Strategic Action Group Committee on Athletic Competitiveness
An invitation for input
Please review the following report and offer your input before April 22, 2009.
This report presents proposed "Aims" and "Actions" for possible implementation at the University of Houston. These are intended to assist UH to achieve this goal:
You are invited to review this report and offer recommendations, comments, and suggestions to the Committee at: uhstrategicgoal4@gmail.com
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DRAFT, as of March 30, 2009
The role of athletics in higher education continues to be a matter of national debate. Yet just as we see nothing inherently inconsistent in having great teaching and great research within the same university, we see nothing inherently inconsistent in having competitive athletic success along with competitive teaching and research success. Indeed, virtually all top research universities have outstanding athletic programs, with Stanford consistently winning the annual award for the most comprehensively successful athletic program.
The key is to be intentional about that success and to recognize that a student-athlete’s academic success is critically important to the institution, the student, and the reputation of intercollegiate athletics. Therefore, two of our Aims have to do with academic success and just one with athletic competitiveness.
Some have likened athletics to the front porch of a house. The public will often see a university first through its athletic program in a way they might not otherwise see the university. If you drive by a house and see a front porch in disarray, you are likely to conclude the rest of the house must not be in good shape. On the other hand, if the front porch is well-kept, the rest of the house is presumed to be of good quality. When done right, athletics can give people across the country a positive image of the whole university.
We have had in our history periods of disarray. For example, between the late 1980s and the mid 1990s much of the athletics’ publicity was for rules violations, poor team performances in the won-lost columns, and a student-athlete graduation rate that was as low as 24%. Much has changed since 1996. The front porch looks much better, with graduation rates reaching an all-time high of 59% in 2008 and with UH having won more conference championships since becoming a member of Conference USA than any other member. We now seek to have the best porch (and house) in the neighborhood (Conference USA) and one of the best in the nation.
Action Step D.1.(i). Utilize a student-athlete’s high school grade point average (GPA) as primary indicator of academic risk and limit the proportion of student-athletes who are at academic risk.
A detailed analysis of student-athlete academic success confirmed that high school GPA was the single best indicator. Those student-athletes with a GPA of 3.0 or better tend to be more academically successful (59% graduate, 37% leave eligible, and 4% leave on probation) than those with GPAs below 3.0 (28% graduate, 38% leave eligible, 34% leave on probation). Those with GPAs below 2.5 are very much at academic risk (11% graduate, 41% leave eligible, and 48% leave on probation). Given the consistency of this predictor over several cohorts of students, UH should recruit a high proportion of students who have good high school GPAs. Student-athletes with GPAs of between 2.75-3.0 should require individual review for admission and those with GPAs below 2.75 should undergo even more rigorous review for indicators that these students can succeed academically.
The metrics could include expecting each sport team to recruit 75% or more of its student-athletes with GPAs of 3.0 or better, based on a rolling three-year benchmark.
Action Step D.1.(ii). Increase the Academic Progress Rate (APR) to at or above the national average for each sport for Division 1A public institutions.
Instituted in 2005 by the NCAA, the APR measures the success or failure of collegiate athletic teams in moving student-athletes towards graduation. Collegiate sports teams that fail to achieve an average APR of 925 (out of 100), which essentially equates to a 50% graduation rate, over four years may be penalized by the loss of scholarships. Of UH’s 16 sports teams, only 2 (men’s basketball and men’s cross-country) do not currently meet the 925 threshold. However, 11 of the 16 teams are under the national averages. While Action Steps such as D.1.i. may help respond to this challenge, the Director of Athletics and respective coaches will need to take targeted steps to reach the national averages in all sports.
The metrics could include all teams at or above both the NCAA minimum APR and the national averages.
Action Step D.1.(iii). Strengthen academic preparation, academic advising and academic support to ensure that all scholarship student-athletes maintain good academic standing.
Student-athletes have substantial demands on their time and need to receive outstanding academic advising and academic support. The better academically-prepared a student-athlete is (See D.1.i.), the better chance that student has of being in good academic standing. Currently, 92% of UH’s student-athletes are in good academic standing, with 14% actually on the Dean’s List. Of the remainder, 3% are on academic warning, 4% are on probation, and 1% have been suspended. Three teams (men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and women’s tennis) have all their student-athletes in good standing and may have “best practices” that can be shared with other coaches.
