Athletic director admits a need for improvement, but says the reported 42-percent graduation rate doesn’t tell the whole story.
By Kyle Jorrey
Sports Editor
When the Los Angeles Times printed the 2003 NCAA graduation rates for local universities, many were surprised to find Pepperdine, with its strong academic reputation, sitting near the bottom of the pack.
The NCAA’s annual study found that of all freshman student-athletes who entered the university in the fall of the 1996-1997 school year and received athletic scholarships, only 42 percent went on to graduate from Pepperdine within the next six years. The figure is dead last among WCC schools.
Though the results seem shocking at first glance, the data behind the study reveals that while there is much room for improvement, things are not as bad as the numbers make them seem.
Athletic Director John Watson began by pointing out one common misconception about the study – the exact number of student-athletes who are actually figured in the findings.
“One of the issues associated with this is we’re talking a small cohort,” Watson said. “We’re talking about 19 people, and that’s what the percentage is based upon.”
According to Associate Athletic Director Roxanne Levenson, the number of students examined in the annual study is often small compared to other schools because the university has only a limited number of scholarships to award. At schools such as Duke and Stanford, who have typically higher graduation rates, the pool of athletes figured in the study is much larger because they have many more athletes receiving financial aid.
“We have 230, 240 athletes, and we have 95 scholarships,” Watson explained. “That means two-thirds of our athletes are paying for school by themselves … I’m confident that if we had all the scholarships our sports were entitled to our graduation rate would be significantly higher.”
Watson and Levenson also noted the uncontrollable factors that can result in a decreased graduation rate, including those students who transfer and graduate elsewhere and those who are forced to leave the school for personal or financial reasons.
According to the athletic director, of the 11 (out of 19) athletes who did not graduate, only four cited actual academic reasons. The others, according to Watson, left on their own accord and in good academic standing.
Levenson noted that in the same graduating class, of the athletes who spent all four years at Pepperdine, 89 percent actually did graduate.
Watson also named another possible culprit behind Pepperdine’s staggeringly low graduation rates – athletic success.
“We are able to recruit and attract the people who want to compete at the highest level,” Watson said. “And our teams are successful. But if you’re on a team that’s very successful and you’re not playing very much and you’re that good, you may transfer so you can have a better opportunity.”
And while the pull to jump into professional sports did not have any bearing on these most recent graduation figures, they too can hurt the university’s rate. Watson noted the 2001 baseball draft that saw the selection of nine Pepperdine athletes before their scheduled graduations.
“That may kill our graduate rate, but if you look closer, of nine of those guys drafted five of those guys played in the major leagues just last week,” he said. “Our advice is go, fulfill your dreams and then come back as best you can, as soon as you can, and get that degree,” Watson continued. And many do, but it’s outside that six year period, so we don’t get credit for it.”
But regardless of whether the NCAA’s study reflects the true situation at Pepperdine, Watson is quick to admit that 42 percent is still unacceptable, and steps have to be taken to improve.
Shortly after the NCAA’s report, Watson met with President Benton to discuss the findings and start looking for a solution to a problem that, because of its widespread publication, has cast a shadow over Pepperdine’s reputation for educating its athletes.
After that meeting, Benton appointed a faculty committee to look externally at this issue during the next six months and hopefully arrive with a plan of attack.
“He is not satisfied with our graduation rates, nor are we,” Watson said. “That’s why he’s appointed this committee … because we need to come up with a plan the faculty can endorse and can contribute to. And we might not see the affects for six years, but let’s get started and let’s get it going because this is not acceptable.”
Watson said coaches themselves could also aid the process by recruiting athletes “who will find academic success.”
During the next year, the NCAA is planning to introduce a new, more up-to-the-minute measurement to go along with its graduation rate report.
“It’s an annual academic progress rate, which will measure real time academic progress,” Levenson said. “That will be good for our university.”
Nonetheless, Watson said the athletic department and Pepperdine will not cease in its efforts to get its student-athlete graduation rate right up with the rest of Waves.
“This (graduation rate report) is important because it creates this kind of dialogue: why didn’t we graduate all 19,” Watson said. “Because the ultimate goal of the NCAA, as well as Pepperdine, is too see all its athletes graduate. And that is what we’re shooting for.”
September 11, 2003
