Athletes' grades are subject of concern
Stephanie Scalise
Issue date: 4/24/08 Section: News
Poorly performing student athletes have spurred a proposal by professors in the School of Business and Management.
According to business professor Dr. Roger Goodson, 11 student athletes are failing his classes, and several other teachers from the school are having the same problems with the same students. These students are primarily from lacrosse, soccer and golf, ranging from freshman to seniors.
Goodson called the proposal a stimulus for discussion and said he was concerned about the outcome for the students. After much discussion, teachers from the School of Business and Management drafted a proposal that would ensure positive academic performances from athletes. The proposal reads:
"If any student athlete receives one warning in any course at midterm, he/she can continue participating in intercollegiate sport(s) at NDNU.
"If any athlete receives two or more warnings at midterm he/she shall be dropped from the team(s) roster(s) immediately following notification to the Athletic Director of the situation. Further, the student receiving two or more warnings at midterm shall not be permitted to practice, travel or participate with their team(s) for the remainder of the semester.
"If they receive two failing grades or their GPA drops below acceptable limits at the end of the semester, the student shall not be permitted to participate on any NDNU intercollegiate athletic team in any way (practices, travel, etc.) until grades and GPA have reached acceptable levels."
This proposal differs from NCAA eligibility laws because a student athlete is only considered to have failed after the semester is over, not during the semester.
Another concern is athletic scholarships, which could be in jeopardy due to poor grades and behavior.
"We haven't had to take scholarships away at the semester yet," said Athletic Director Josh Doody."But that doesn't mean we won't."
Dr. James Fogal, dean of School of Business and Management said that the faculty believes that there is true value in having an athletics department and that they fully support the athletes.
We cannot abandon our mission or our primary responsibility to ensure that students succeed academically."
He said the discussion of this proposal is to help the students succeed academically and to help them maintain eligibility.
"For the most part, I think athletics are important to any school," said junior Annie Schweibinz. "However, it is important to have a balance, which I don't feel like we have.
"You have some well-rounded students, but there are many athletes that are not up to par. It is also important for the school to maintain a high GPA."
Goodson said that the more people get involved, the greater chance the proposal has in succeeding. Both he and Fogal agree that this will be a collaborative effort.
The Faculty Senate is expected to discuss the proposal.
According to business professor Dr. Roger Goodson, 11 student athletes are failing his classes, and several other teachers from the school are having the same problems with the same students. These students are primarily from lacrosse, soccer and golf, ranging from freshman to seniors.
Goodson called the proposal a stimulus for discussion and said he was concerned about the outcome for the students. After much discussion, teachers from the School of Business and Management drafted a proposal that would ensure positive academic performances from athletes. The proposal reads:
"If any student athlete receives one warning in any course at midterm, he/she can continue participating in intercollegiate sport(s) at NDNU.
"If any athlete receives two or more warnings at midterm he/she shall be dropped from the team(s) roster(s) immediately following notification to the Athletic Director of the situation. Further, the student receiving two or more warnings at midterm shall not be permitted to practice, travel or participate with their team(s) for the remainder of the semester.
"If they receive two failing grades or their GPA drops below acceptable limits at the end of the semester, the student shall not be permitted to participate on any NDNU intercollegiate athletic team in any way (practices, travel, etc.) until grades and GPA have reached acceptable levels."
This proposal differs from NCAA eligibility laws because a student athlete is only considered to have failed after the semester is over, not during the semester.
Another concern is athletic scholarships, which could be in jeopardy due to poor grades and behavior.
"We haven't had to take scholarships away at the semester yet," said Athletic Director Josh Doody."But that doesn't mean we won't."
Dr. James Fogal, dean of School of Business and Management said that the faculty believes that there is true value in having an athletics department and that they fully support the athletes.
We cannot abandon our mission or our primary responsibility to ensure that students succeed academically."
He said the discussion of this proposal is to help the students succeed academically and to help them maintain eligibility.
"For the most part, I think athletics are important to any school," said junior Annie Schweibinz. "However, it is important to have a balance, which I don't feel like we have.
"You have some well-rounded students, but there are many athletes that are not up to par. It is also important for the school to maintain a high GPA."
Goodson said that the more people get involved, the greater chance the proposal has in succeeding. Both he and Fogal agree that this will be a collaborative effort.
The Faculty Senate is expected to discuss the proposal.
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