Re: APR Semesters Or Quarters

[richard l. kandell]

Jon - thanks for the information, but I'm still having trouble understanding
this whole process.  I guess you have to be a compliance officer or NCAA
official to really have a complete grasp of the situation.  It's really too
bad that things have to be this complex.  I'm not trying to excuse UC, what
is, is, and the reasons it came to pass are the reasons that it came to
pass, but I certainly wish it was a lot clearer.

Richard K.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jon Macomber" <address@hidden>
To: <address@hidden>
Sent: Wednesday, January 03, 2007 12:10 AM
Subject: Re: [UC Basketball] APR Semesters Or Quarters


> That is true - the APR only asks if you are in good standing or not.  But
the quarter system makes it more difficult to stay in good standing - and
that is part of UC's problem.
> In order to participate in pro camps/try-outs, many players leave after
the season is over.  If UC was on semesters, they would be in the home
stretch of the academic year, instead of having to come back for another
whole quarter - so many just skip it and end up a few credit hours short of
graduation.
> If UC was on the semester system White and Jihad probably would have
stayed eligible last year for the rest of the NIT.
> And I suspect many of the non-graduates of previous years who were 1 or 2
classes short would have been able to finish up and save everyone a lot of
grief.  Not the only reason for a poor graduation rates, but probably the
single biggest factor.  Athletic programs are geared to make sure players
stay eligible and make the classes they need.  Duke had some attention for
the way they were shuttling players through a 3-year graduation schedule.
UC did something similar with Field Williams, Leonard Stokes, and another
player or two. But they almost had to do that when you consider fewer
classes during the season, and often no final spring quarter at all.
> And I'm not suggesting the players get a free pass just for taking classes
and it's all a product of scheduling.  It just makes sense to load up
classes over the summer so players can take fewer classes during the season.
It's up to the players to do the work and earn the grades.  But the "system"
shouldn't have good players make difficult decisions regarding professional
employment.  It has a tendency to become a numbers game, and the best thing
for the kids often become secondary.  Which is a shame.
> I don't know the answer to this though - If a player graduates after
Winter quarter (early March), can they still play in the post-season as some
type of "recent graduate"?  Or would their collegiate eligibility end right
away?  I can't think of an example or recent case.  If they can play - it
would behoove UC and the players to try and make winter quarter of senior
years the last (graduating) quarter.  More work for the players, and maybe
impossible for JUCOs, but it would be a win-win for everyone.
> And I'm not saying the quarter system coupled with the possibility of
early pro-camps explains away the past poor graduation rates.  There is more
to the equation, and most come down to the individual player and their
choices.  Some are only there for bball and when it's over they're gone - no
matter what.  That is wrong and must be addressed (like the current
scholarship sanctions).  There just has to be a better way to realistically
address this problem, and it is a problem.  Everyone wants them to graduate;
how can the school do what's best for a kid without being penalized?
> It's also worth mentioning that the quarter system also hurts football
attendance - UC often plays a third of their games before the first day of
classes.  No doubt this has been somewhat responsible for the traditionally
low student interest/awareness (a traditionally bad record doesn't help).
> As a student I as always liked the quarter system, but it wrecks havoc on
the athletic system - especially when most other schools are on semesters.
> So yes, the APR is just a number and doesn't necessarily discriminate
between semesters/quarters - but there are fundamental differences that put
schools with quarter systems like UC at a disadvantage - especially with
players good enough to play professionally.  No system is perfect, and UC
just has to learn to work within those guidelines.
> Jon
>
> (wow that was longer than I thought)
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <address@hidden>
> To: <address@hidden>
> Sent: Tuesday, January 02, 2007 11:09 PM
> Subject: [UC Basketball] APR Semesters Or Quarters
>
>
> > The APR score doesn't matter whether it's semesters or quarters.
> >
> > There are just 78 possible "points" with quarters and 52 "points" with
semesters.
> > The 925 APR translates to 72 points (out of 78) on a quarter system.
> >
> > The sidebar in the Enquirer article shows UC scored 223 points out of
266 (possible) over 3 years.
> > Tom Gray, UC fan since 1958