Fiu Loses Scholarships - Poor Graduation Rate

MeanGreen61 · May 1, 2007

Posted on the Sun Belt board by Space Raider

Golden Panthers await word on future losses

Substandard graduation rates by FIU student-athletes could result in the forfeiture of 12 scholarships when an NCAA report is released Wednesday.

BY PETE PELEGRIN

ppelegrin@MiamiHerald.com

Al Diaz / Miami Herald Staff

'We've made it a point to be proactive in addressing all issues with a detailed and organized plan as we move forward in positioning FIU as a major university,'' said FIU Athletic Director Pete Garcia, right, with football coach Mario Cristobal.The Florida International University athletic program is expected to lose 12 scholarships when the NCAA's Academic Progress Report for intercollegiate athletics programs comes out Wednesday, according to athletic director Pete Garcia.

The FIU football program will forfeit nine scholarships. The men's basketball program will lose two and the baseball program will lose one. The penalties expected to be levied against FIU are because of substandard graduation rates of its student-athletes.

Expecting to face penalties from the NCAA, FIU already has absorbed the bulk of the scholarship sanctions for the APR.

The football program, which was below the 85-man roster size, surrendered six scholarships in January and will give up the final three in August or September. Men's basketball already gave up its two scholarships. Baseball also took its one scholarship loss.

''We've made it a point to be proactive in addressing all issues with a detailed and organized plan as we move forward in positioning FIU as a major university,'' Garcia said.

Garcia, who was hired Oct. 10, led an internal investigation into FIU's athletics systems and processes earlier this year.

After a review of its athletic academic procedures, FIU restructured its athletics compliance area and changed its reporting so that it falls directly under the purview of the university's general counsel. FIU also made staffing changes to several of its programs.

Already with the experience of dealing with compliance issues, Garcia -- who encountered compliance issues while at the University of Miami in 1995 and helped organize a plan to revive the UM athletic program that lost 33 scholarships -- began planning to fix FIU's compliance issues earlier this year.

Unlike the heavy scholarship losses at UM, the situation at FIU is not as severe. Regardless, the athletic department has taken several steps to improve the resources for FIU's student-athletes.

''We have the full backing from the president, Board of Trustees and the entire administration to provide the proper resources to lay a solid foundation to not only be successful on the field but in the classroom,'' Garcia said.

``The current and future student-athletes will be the ones that will benefit from this solid foundation.''

Among some of the changes FIU already has made for not only the student-athletes, but for the entire student body: Program Grad Xpress, a student degree audit program that allows the student and academic advisor to be up to date on the student's classes and major requirements.

Starting July 30, through multiterm registration, each student will be able to register for two terms at once, allowing for better planning to fulfill degree requirements.

For FIU athletics, the academic support program has been enhanced and strengthened with more tutors, advisors, study rooms, computers and learning specialists. The same is being done with the compliance department.

Garcia said he is expecting to hire an Academic Program Report specialist to help the university concentrate on degree requirements and degree fulfillments.

Garcia also added the university has created more opportunities for student-athletes to attend summer school.