, which was in line with the 2.9 cumulative GPA for other Davis undergraduates.

The purpose of the NCAA Division I certification program is to help ensure integrity in UC Davis' athletics operations. It opens up athletics to the rest of the university community and to the public.

The NCAA believes that institutions like UC Davis will benefit from increasing campuswide awareness and knowledge of the athletics program, confirming its strengths and developing plans to improve areas of concern.

A draft of the UC Davis Certification Self-Study soon will be posted, and will cover the areas of governance, academic integrity, equity and student-athlete welfare.

The UC Davis Athletics Baseline Data 2000 to 2004 report may be viewed at the NCAA Division I Certification Web site, www.news.ucdavis.edu/special_reports/ncaa_certification.