University of Tennessee Athletics
UTAD Posts All-Time Best Graduation Success Rate
November 04, 2015 | General
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The University of Tennessee department of athletics announced on Wednesday a graduation success rate (GSR) of 80 percent for student-athletes who entered the university from 2005-06 through 2008-09, the highest ever GSR for UT Athletics. The 80 percent rate also marks a two percent increase over the last cohort's rate of 78 percent (for student-athletes who entered from 2004-05 through 2007-08).
The GSR allows institutions to add scholarship transfers that fit into their respective freshman cohorts and remove those students that choose to leave and are academically eligible according to NCAA Progress-Toward-Degree Requirements.
UT also had an 85 percent single-year GSR, good for the second-highest mark in school history behind only last year's 87 percent.
Four Tennessee teams posted a multi-year GSR of 100 (men's tennis, rowing, women's golf and volleyball) and all four tied for the conference lead with their perfect 100 GSR rates. Of the 16 UT programs, 11 either increased or equaled their previous graduation success rates.
"These numbers reflect our commitment to academic excellence in all our sports," said Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Dave Hart. "We continue to see record levels of success and that's a credit to our student-athletes, coaches, and staff. We have made significant strides over the last four years in terms of graduation success rate among our athletes and we expect that number to continually improve in the future."
Nine Tennessee teams (men's golf, men's swimming, men's tennis, rowing, women's golf, soccer, women's swimming, women's tennis and volleyball) had perfect 100 percent single-year GSRs.
The eleven teams that improved or equaled their rates from the previous cohort are baseball (48% to 65%), men's basketball (70% to 73%), men's swimming (81% to 83%), men's tennis (83% to 100%), men's track & field (84% to 94%), women's golf (83% to 100%), soccer (80% to 89%), women's swimming (94% to 95%), women's tennis (stayed at 88%), women's volleyball (stayed at 100%) and rowing (stayed at 100%).
Additionally, nine teams set or matched their highest multi-year GSR in program history. Those teams include baseball, men's basketball, men's swimming and diving, men's tennis, men's track and field, rowing, women's golf, women's swimming and diving and volleyball.
"I am so proud of the energy and passion our student-athletes have put into their academic experience," Senior Associate Athletics Director & Assistant Provost Dr. Joe Scogin said. "The growth in these numbers continue to display the quality of our young men and women. The holistic development of our student-athletes is one of our main priorities and I commend our coaches and staff for their commitment and emphasis on developing incredible individuals that will have success well beyond their days at UT."
A key focus for the University of Tennessee athletic programs is to graduate student-athletes and prepare them for real-world experiences. In 2001, the University of Tennessee opened the Thornton Athletics Student Life Center to provide student-athletes with superior academic support programs and personal and career development assistance.
