Thirteen of 19 Syracuse University athletics teams recorded an Academic Progress Rate (APR) that rated higher than the national average in their respective sport. The Orange men’s and women’s cross country teams scored a perfect 1,000 and ranked in the top 10 percent nationally for the fourth year in a row. The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete. The APR includes eligibility, retention and graduation in the calculation and provides a clear picture of the academic culture in each sport. In addition to the cross country programs, SU’s football, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, women’s ice hockey, women’s rowing, women’s lacrosse and women’s volleyball are above the national APR average.
More than 57 percent of Syracuse’s student-athletes achieved at least a 3.0 grade point average during the Spring semester, including 197 who had a 3.4 or better and 24 student-athletes who earned a perfect 4.0 GPA. The grade point average of the 557 student-athletes during the Spring semester was 3.01.
“Our student-athletes continue to perform exceptionally in the classroom,” said Syracuse director of athletics Dr. Daryl Gross. “We are proud of their academic accomplishments and the continued success as far as graduating and performing at the highest level of NCAA competition. It's good to know we remain one of the top institutions in the country as far as academics and athletic performance combined.”
The men’s basketball program scored 912, below the necessary 925, for the first time in program history due to the early departure of several student-athletes.
“We have always been above the APR standard since it was implemented. We had three students leave school early to pursue professional basketball careers last spring and that is difficult to overcome,” said head coach Jim Boeheim. “In anticipation of this, we took the scholarship penalty during the 2009-10 school year. We anticipate being back above the APR standard when the next report is compiled.”
In May, 90 Syracuse student-athletes donned a cap and gown to put the exclamation point on their Orange career at the University's 156th Commencement in the Carrier Dome. The accomplished group featured 56 who posted a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better, including 34 who achieved a 3.4 or better. The women's rowing team graduated 12 student-athletes, while the football squad celebrated 11 who earned their degree. The group earned degrees in 39 different programs of study.