CSU Athletics Continues Upward Climb in NCAA GSR

CHICAGO – The Chicago State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics saw improved results in academic performance by its athletes according to criteria set by the NCAA. Specifically, the Graduate Success Rate(GSR) made an upward climb for another year to 79 percent as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) released its GSR totals today for all its Division I institutions.

The 79 percent GSR rate is six percent higher than last year’s GSR total of 73 percent and has marked the third time over the last four school years that CSU earned a GSR rate of 70 percent or higher.

“I am very proud of the effort that our student-athletes are making in the classroom as well as the athletic fields, CSU Director of Athletics Christopher Zorich said. “Our athletic administration and coaching staff continue to stress the importance of putting academics as the main reason for representing this University and these young men ’ women have continually stepped up to the task.”

Five Cougar teams finished with a GSR rate of 75 percent or better with the men’s and women’s tennis teams leading the way at a perfect 100 percent GSR score. Women’s tennis has earned a perfect score in the GSR for the last four years in a row.

Following the tennis teams were volleyball (91 percent), women’s golf (89 percent), baseball (83 percent), women’s basketball (82 percent) and men’s track ’ field (75 percent).

The Division I Board of Directors created the GSR in response to Division I college and university presidents who wanted data that more accurately reflected the mobility of college students than the federal graduation rate. The federal rate counts any student who leaves a school as an academic failure, no matter whether he or she enrolls at another school. Also, the federal rate does not recognize students who enter school as transfer students.

The GSR formula removes from the rate student-athletes who leave school while academically eligible and includes student-athletes who transfer to a school after initially enrolling elsewhere. This calculation makes it a more complete and accurate look at student-athlete success. The federal graduation rate, however, remains the only measure to compare student-athletes with the general student body.

This year’s GSR rate is based on the four entering classes from the years 2008-09 to 2011-12 and the NCAA began compiling these figures with the entering freshman class of 1995.