Athletics: UL ranking on the field and off – an indepth look at the academic side at UL

Megan Wyatt, Daily Advertiser, April 13, 2014 – reposted on April 14, 2014

Student athletes study for classes at the Student Athlete Academic Center in the UL Conference Center in Lafayette, LA, Thursday, April 3, 2014. Paul Kieu, The Advertiser(Photo: Paul Kieu, The Advertiser)

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns are on fire.

The football team has claimed three straight New Orleans Bowl wins. Men’s basketball has claimed a Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship and made an NCAA Tournament appearance. And baseball is ranked No. 1 nationally by Collegiate Baseball.

But these UL student-athletes aren’t just outperforming their peers during ball games.

They are also outperforming every other university in the state and in the Sun Belt Conference academically.

And at a time when college athletes are under scrutiny in light of events such as the fake class scandal at the University of North Carolina, UL is being recognized for making academics a priority for athletes.

It’s taken a lot of work to get to this point.

As recently as 2005, the NCAA cited the university’s football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball and women’s soccer teams for falling short in academics.

It’s not by coincidence that UL student-athletes have risen above their peers academically, said Jessica Leger, Ragin’ Cajuns associate athletics director for academics and compliance.

"Our coaches have had to take a hard look at the athletes they’re recruiting," Leger said. "I would say we’re recruiting quality student-athletes because of the admission standards our university has in place.

"Not only are we starting off with students who have higher test scores, but we’re hitting them at all points. Their support system is endless in terms of what we have once they’re here."

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns are on fire.

The football team has claimed three straight New Orleans Bowl wins. Men’s basketball has claimed a Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship and made an NCAA Tournament appearance. And baseball is ranked No. 1 nationally by Collegiate Baseball.

But these UL student-athletes aren’t just outperforming their peers during ball games.

They are also outperforming every other university in the state and in the Sun Belt Conference academically.

And at a time when college athletes are under scrutiny in light of events such as the fake class scandal at the University of North Carolina, UL is being recognized for making academics a priority for athletes.

It’s taken a lot of work to get to this point.

As recently as 2005, the NCAA cited the university’s football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball and women’s soccer teams for falling short in academics.

It’s not by coincidence that UL student-athletes have risen above their peers academically, said Jessica Leger, Ragin’ Cajuns associate athletics director for academics and compliance.

"Our coaches have had to take a hard look at the athletes they’re recruiting," Leger said. "I would say we’re recruiting quality student-athletes because of the admission standards our university has in place.

"Not only are we starting off with students who have higher test scores, but we’re hitting them at all points. Their support system is endless in terms of what we have once they’re here." 

—

UL volleyball player Jessica Bartczyszyn didn’t experience the same shell shock that other freshmen often incur when attending college, she said.

The art education major quickly learned how to best divide her time between athletics and academics because of academic coaches assigned to freshman athletes.

"Volleyball is a fall sport, so for me it was happening all at once," she said. "There’s a ton of support here, though. Academics here really are just as important as athletics, and there’s always somebody I can talk to and get help."

Bartczyszyn maintains a 3.83 GPA and spends several hours each week studying in Dupre Library or the Student-Athlete Academic Center in the Conference Center on the main campus.

Natalie Fernandez, a senior softball player studying exercise science, maintains a 3.5 GPA.

Being a student-athlete requires excellent time management skills, she said.

"That’s really where the Student-Athlete Academic Center comes in helpful," Fernandez said. "They do a great job of teaching time management and explaining the available resources to us."

Academic coaches are assigned to almost all freshman athletes and others who are considered at risk of underperforming academically, according to Leger.

"These coaches meet with the student-athletes multiple times each week to help the student organize and manage their time and make sure they’re on the right track to meeting the academic standards set forth by their professors," Leger said.

For the spring semester, 70 of the 342 current student-athletes are a part of the program.

Danielle Morrissey, one of the academic coaches, mentors five student-athletes.

"They’re definitely representing the school and the whole college town," Morrissey said. "You want them to be the best of both worlds, and we want them to be well-educated people because not everybody goes to the NFL."

She and other coaches serve as parental figures for students juggling the freedom of college, the demands of coursework and the time spent training and on the road.

The academic coaches print course syllabuses, create study schedules and help student-athletes create calendars with pertinent course information. 

If a student struggled with math on the ACT, for example, a tutor will be assigned to the student-athlete by the academic coach, sometimes before the student even begins coursework.

By being proactive instead of reactive, student-athletes are hardly given the opportunity to fail.

"It’s a lot of just helping them organize," Morrissey said. "I have to explain to them that if I needed to learn their sport, I would ask for their help. When I explain to them that I’m an expert in organization and those skills, they are more responsive and understanding."

Although UL student-athletes have a higher GPA than the general student population, they also have a greater percentage of general studies majors.

