Terrier Teams Score High on Graduation Rates
BU Athletics records second consecutive 95 percent department-wide score
Boston University’s sports teams had an overall graduation success rate (GSR) of 95percent and an Athletics Department–record 10 varsity teams had a100 percent GSR, according to data released by the NCAA. It was thesecond consecutive time Terrier Athletics achieved a 95percent GSR.
Men’s and women’s basketball, field hockey, women’s golf, women’srowing, women’s soccer, women’s softball, men’s and women’s swimming,and women’s tennis earned perfect scores. Five additional programs — men’s crew, men’s and women’s cross country and track and field,women’s lacrosse, and wrestling — had GSR scores of at least 90percent. Men’s ice hockey earned a GSR of 80 percent.
"Congratulations to all of those whose dedication earned TerrierAthletics this impressive academic achievement," says Mike Lynch, assistant vice president and athletics director. "These figures are the by-product of tireless effort by ourstudent-athletes, as well as our coaches and administrators, especiallythose in Student-Athlete Support Services. We earmarked academicsuccess as one of our department’s top priorities in our StrategicVision document, and specified 95 percent as our GSR goal. Thisannouncement reinforces not only our pride in our current successes butalso our potential for further advancement in this area."
This year’s overall GSR data represents an aggregate average of theincoming classes from the 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-01, and 2001-02 school years. The teamscores reflect an aggregate average of that team’s incomingstudents from the same time period.
GSR scores for 17 sports were reported for BU’s 23 varsityteams. Cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track andfield are compiled as one sport per gender; women’s ice hockey did not become a varsity program untilthe 2005-06 season, so didnot have a GSR.
The GSR was developed to provide graduation data of student-athletesreceiving athletics aid at Division I institutions more accuratelythan the federal rates based solely onfreshman matriculation. It includes students whotransfer into institutions and subtracts those who leave theirinstitutions prior to graduation as long as they would have beenacademically eligible to compete had they remained. The GSR credits aschool for students who graduate within six years of entering theinstitution.
A GSR is compiled only for athletic departments and not for entirestudent bodies. The federal graduation rate allows for a four-yearwindow and neither includes those who transfer in nor excludes thosewho transfer out. According to the federal graduation rate during the same time period, 79 percent of the general Boston University student bodygraduated, whereas 82 percent of Terrier student-athletesearned degrees.
The overall GSR for all Division I student-athletes for this timeperiod was 78 percent. More information about the GSR report isavailable at the NCAA’s official Web site, www.ncaa.org. Additional information about BU Athletics is available at GoTerriers.com.
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