Commodores first, Vols last in grad rates - SEC Blog - ESPN Good to see that LSU is putting the STUDENT back into STUDENT athlete. Chart: College Athletes' Graduation-Success Rates: Highest and Lowest - Athletics - The Chronicle of Higher Education Look who is at the bottom... Southern-BR. NCAA football grad rates at all-time high, but top schools falter - USATODAY.com THe third worst in the FBS is Louisiana-Monroe. (And UNO for non-football major conferences).
Everyone in the conference is above 50%. You couldn't say that ten years ago, when Arkansas and Tennessee had four-year graduation rates in the single digits (I kid you not!) That was just embarrassing. Kinda surprised to see UGA 2nd in the conference with all the thug trouble that has been going on there recently. Not surprised to see Alabama climbing the list; Saban has always emphasized players succeeding off-the-field as well and he played a big role in turning around academic achievement by athletes at LSU when he was here. Miss. State is a big surprise too, they were really low too about a decade ago as well (because Jackie Sherrill brought in a bunch of JUCOs and partial qualifiers and didn't give one rip about whether they went to class or not) While it's good that Miles has not allowed our academic ratings to drop off, I was hoping for continued improvement. Back in 03-04, we were #2 in the SEC in grad rates, behind Vanderbilt. Our rates have not changed very much, but other schools have caught up with us. Arkansas and Tennessee much improved, but still bringing up the rear. I have a feeling Dooley will change that at UT. For those of you who don't think this matters, it does, especially in recruiting. Momma ain't gonna be real enthused about entrusting her baby boy to a school where one out of every two recruits entering the football program plays four, five, sometimes six years, exhausts his eligibility, and has nothing to show for it when it's all said and done. Yeah, the kids have a responsiblity to put in the work and live up to their end of the bargain, but it helps to have coaches who make it a priority of the program and who lay out incentives for high academic achievement and consequences for poor performance and not taking care of business, plus give these kids the resources they need to succeed (tutoring, scheduling help, setting aside time for studying and career planning). Not every kid will make it to the NFL, so they need to be working on their back-up plan while they are in school and taking advantage of the free-ride tuition.
I look at SUBR and ULM and I just see a failed system. Louisiana has far too many 4 year schools. It spreads the funding thin. Schools like Southern and Grambling are vestiges of a long dead secregated system. Those schools need to be disolved. Schools like Nicholls, McNeese, ULM, and Northwestern need to be relegated to JUCO status. LSU, ULL, LT, and UNO should be the only 4 year universities (excluding those that are specialized post-graduate schools, like law or medical).
Good point. Our state isn't really populated enough for all those schools. Definitely agreed on the SUBR point, as well. Can't figure out, for the life of me, why any race would intentionally segregate themselves on the basis of ethnicity for the purpose of education. Seems to counter decades of effort and strife.
Well.. when a group is segregated, they make they are given their own... even if its inferior, sometimes they get attached to it.
Ha! Good luck with that. If you want to have the NAACP, Congressional Black Caucus, Jesse, Al, and the entire racial grievance industry descending on the state to show how racist and backward we are, be my guest. As far as school closures and consolidations go, you're preaching to the choir here. Again, will never happen. No state congress-critter is going to be the one to commit political suicide by writing a bill to defund or eliminate a school in his district, in addition to all the local jobs and businesses depending on that school. It's a political impossibility.
Wouldn't that decision fall to the executive branch? The legislature provides the funding, but the executive handles the administration of schools.
Home owner #1 = He was left a sizeable inheritance and put it all into a nice lot and house on Louisiana Street. Over the years, he's manicured the lawn religiously. As his income from his honest job, he upgrades the exterior and interior when he can afford it. He shows his friends pictures of his home with pride with each project completed. He beams with pride everytime he has a social function. His house is truely a home. Home owner #2 = He was left a plot of land just down the street from HO #1. The lot stays vacant for a while until he has enough to start building. Construction goes slow, really slow, but eventially he has a modest house that accomodates him and his family. He'd love to make improvements, but work is slow and he makes just enough to be comfortable. None the less, he's proud of his home and occasionaly has gatherings. His house too, is truely a home. Maybe you get the point, maybe you don't. Just food for thought.
