FIU continues to show improvement in latest NCAA APR scores

While the NCAA only announced its four-year rolling rate with regards to eligibility, graduation and retention in Division I, FIU demonstrated marked improvement in its annual scores for the second-consecutive year under current Athletic Director Pete Garcia.

“We continue our proactive approach in taking steps to improve our APR scores,” Garcia said. “Our strategic plan included funding for enhanced academic advising, support and more chances for summer school attendance.

“Our hirings in the past year include the country’s first-identified APR specialist whose responsibilities include monitoring eligibility and retention issues as well as serving as the gatekeeper of the athletic department, which ensures that FIU recruits academically-prepared student-athletes. These student-athletes must demonstrate the ability to conquer the rigors of collegiate academic life while carefully balancing their athletic endeavors.”

Those actions have already begun paying dividends as five teams (women’s cross country, women’s golf, women’s soccer, women’s tennis and women’s softball) recorded perfect yearly scores of 1,000 for 2007-08. Ten others, including men’s basketball and football, demonstrated noticeable academic improvement. Additionally, after several years of grant-in-aid losses due to sub-par performance, there will be no scholarship reductions in any FIU sport this upcoming year.

Most noticeable among the improvements was head coach Mario Cristobal’s football program that showed a 74-point increase (from an 891 score in 2006-07 to 965 in 2007-08 for a personal career average of 925). The NCAA noted that FIU football had “demonstrated a commitment to improve the team’s APR within a reasonable period of time” and commended the university for the “improved academic performance of the football team since the arrival of the new head football coach in December 2006.”

Men’s basketball made the largest single-year improvement among FIU’s 17 sports teams, a jump of 155 points from an 800 score in 2006-07, to a 955 in 2007-08, well above the NCAA minimum 925 cut. Because that program demonstrated sufficient academic improvement, it will not be subject to any historical penalties, which includes the loss of postseason play.

The baseball team was FIU’s only program to incur penalties. The program will reduce its practice time from 20 hours per week to 16; the playing season by seven days from 132 to 125; and the number of contests played from 55 to 54 in 2010. But it will lose no scholarships.

Today’s APR figures released by the NCAA include data from the 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 academic years and are determined by using the eligibility and retention of every student-athlete on scholarship during a particular academic year. According to the NCAA, APR provides a “real-time snapshot” of each team’s academic performance.

For more information on the APR, visit the NCAA website.

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