The metrics could include 100% of student-athletes being in good academic standing.
Action Step D.1.(iv). Encourage and support student-athletes to compete successfully for NCAA and Conference USA Postgraduate Scholarships.
UH would be doing its student-athletes a significant service by helping them apply for postgraduate scholarships. A high rate of success would not only serve the students well, but it also could be a significant factor in the recruitment of student-athletes.
The metrics could include a targeted percentage of student-athletes receiving postgraduate scholarships annually.
Action Step D.2.(1). Assess readiness to receive the award and address any deficiencies.
The CHAMPS/LifeSkills Program of Excellence was created to support student-athlete development initiatives, with the acronym standing for “Challenging Athletes’ Minds for Personal Success”. It has five categories and UH will need to assess our readiness in each of them: academic excellence, athletic excellence, career development, personal development, and community service. We will then need to take appropriate actions to respond to any deficiencies identified. For example, recent winners have all had a full-time CHAMPS/LifeSkills staff person and a CHAMPS webpage. A majority have also had: a student-athlete development course; a full-time career counselor on the athletics’ staff; and a full-time learning specialist on the athletics’ staff. UH currently has none of these elements. Previous winners have included some of the elite institutions, both academically and athletically, from the major conferences; however, no Program of Excellence winner has come from Conference USA. While the recognition would be of benefit to UH’s reputation, the greatest beneficiaries would be the student-athletes because of additional services.
The metrics could include being the first Conference USA winner of the award.
Action Step D.2.(ii). Plan community service activities that will bring recognition to the athletic program and will benefit both the community and student-athlete volunteers.
As a lifetime award, the CHAMPS/LifeSkills Program of Excellence will bring significant recognition for UH; however, it will largely be a one-time recognition. Therefore, we should plan consistent community service involvement by each sport’s team. This plan should be developed in collaboration with the UH Community Advancement Network (See C.1.i.).
The metrics could include coverage of each event by at least two television stations and the Houston Chronicle. Other assessments could be conducted by the Community Advancement Network.
Action Step D.3.(i). Attract and retain outstanding coaches and staff by offering competitive compensation packages.
The competitive success of UH sports’ teams has been uneven over the last decade, with men and women’s track and field being the most consistent winners. Our baseball and softball teams are also strong in the conference. It should be our goal that all teams have winning records, post-season competition, and be at the high end in the conference standings. Coaches and staff not only coach, but they also recruit. Those who are consistently meeting our goals need to be retained and rewarded appropriately.
The metrics could include team records, team conference standings, and team post-season records.
Action Step D.3.(ii). Strengthen statewide recruitment of student-athletes and measure the results.
Texas is a fertile state for quality student-athletes, and we must compete with both Texas and out-of-state institutions for them. We must continue and even expand our relationships with high school coaches, club coaches, and high school guidance counselors to assist in the recruiting process. At the end of the day, the success of our teams athletically and the success of our students academically will significantly impact our ability to recruit. The Department of Athletics should collect and analyze recruitment data for each team to assess the effectiveness of recruiting the right student-athletes for UH.
The metrics could include the number of contacts made, the quality of the recruits who choose UH, and their athletic and academic outcomes.
Action Step D.3.(iii). Conduct a systematic annual review of each sport program to measure athletic and academic success.
Consistent annual reviews should include both the athletic competitive expectations for each program and the academic expectations for each program’s student-athletes. The goal of athletic competitiveness is for consistent success across all teams. This can be measured through the standings of the U.S. Sports Academy Director’s Cup, which is an all sports award for performance in up to 10 male and 10 female sports. Stanford has won the Cup for the last 14 years, with the only other winner being the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Since 1996, UH has consistently been among the top twenty non-BCS public institutions in Director’s Cup points, ranking 92nd overall in 2007-08.
The metrics could include continuous improvement in UH’s standing in the Director’s Cup or a targeted ranking.