UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE ANNOUNCES 2012-13 ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATES

Four Tennessee Programs Receive APR Public Recognition Awards

The University of Tennessee announced Academic Progress Rates (APR) for its athletics teams on Wednesday, including four programs that received APR Public Recognition Awards for recording a multi-year APR landing in the top 10 percent of their respective sport nationally: women’s cross country, rowing, softball, and women’s tennis, with all four earning a 1000 APR for the 2012-13 academic year.

Tennessee ranks second in the SEC with four sports receiving APR Public Recognition Awards, trailing only Vanderbilt (6) in the league. A total of six Tennessee sports posted a single-year APR of 1000 for 2012-13, including the four cited for Public Recognition Awards listed above, as well as men’s golf and men’s tennis. Four UT sports (softball, women’s cross country, women’s tennis, and rowing) led their respective sports in APR this year, tied for the third-most by an SEC school for 2012-13.

A total of 14 of the 20 Tennessee programs improved or maintained their APR scores from the 2011-12 academic year, with football (from 909 to 962) and soccer (from 938 to 981) making the largest leaps forward. Other programs improving at least 20 APR points include baseball (from 935 to 956), men’s basketball (from 960 to 980), women’s cross country (from 960 to 1000), and men’s swimming and diving (from 943 to 982).

“I am extremely proud of the academic achievements of our student-athletes,” said Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek. “Success in the classroom will serve them well throughout their lives.”

The Academic Progress Rate, now in its 10th year, measures the eligibility and retention of scholarship student-athletes competing on every Division I athletics team, measuring progress toward degree while also serving as a predictor of graduation success. The most recent APR scores are based on a multi-year rate that averages scores from the most recent four-year period, encompassing the 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, and 2012-13 academic years.

“Our student-athletes at the University of Tennessee continue to achieve at a high level in the classroom,” said Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Dave Hart. “The priority placed on academic excellence continues to pay dividends across all of our programs. Additionally, the improvements in our structure combined with the academic performance of our student-athletes have our football team’s APR score strongly positioned for the future.”

Additionally, the Tennessee football team increased its single-year APR score to 962 in 2012-13, the highest APR mark in the history of the program and a significant improvement from the 909 posted in 2011-12. This allowed the multi-year APR for football to rise from a 924 to a 932, allowing the program to avoid penalties for failing to meet the minimum multi-year APR standard of 930.

While student-athlete GPAs for the spring semester are not yet finalized, based on the expected level of academic performance for 2013-14, next year’s multi-year football APR is expected to be even higher, meaning Tennessee football will be well above the 930 multi-year APR minimum in next year’s APR announcement.

“As I’ve said many times since learning about our recent APR performance, the academic turnaround for our team in 2012-13 and our entire football program is among the greatest victories in the history of Tennessee football,” said head football coach Butch Jones. “Our academic successes are a direct result of the hard work and commitment by our players and our coaching staff, along with improvements within our entire academic structure, led by Dr. Joe Scogin and his outstanding Thornton Center staff.

“We look forward to continued success in the future because of the combination of our academic resources and structure, the priority we place on academic achievement, and our team’s commitment to excellence in the classroom.”

Tennessee’s 2012-13 and multi-year APR scores are listed below:

The Thornton Athletics Student Life Center, led by Dr. Joe Scogin, was created to provide student-athletes with academic support programs and assist with both personal and career development. A comprehensive evaluation of Thornton Center operations upon Dr. Scogin’s arrival has provided for greater effectiveness and a stronger impact on the academic success of all student-athletes. Additionally, a new comprehensive departmental class attendance policy created and implemented in the Fall 2012 semester was in its second year in effect. The academic progress towards degree requirements require a student-athlete to complete various percentages toward degree completion, specific grade-point averages, and other requirements to remain eligible to compete. Assisting student-athletes in meeting these requirements is a critical function of the Thornton Center, as is calculating and forecasting APR scores. The University also encourages former student-athletes who left in good standing to return to school to achieve their degree. The SouthEast Bank Renewing Academic Commitment (RAC) Program works with former student-athletes by assisting them with advice on degree requirements remaining, course scheduling, tutoring, employment and internship opportunities offered through the Career Development and Life Skills department, and use of the Thornton Center for their everyday needs. Four former student-athletes graduated as a result of this program after the Spring 2014 semester, including football’s Jeremaine Copeland, Dwayne Goodrich, and Fred White and men’s golfer Rick Lamb.