This semester, 30 percent of student-athletes are majoring in general studies, versus 4.4 percent of the general UL undergraduate student population.

The UL College of General Studies boasts a flexible program made up of coursework from several disciplines. Sometimes, student-athletes choose this route because of their demanding schedules, Leger said.

"The general studies degree program provides greater flexibility in course scheduling and specialization opportunities as compared to others," Leger said

—

On each Monday of the last four weeks of their just-concluded season — including the Monday that fell one day after the team won the Sun Belt Conference Tournament in New Orleans, and four days before it faced off against Creighton in an NCAA Tournament West Region game — the Cajun basketball team practiced.

But not on the court.

Head Basketball Coach Bob Marlin called them "academic practices" — mandatory two-hour classroom sessions where the ABCs of schoolwork, not the Xs and Os of on-court strategy, were the focus.

The men’s basketball team earned a 2.85 GPA during the fall 2013 semester.

"The last two semesters, we’ve had the two highest semesters we’ve had in 31 years of keeping records," Marlin said. "I’ve been at the university as a head coach for seven semesters, and we’ve got seven of the top 10 over the last 31 years. And we’re proud of that."

The greatest reason for improved graduation rates and GPAs of UL student-athletes is a changed mentality of head coaches, according to Leger.

"Academic responsibility is placed on the head coach," Leger said. "When our head coach is put with that responsibility, they do more to ensure academic success of their student-athletes."

The football team held a 2.64 GPA for the fall semester, with 45 of the football-program members earning a GPA of 3.0 or better.

"I think you get what you emphasize," head coach Mark Hudspeth said. "And I think our coaching staff does a really good job of emphasizing academics."

They do so to the point that helmet stickers — reserved for on-the-field achievement at a lot of programs — are doled to UL football players for academic achievement, as well.

Hudspeth said end-of-the-year performance reviews of his assistant coaches include not only football-related accomplishments but also "how they deal with their players off the field."

The assistants are responsible for meeting weekly with their individual position players about academic matters — running backs coach Marquase Lovings with his running backs and receivers coach Jorge Munoz with his receivers, for instance.

"We’re not at the luxury (level) of the some of universities that have unlimited amounts of academic support," Hudspeth said. "The majority of the work falls on our coaching staff as far as the monitoring, the class-checking and daily communication with our players concerning academics."

Some so-called class-checkers — tasked with monitoring attendance — are hired within the football department.

But graduate assistant coaches, student coaches and even office workers also are utilized.

"To me that’s been the biggest change," said Hudspeth, who has coached three seasons at UL. "Our guys don’t miss any class because we check every class. Because when you go to class — that’s where it all starts. We take it from there."

Relief pitcher Matt Hicks, all-time saves leader on the UL baseball team, is on track fora double-degree in biology and chemistry.

"Of Coach (Tony Robichaux’s) four main bullet points, the first one is ‘You graduate,’" Hicks said.

The senior from Texas has 166 credit hours in the bank.

He hasn’t had a semester in which he’s taken fewer than 19 hours since spring of his sophomore year, and that was 17.

"So, I’ve missed a ton of practice," Hicks said. "And there’s two things you’re allowed to miss practice for. It’s a family emergency, and school; no questions asked.

"I really don’t think I could have come to a better program that put school more in the forefront than anything else."

Cajuns centerfielder Seth Harrison had a 4.0 grade point average last semester and last spring as well.

"Especially during baseball season, (the key) is just staying on top of it," Harrison said. "School, and practice, and all of our games — it’s a long season, and it’s a lot of time consumption being out here on the field."

UL student-athlete grade point average by semester

Fall 2013: 2.97

Spring 2013: 2.92

Fall 2012: 2.96

Spring 2012: 2.80

Fall 2011: 2.84

Spring 2011: 2.88

Fall 2010: 2.84

Spring 2010: 2.65

Fall 2009: 2.78 

Spring 2009: 2.68

Fall 2008: 2.75

Spring 2008: 2.83

Fall 2007: 2.76

Spring 2007: 2.78

Fall 2006: 2.86

Spring 2006: 2.69

Fall 2005: 2.85

Spring 2005: 2.75

Fall 2004: 2.71

Spring 2004: 2.78

Fall 2003: 2.67

Spring 2003: 2.56

Fall 2002: 2.57

Spring 2002: 2.52

Fall 2001: 2.75

Spring 2001: 2.46

Fall 2000: 2.53

Spring 2000: 2.33

Fall 1999: 2.68

Spring 1999: 2.55

Fall 1998: 2.62

Spring 1998: 2.44 

Spring 1998: 2.44

Source: University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics Department

