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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2009
WWW.KANSAN.COM
PASSING GRADES
Athletics meets benchmark
Every Kansas sports team met the NCAA Academic Progress Rate required to avoid penalties
BY ADAM SAMSON asamson@kansan.com
For the first time in Kansas history, every sports team was above the NCAAS requisite 925 Academic Progress Rate score. Kansas released the numbers to local media Wednesday morning.
The APR measures the standards for academic performance of athletics teams based on the eligibility of athletes, retention of athletes and the graduation rates
of each student athlete on scholarship. The NCAA began releasing APRS five years ago.
Associate Athletics Director Paul Buskirk said 925 was the "magic number" for teams to achieve so they would not be subject to penalties or NCAA supervision.
An APR of 925 projects an NCAA Graduation Success Rate of 60 percent.
Three years ago, football, baseball and women's basketball all earned sub-925 APRs. As a result,
football lost two scholarships and baseball lost partial scholarships.
The APR allows for exceptions if student athletes leave for a legitimate reason such as a transition to professional sports and medical or financial hardships, but only if they would have been academically eligible had they returned for another year.
Kansas released its data before the NCAA released the data for all Division I teams. The NCAA should release its data in the next
few weeks.
"it's better to be in control of your own release date," Jim Marchiony, associate athletics director, said. "It's our effort to educate the general public and media ahead of time."
Below are the multi-year Academic Progress Rates (APR) for each of Kansas' athletic teams. The arrows indicate whether the multi-year rates improved from last year's rates.
— Edited by Andrew Wiebe
Men's Basketball
1000↑
VOLUME 120 ISSUE 137
1000
Women's Soccer
979↑
Women's Cross Country
Women's Softball
988↓
973↑
973↑
Women's Swimming
Women's Indoor Track
Women's Rowing
972↑
971
Women's Outdoor Track
969↑
Women's Golf
968↓
Women's Basketball
966↑
Baseball 960↑
Women's Volleyball
959↓
957↓
Women's Tennis
943↓
Men's Outdoor Track
948↓
Men's Indoor Track
Football
941↑
ATHLETICS
Perkins eligible for extra $750k
BY ADAM SAMSON asamson@kansan.com
Lew Perkins will be eligible for a $2.05 million retention payment from Kansas Athletics Inc. on June 30, $750,000 more than his contract originally called for.
In an effort to keep Perkins at the University, Chancellor Robert Hemenway instituted a payment agreement with Perkins when he was hired in 2003. The original agreement called for a $1.3 million payment if Perkins stayed with the University through June 2009, a period of six years. But after Perkins rejected a job offer from an unnamed university in 2006, the agreement was amended to add $750,000 to make the retention payment $2.05 million.
University spokeswoman Lynn Bretz said the $2.05 million payment would come from Athletics Department funds and would be payable to Perkins in August.
Associate athletics director Jim Marchiony said Kansas Athletics Inc. had a revenue of roughly $52 million in 2008,
which came from sources such as the NCAA,the Big 12 Conference, sponsorships and television contracts.
Hemenway said that in 2004 when Perkins was hired, they drafted two contracts, one outlining his annual salary and the other for contingent compensation if he stayed for six years with the University.
Bretz said the retention payment agreement was a document in which universities and coaches mutually agreed to seek the best interests of the university and the athletics department.
"Retention bonuses are fairly normal in the sports world with prominent coaches and athletics directors," Bretz said.
Marchiony said he thought there was interest in Perkins' retention payment because it was so close to the payout date.
All state records show that the payment of the bonus would come from Kansas Athletics Inc. funds and not through state funds.
Edited by Andrew Wiebe
STUDENT SENATE
United Students to file an appeal
were also members of her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega. The offense is classified as "egregious" in the elections code
BY BRIANNE PFANNENSTIEL
bpfannenstiel@kansan.com
The hearing board found United Students vice presidential candidate May Davis, Clay Center junior, guilty of improper contact with members of the elections commission who
and prohibits the convicted offender from holding any appointed or elected position within Senate for the next 12 months. The appeal calls for a reconsideration of that decision.
United Students said it planned to file an appeal with the University Judicial Board today to contest a decision made by the Student Senate elections commission hearing board Tuesday.
Brian Hardouin, Denver second-year law student, who pre-
SEE DAVIS ON PAGE 3A
AWARD
Kansas wins Hearst prize
BY KAYLA REGAN
kregan@kansan.com
Doug Ward, assistant professor of journalism, said the award was reflective of the students and the teachers in the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications.
The University of Kansas won first place in the Hearst Journalism Awards Program 2008-2009 Intercollegiate Writing Competition.
"It fits with the tradition of the school," Ward said. "Strong writing, strong reporting and strong editing."
Ward said the award was a tribute to Ted Frederickson, former newspaper reporting professor.
Matt Erickson, Olathe senior and repeat Hearst winner, said Frederickson was a central part to winning the award.
"He's really great at working with people," Erickson said. "I definitely couldn't have done my stories at that level without his help."
"It shows that the School of Journalism is a top-notch institution and The Kansan is a top-notch student newspaper," Erickson said.
index
Erickson said he was proud and humbled to receive the award.
SEE HEARST ON PAGE 3A
Classifieds...5B Opinion...7A
Crossword...6A Sports...1B
Horoscopes...6A Sudoku...6A
All contents, unless stated otherwise; © 2009 The University Daily Kansan
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NO MORE DEATHS: A PHOTO ESSAY
Kansan photographer Jon Goering followed six KU students on their Alternative Spring Break trip to the U.S./Mexico border. 14A
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