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Cajuns Academic Report Card
Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns are doing more in the class room than ever before and it’s evident with the release of the latest NCAA graduation data. The Cajuns student-athletes are excelling beyond just a single semester, following through with degree requirements and achieving the ULtimate GOAL of graduating.
The latest data pertains to the incoming freshman class of 2001-02. That class was given six years to complete their degree before the information was compiled into a “Graduation Rate”. Students who leave or transfer, regardless of academic standing, are considered non-graduates. All those receiving athletics aid are included in the student-athlete statistics. The Cajuns’ student-athlete graduation rate was 12 percent better than the University student body. In fact, the University’s graduation rate in the four-year moving average has increased each of the past three years, but the student-athletes four-year average has followed suit. The overall four-class average showed a graduation rate of 20 percent better in favor of Ragin’ Cajuns student-athletes compared to the University student body. The NCAA also configures supplemental data on student-athletes called the “Student-Athlete Graduation Success Rate”. The GSR was created to more accurately reflect actual graduation rates by including transfer data in the calculation. With an increased trend for students to attend several higher education institutions, the NCAA wanted to depict the actual success rate athletic departments had with their athletes. Research indicates that approximately 60 percent of all new bachelor’s degree recipients are attending more than one undergraduate institution during their collegiate careers. The Cajuns GSR has increased from 61-65-68 percent over the last three years and currently stands as one of the highest rates among Division I public schools in the state of Louisiana. In addition, the NCAA honored the Cajuns athletic department as a 2007-08 Diversity in Athletics Award winner in the category of African-American Graduation for both Male Student-Athletes and Value and Attitudinal Diversity. “Congratulations for your exemplary work in the area of diversity,” Chris Ruckdaschel, NCAA Assistant Director of Diversity and Inclusion stated. “We wish you continued success in all of your diversity efforts. The recent NCAA cohort shows that the Cajuns GSR for African-American male student-athletes is greater than the GSR for white male student-athletes. Data Facts…The student-athlete graduation rate for the 2001-02 class was 12 percent higher than the University’s student body…The overall four-class average of student-athletes had a graduation rate of 20 percent better than the general student body…The graduation rate in the four-year moving average for the University has increased each of the last three years…As the average has increased, the Ragin’ Cajuns student-athletes four-year moving average has increased by the same amount…The student-athlete graduation success rate has increased from 61-65-68 percent over the last three years.
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