05-06-2014, 01:52 PM
Some follow-up re: Lefty's and Bete Rouge's comments...
Lefty - "and a restive fan base all pressuring the department to cut corners and admit academically challenged students"... To the contrary, the fan base has been hammering the AD for the lousy academic performance of the footballers. The majority of well-placed B.ear Backers and other alums who support the program have made it clear - if it has to be one, academics trump athletic performance. Fortunately, it does not have to be one over the other. A number of schools have proven that academics and athletics can happily cohabitate.
BR - a significant amount of this "progress" was made by the departures of players that weren't cutting it academically. In fact, none of the significant progress was made by CoachDykes running players off the program. The figures are for the last four years of the CoachTedford era. Next year, we will see whether CoachDykes' first year on the job yields the kind of academic results that do not embarass the alums.
Of course, NONE of this will postively influence the UC GSR scores. I expect the grad rate to remain low for several more years because of the poor recruiting by CoachTedford during the latter part of his tenure and the aforementioned "run off" of low performers during the 2013-14 academic year.
Bottom line - baby steps........Â
Lefty - "and a restive fan base all pressuring the department to cut corners and admit academically challenged students"... To the contrary, the fan base has been hammering the AD for the lousy academic performance of the footballers. The majority of well-placed B.ear Backers and other alums who support the program have made it clear - if it has to be one, academics trump athletic performance. Fortunately, it does not have to be one over the other. A number of schools have proven that academics and athletics can happily cohabitate.
BR - a significant amount of this "progress" was made by the departures of players that weren't cutting it academically. In fact, none of the significant progress was made by CoachDykes running players off the program. The figures are for the last four years of the CoachTedford era. Next year, we will see whether CoachDykes' first year on the job yields the kind of academic results that do not embarass the alums.
Of course, NONE of this will postively influence the UC GSR scores. I expect the grad rate to remain low for several more years because of the poor recruiting by CoachTedford during the latter part of his tenure and the aforementioned "run off" of low performers during the 2013-14 academic year.
Bottom line - baby steps........Â