Section A · Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Tuesday, December 7, 1999
University wants to see more student-athletes graduating
Continued from page 1A
Athletes first, students second
In big-money sports,it's easy to lose sight of the educational goal because athletes can get lost in the money shuffle.
The machine that generates athletic scholarships is enormous, KUAC's budget last year was $22.4 million. A little more than $4.5 million of that was provided by the Williams Fund, which provides all scholarship money to 607 student-athletes.
They have six years — only five on scholarship — to graduate. The most recent figures are from the 1982-1983 freshman class, but the 1983-1994 class probably will jump back into the 50 percent range. Buskirk said.
Baseball and women's sports not including baketball and track had the highest graduation rate at 60 percent. Football at 31 percent, women's basketball, at 33 percent and a category called other men's sports, made of swimming, golf and tennis, at 27 percent, are the low points in KU's record. Both Frederick and Buskirk admit that those figures are unacceptable, but they complain that the NCAA tracks graduate and non-graduates unfairly.
"Our goal should be to graduate 75 percent of student-athletes. For that goal we have to look at it a different way than the NCAA report does," Frederick said.
He explained that some athletes don't return to school because of family or financial troubles. And some, like swimmer Seth Dunscomb, die or experience other traumatic circumstances while attending the University. The NCAA counts them as nongraduates.
"There's people who don't graduate, but the college experience helps them with whatever they do end up doing. Along the way, I just try to help them become a better person."
Marian Washington women's basketball coach
Some athletes do come back to school after that six-year period and graduate. Those athletes are ignored by the NCAA.
The football team — with a 31 percent graduation rate — would account for almost $1 million spent during a five-year period on non-graduating student athletes.
That's the most expensive no-degree figure among all Kansas sports.
Some problems stem from the players coaches recruit.
Katzman thinks that some of the athletes who are recruited may not be ready for college.
"Some of those students would be marginal students who probably cannot meet the quality of recruiting academically in the first place," he said.
Kansas coaches say they have tried to emphasize graduating players as well as winning. Football coach Terry Allen maintains his program has two goals — winning games and graduating players.
"We're the people ultimately responsible
Women's basketball coach Marian Washington wishes that more emphasis was given to what she has done overall in her 27 years as a coach, not just one year's graduation rates.
"We're going to do everything we can to make them successful. Not every kid who comes through here is a star, but they come out of here with a degree and that's important."
for that." Allen said.
"I don't think I've ever brought a young person to Kansas who didn't want a degree. But there's a lot of people who come out with a degree and don't do anything with that degree. There's people who don't graduate, but the college experience helps them with whatever they do end up doing. Along the way, I just try to help them become a better person."
rates projected, consistent with 1992-93 graduation rate and expenses
baseball men's basketball men's track football
1992 figures $36,365 N/A $32,836 $185,290
five-year figures $180,825 $124,280 $164,180 $985,189
men's other women's basketball women's track women's other
1992 figures $69,318 $32,151 $27,310 $144,536
five-year figures $346,593 $160,758 $136,552 $722,681
"That distorts what we're trying to do," she said.
"Would I rather have a 25-year reunion with 40 guys who made it to the Aloha Bowl, or 40 guys who graduate and are successful? I think that answer's clear," he said.
Allen said it was important that his players leave with degrees.
Leveling the playing field
Athletics officials say Kansas is among the nation's leaders in providing opportunities for athletes during and after their athletic careers.
Almost $1 million went to tutors last year, more computers are added each year to the Wagnon Student-Athlete Center and athletes have degree and career counseling services available everyday. They can receive help with resumes, interview preparation and building job skills that apply to both their major and other job opportunities.
"We know that many of the student-athletes who come through here are not going to make a living in their particular sport," Williams Fund director Scott McMichael said.
Kyle Ramsey / KANSAN
Student-athletes also receive summer and semester internships that could lead to jobs. And since most athletes can't attend the University's job fair, the athletic department offers one in December. About 90 athletes attend every year.
The athletic department also offers another semester of partial scholarships if an athlete is only a few courses away from earning a degree.
"If an athlete is a five-year competing athlete, we will maintain the commitment for them to earn a degree. It's very expensive, but it's the right thing to do," Buskirk said.
Kansas graduation rates units in percent
Only student athletes who enroll as freshmen, receive athletically related financial aid and who graduate from that institution within six years of initial enrollment are tracked. Student-athletes who transfer in good academic standing and graduate elsewhere count against their original institution as having not graduated.
years 1987-1992 male athletes female athletes all athletes student body
1992 38 55 43 54
1991 48 69 56 54
1990 51 64 56 56
1989 45 68 52 57
1988 54 79 64 58
1987 43 58 49 56
source: Student Support Services
source: NCAA
Kyle Ramsey / KANSAN
And, despite Katzman's victim theory, some athletes do use college for athletics advancement and nothing more.
"An argument would be that having someone experience collegiate life is a good thing, but common sense says that not everyone needs to go to college," Buskirk said.
Take Jamison for example. It's not that he has a bad job — he earns about $30,000 a year — but it's not a job that requires a $50,000 degree.
Success with and without a degree
Frederick is waiting for Jamison to come back because he's one of the athletes on which Frederick doesn't think scholarship money was wasted.
"I'm disappointed for him that he hasn't finished his degree, but I hope someday he will. I think Alonzo benefited greatly from the time he was here and in the student-services program," Frederick said.
The happiest ending that Busirk said he knew about was Tamecka Dixon, a point guard on the women's basketball team from 1983 to 1997. She finished playing basketball her senior year, but she was 20 credits short of graduating. That also was the first year the of the WNBA, and Dixon was drafted.
Normally, Buskirk would've pushed her to stay and finish her degree, but he, Washington and Dixon sat down, discussed it and decided that she should go — the opportunity was too great.
She promised them she would return to complete her degree, but that was something he'd heard before.
"Once you walk away from school, there's a real burning desire to stay away from tests and classes." Buskirk said.
"Well, she called me that August, and said she'd see me in two weeks. I didn't know if she would really come." Late August came around, she enrolled for 20 hours and completed her degree within the NCAA graduation window.
"It almost killed her, but she did it," Buskirk said.
"I love to see everyone come back and do that."
— Edited by Brad Hallier
— Designed by Matt James
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