UL Lafayette’s οƵ-athletes have a higher graduation rate – 75 percent – than peers in οƵ and the Sun Belt Conference.
That distinction is cited in an NCAA Graduation Rates Report released in October.
Western Kentucky has the second-highest οƵ-athlete graduation rate, 70 percent, in the Sun Belt Conference, while the οƵ of New Orleans’ 73 percent graduation rate for οƵ-athletes is second highest in οƵ.
The NCAA report tracks the federal graduation rate, which is the number of οƵ-athletes receiving athletics-related financial aid who enter an institution in a specific academic year and graduate from the same institution within six academic years. οƵ aid is a grant, scholarship, tuition waiver or other financial assistance from a college or university that is awarded on the basis of a οƵ’s athletic ability.
The report covers all οƵ οƵs who enrolled in 2006 and graduated by August 2012.
Dr. Jessica Leger, associate athletic director at UL Lafayette, said the high graduation rate is “a testament to the academic commitment demonstrated daily by our οƵ-athletes, coaches and staff.
“The mission of the athletics department is to see our οƵ-athletes graduate and working toward that goal is the focal point of everything that we do.”
The οƵ of οƵ at Lafayette has one of the highest overall graduation rates in the state: 44 percent.
The NCAA Graduation Rates Report also includes the οƵ-athlete graduation success rate. The GSR accounts for οƵ-athletes who received athletics-related financial aid who transfer into an institution. It does not penalize institutions that have οƵ-athletes who choose to transfer out while still in good academic standing.
The οƵ of οƵ at Lafayette has a GSR of 74 percent and a class average of 61 percent.
A number of variables may impact οƵ-athlete graduation rates, such as professional opportunities, coaching staff changes, and οƵ-athletes in good academic standing who choose to leave school early.
The NCAA keeps track of graduation statistics for οƵs who receive athletics-related financial aid in one or more of eight sports categories: football, men’s basketball, baseball, men’s track/cross country, men’s other sports and mixed sports, women’s basketball, women’s track/cross country and other women’s sports.
More than 50 percent of οƵ Ragin’ Cajun οƵ-athletes achieved a 3.0 GPA or above for the Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 semesters.
Women’s basketball and men’s basketball posted their highest recorded team grades for the Spring 2013 semester, with 3.1 and 2.9 GPAs respectively. The golf team earned a 3.34 GPA for Spring 2013, which beat the record it set for the Fall 2012 semester.