Siena student athletes continue to outperform their Division I peers in the classroom by a wide margin. Using the most recent data released in the NCAA's Graduation Success Rate (GSR) report, student athletes who entered Siena as freshmen in 2007 graduated from college at a 92% clip, the eighth highest rate in the nation.
Siena has averaged a GSR of 94.8% in the 10 NCAA reports since the rate was first released in 2005, ranking in the top-10 percent among Division I institutions rated over this time frame.
"It's a major departmental goal of ours to graduate student athletes at rates that rival any institution in the country,” director of athletics John D’Argenio said. “Over the last 10 years our student athletes have averaged a Graduation Success Rate of nearly 95%. That's a credit to the effort our coaches put into recruiting the right students, working hand-in-hand with our admissions officers to ensure graduation is a top priority. It also speaks to the quality of our support services and their commitment to seeing through this mission."
The NCAA also reported Graduation Success Rate by conference. Siena's Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) ranked second of 31 Division I conferences in overall Graduation Success Rate using the most recent information released. Siena's 92% GSR trailed only Fairfield (96%) among the 11 current league members.
“I am pleased to see that the Graduation Success Rates for Siena’s student athletes are consistently high and among the nation’s best,” said Siena College Interim President Br. F. Edward Coughlin, O.F.M., Ph.D. “The GSR reflects very well the College’s commitment to student athlete success both in the classroom and in their respective sports. While the College aspires to increase its student athlete Graduation Success Rate every year, our performance is very positive and encouraging. It speaks to the commitment and character of Siena’s student athletes and the support they receive from their coaches, teammates, professors and administrators. Through Siena’s high-impact learning practices and tight-knit community, our student athletes are receiving the education of a lifetime, which gives them a competitive edge for life beyond the field of play.”
Tuesday’s report gives graduation information for students and student athletes who entered college in 2007, the most recent class for which the required six years of information is available. It also breaks down the GSR by sport, using a four-year class average (2004-2007) called a cohort rate to provide a big enough sample.
Eleven of Siena's Division I sports posted perfect 100% cohort GSRs, and 15 of the 18 out-performed the cohort national average. Siena sports that achieved perfect cohort GSRs were: men's cross country, men's tennis, women's cross country, field hockey, women's golf, women's soccer, softball, swimming and diving, women's tennis, volleyball and water polo.
“Siena College celebrates its rich athletic traditions and championship-caliber programs, but nothing makes this community as proud as seeing our student athletes succeed in the classroom and earn their degrees in the liberal arts, business or the sciences,” said Siena College vice president for academic affairs Linda Richardson, Ph.D. “Being among the nation’s leaders in Graduation Success Rate proves that Siena College student athletes have a winning combination of skills and a commitment to excellence that stretches beyond sports and into their academic pursuits. As a liberal arts college rooted in Catholic and Franciscan values, Siena strives to produce smart, skilled, dedicated and compassionate students who will achieve career success and lead fulfilling, impactful lives.”
Siena's men’s basketball program surpassed the cohort GSR national average by a large margin, boasting an 82% cohort GSR according to the report, 10 percentage points higher than the national average of 72%. The women's basketball program registered an 80% cohort GSR.
Men’s basketball in the MAAC improved its graduation success rate to 89% in the 2007 cohort, tying the sport for second amongst the 31 conferences.
The NCAA developed the GSR 10 years ago because the Federal Graduation Rate (FGR) does not credit institutions with student athletes who leave in good academic standing and go on to graduate, or transfers into the school who graduate.
Thursday's report also included the most recent FGR data. Using the cohort FGR rate, Siena student athletes checked in at 75%, one percentage point lower than the rate attained by Siena's general student population (76%), and 10 percentage points higher than the national student athlete average (65%). Siena’s 2007-08 FGR was 80%, equaling that of the general student body at the College and well above the national Division I rate of 66%.
The FGR is based on a comparison of the number of students who entered a college or university and the number of those who graduated within six years. For example, for every 100 Siena student athletes entering school from 2003-06, 75 graduate from Siena within six years.
Overall, the national GSR for 2007 was at 84%, two points up from the 2006 cohort, and the highest rate ever.
"I'd describe it as a happy but not content report," NCAA president Mark Emmert said. "We have some work to do and we know it, but the bottom line is the transitions from when we started this whole process, the Graduation Success Rate has now climbed 10% so 14,000 kids have graduated that under the old model wouldn't have graduated, and that's an impressive accomplishment."