Louisiana and Sun Belt Conference six-year student-athlete graduation rate

University of Louisiana at Lafayette: 75 percent

University of New Orleans: 73 percent

Tulane University: 71 percent

Western Kentucky: 70 percent

South Alabama: 68 percent

New Mexico State: 67 percent

Louisiana Tech: 67 percent

Appalachian State: 65 percent

Georgia Southern: 64 percent

University of Idaho: 59 percent

Georgia State: 56 percent

University of Texas at Arlington: 56 percent

Centenary College: 56 percent

Troy University: 55 percent

Louisiana State University: 55 percent

Northwestern State University: 55 percent

Arkansas State University: 53 percent

Texas State University 53 percent

Southern University: 53 percent

McNeese State University: 52 percent

University of Arkansas at Little Rock: 48 percent 

Grambling State University: 44 percent

Nicholls State University: 41 percent

Southeastern Louisiana: 38 percent

University of Louisiana at Monroe: 38 percent

Source: National Collegiate Athletic Association Federal Graduation Rate statistics

Number of UL athletes by major

General Studies: 110

Kinesiology: 78

Biology: 20

Management: 16

Marketing: 11

Criminal Justice: 10

Accounting: 7

Petroleum Engineering: 7

Speech Pathology: 7

Finance: 6

Geology: 6

Industrial Technology: 6

Chemical Engineering: 5

Psychology: 5

Mechanical Engineering: 4

Nursing: 4 

Animal Science: 3

Economics: 3

Mass Communication: 3

Political Science: 3

Public Relations: 3

Social Studies Education: 3

Undeclared: 3

Art Education: 2

Dietetics: 2

Health Services Administration: 2

Industrial Design: 2

Informatics: 2

MBA: 2

Secondary Education: 2

Architectural Study: 1

Chemistry: 1

Child & Family Studies: 1

Civil Engineering: 1

Computer Science: 1

Environmental Science: 1

Health Information Management: 1

Hospitality Management: 1

Middle School Education: 1

Modern Language – Spanish: 1

Professional Land/Rsc Management: 1 

Sociology: 1

Visual Arts: 1

Source: University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics Department

UL student-athletes recently surpassed student-athletes at all other universities in the state and Sun Belt Conference for federal graduation rate, according to statistics released last fall by the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

The data tracks freshmen athletes who began attending college during the 2006-2007 school year and graduated within six years’ time.

Seventy-five percent of UL student-athletes who began coursework in fall of 2006 graduated in that time frame.

That percentage exceeds the general, full-time UL student population of 44 percent who began in fall 2006 and earned a bachelor’s degree within six years.

Trailing behind UL student-athletes were those at the University of New Orleans and Tulane University, where 73 percent and 71 percent of student-athletes graduated, respectively.

Only 55 percent of Louisiana State University student-athletes graduated in six-years’ time, and the University of Louisiana at Monroe finished last with only 38 percent of student-athletes graduating in that time frame.

During the fall semester, UL student-athletes registered a school record 2.97 grade point average.

That marked the third straight semester above a 2.90 GPA for Ragin’ Cajuns athletes, breaking the previous high semester of 2.94, which was achieved during the 2012 fall semester.

The 2.97 student-athlete GPA also surpasses the 2.79 GPA for the general student body at UL.

Scholarship spending on student-athletes

During the 2013-2014 academic year, $3.23 million was spent on UL student-athlete scholarships. 

In order for a student-athlete to accept the financial aid, he or she must agree to the following:

â–  The aid is awarded in accordance with UL, Sun Belt and NCAA regulations.

â–  The aid is offered on the condition that the admission requirements of UL are met, the student is enrolled full-time and the student maintains eligibility requirements established by the NCAA, Sun Belt and UL.

â–  Financial aid, including scholarships and tuition waivers, from all sources other than UL shall be reported by the student to UL’s Athletics Department Compliance Office.

â–  A student’s total financial aid may not exceed applicable limits.

â–  Any part or all of a financial aid agreement may be reduced or canceled during the period of the award if the student renders him- or herself ineligible for competition; fraudulently misrepresents information on an application, letter of intent or financial aid agreement; engages in serious misconduct warranting substantial disciplinary penalty; voluntarily withdraws from a sport; or violates athletic department rules or team rules.

â–  The financial aid agreement will be reduced or canceled if the student signs a professional sports contract for the sport; accepts money for playing in an athletics contest which exceeds the cost of a full grant; agrees to be represented by an agent; or receives other aid that causes him or her to exceed a full athletic scholarship or individual limit.

â–  Any reduction or cancellation of aid during the award term may only be taken for proper cause by the regular disciplinary or financial aid authority of UL and if he or she had the opportunity for a hearing.

â–  UL may not reduce or cancel a student’s aid during the period of its award on the basis of athletic ability, performance or contribution to the team’s success, because of injury that prevents him or her from participating in athletics or for any other athletically related reason.

Source: University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics Department