Texas Southern University President Dr. John M. Rudley is leading the NCAA’s Advisory Group that is assisting with academic challenges that impact Limited Resource Institutions (LRI). The formation of this advisory group represents a collaborative and proactive effort between HBCU institutions and the NCAA to serve as a conduit to communicate issues and concerns that may impact LRIs collectively within the Academic Performance Program (APP).
Specifically, this group serves in an advisory capacity to the Committee on Academic Performance (CAP) on policy-related issues. The rationale for the formation of this group is based on an in-depth examination of APR trends indicating that a higher proportion of Historically Black Colleges and universities (HBCU) and other LRI teams are subject to APP penalties.
Rudley has been leading the charge to get the attention of NCAA to let them know that “one size doesn’t fit all,” as it relates to resources, infractions, sanctions, etc. Rudley is pleased to have the opportunity to lead and work with this group.
“The goal of increasing the graduation and completion rates for student athletes is strongly supported by every college president. The issue is how quickly can institutions with limited resources, such as the HBCUs, add the infrastructure critical to making the improvements in Academic Performance Rate (APR),“ said Rudley.
To date, the advisory group has provided recommendations to the CAP based on concerns that limited-resource institutions are at a disadvantage due to the amount of resources available to make academic changes to increase the APR. The transition recommendation allows limited-resource institutions – teams in the bottom 15 percent of all Division I member institutions in resources – more time to make meaningful change for academically underperforming teams. The LRI would have until 2016 to implement the APR minimum score of 930. This is an additional two years longer than the original NCAA proposal. The other recommendations support the ongoing APR improvement of limited-resource institutions and facilitate working towards meeting the established benchmark of a score of 930 for all teams.
In collaborative meetings with chancellors and presidents from Historically Black Colleges, several additional issues are under discussion, including an update on the proposed changes to the APP penalty structure, discussion regarding the funding and use of the NCAA Division I Academic Performance Program Supplemental Support Funds, and the creation of an advisory group to the Committee on Academic Performance, that will be composed of chancellors, presidents, faculty athletics representatives and others.
TSU’s current APR:
- 15 of 16 athletic teams at TSU will have scores that exceed 930 highlighted by 7 teams that will have scores in excess of 950, with 8 sports over 970.
- Since the 2008-09 academic year, Texas Southern University has gradually seen scores for 15 of its sponsored sports improve significantly. Overall for the 2011-2012 academic year, the program has a combined APR score of 967.
