Statement on Admissions

[ponyfanman]

Have any of you guys seen this yet? Which players are they talking about?
MEMORANDUM
TO: SMU Mustang Club members
SMU Lettermen’s Association members
SMU Alumni Board
DATE: July 20, 2010
SUBJECT: Statement on the admissions process for prospective student
athletes at SMU
The denial of admission in late June to certain prospective student athletes for
the upcoming academic year has been the subject of much discussion among SMU
supporters. As a result, questions and concerns have been expressed regarding how
SMU’s athletics admissions process works and how it is communicated to prospective
student athletes (PSAs). The purpose of this statement is to address these issues.
All admissions standards at the University, including those of PSAs, are under
the authority and oversight of the faculty and the Provost as the chief academic officer.
Two years ago, the Athletics Department requested that certain changes be made to the
recruitment process for prospective student athletes. These requested changes were to
address admissions procedures that were perceived as putting SMU at a disadvantage in
the recruitment of student athletes relative to the recruitment procedures of other major
universities. Since the late 1980’s, SMU’s admissions process had provided that
prospective student athletes who did not meet regular athletics admissions requirements
of SMU (i.e., were special admissions cases) could not be signed to a National Letter of
Intent (NLI) until they had first been reviewed and deemed admissible to SMU by the
Faculty Athletics Admissions Subcommittee (FAAS). However, in 2008 an ad hoc
faculty committee appointed by the Provost approved the changes requested by the
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Athletics Department. As a result, prospective student athletes who have not yet been
deemed admissible by the FAAS can sign an NLI on the national signing date with the
understanding that the final decision by the FAAS on their admissibility would be made
at some later point, including after the end of the spring semester, if necessary. The
final admissions recommendations on PSAs remain with the FAAS. The Faculty
Senate and the Athletics Department both approved these changes, which were then
described by the Athletics Department as being “nationally competitive” with respect to
the admissions procedures of other major universities.
Therefore, under SMU’s current admissions process, a PSA who does not
qualify for admission under regular admissions standards goes through a two-stepprocess.
The PSA must first become an NCAA qualifier1, as determined by the NCAA,
and then be evaluated by the FAAS as admissible to SMU. Those meeting NCAA
minimal standards are not automatically admitted to SMU. However, in the recent past,
SMU’s FAAS has approved a number of students near or at NCAA minimums, when
careful review has shown that their academic records sufficiently indicate that they can
be reasonably expected to succeed academically at SMU.
Based upon past experience with athletics special admissions at SMU, there is a
record of minimal levels of reading ability and academic preparedness that are required
in order for students to achieve good academic standing in the first year of general
education courses and eventually to graduate. The faculty, administration, Board of
Trustees, and those in charge of the admissions of the University believe that it would
be exploitive and harmful to PSAs if they were to be admitted to SMU when their
academic records, as received from their high schools, are not what past experience
suggests would lead to academic success, notwithstanding their being an NCAA
qualifier. Students who fail and drop out of school after the first year have a very
difficult time getting back on track toward achieving a college degree. Our goal is not
1 The NCAA has defined minimum academic credentials for a student athlete to
have the status of an “NCAA qualifier” that reflect the wide range of academic
standards of member institutions. These are not the standards required for success at
most academically competitive private universities, but established a minimal base of
academic and performance required across the NCAA’s 120 universities in our
membership category.
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just to get PSAs admitted into SMU but to admit those who we believe will remain
academically eligible to participate in their sport and eventually to graduate.
This year, for the first time, there were a few prospective student athletes who
had not met NCAA minimum standards in order to be considered for admissibility to
SMU until the end of their spring semesters, which varied from the end of May to the
second week in June. These PSAs could not be designated by the NCAA as qualifiers
until after they submitted to the NCAA Clearinghouse their final spring grades.
Although two, in the end, met the NCAA minimum standards, after a careful review of
their completed academic records, they were not deemed admissible to SMU. These
decisions were made by the FAAS within three days of receiving their application
folders from the Athletics Department. Therefore, the decisions were made and
communicated as quickly as reasonably possible.
The cases of these PSAs were complicated by their having been inappropriately
given a heightened anticipation of admission to SMU if they met NCAA minimums. In
an effort to provide a bridge between the denial and their expectation of admission, the
Dean of Admissions, working with the Athletics Department, approved a one-semester
placement that had been arranged at a nearby two-year institution by the Athletics
Department with guaranteed admissibility to SMU in January 2011, if the PSAs showed
they could succeed in college-level work by making at least a C in each of four courses
transferable to SMU (this is in lieu of the usual 50-hour transfer requirement for
students denied admission to the University). In addition to this arrangement, SMU
Athletics officials have assisted in securing scholarship offers from other universities
for both PSAs; therefore, both have viable opportunities to pursue their goals as student
athletes, eventually at SMU or at another university.
We deeply regret that in dealing with these prospective student athletes,
communications from SMU did not adequately prepare them for the admissions
process. It is crucial that prospective student athletes and their families are informed
fully about the admissions process and standards of the University. We have sent letters
of apology to the student athletes, their families, high schools for the
misunderstandings.
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SMU’s change to allow the signing of the NLI before determining whether a
PSA is academically admissible (by either NCAA minimums or SMU standards) may
continue to necessitate making final decisions on a few academically-at-risk PSAs after
the end of their spring semester. However, we are taking steps to change our
communications procedures so that PSAs are fully aware of SMU’s standards and each
part of the admission review process, as well as possible outcomes and alternatives.
The hardships caused by the recent decisions cannot be allowed to recur.
Accordingly, Associate Provost Tom Tunks will chair a special committee (the
Athletics Admission Process Review Committee) composed of representatives from the
Athletics Department and the academic sector who are involved with the admission of
PSAs. This Committee will review thoroughly the current athletics admissions process
to develop more effective official communication standards from the Athletics
Department to prospective student athletes. In addition, the President of the
Lettermen’s Association and the President of the Mustang Club have also agreed to
serve. The Committee will meet with coaches and athletics administrators and gather
comparison data from peer private universities, both local and national, as a part of this
review. Its report and recommendations should be submitted to the Provost by
September 1.
After admitting PSAs, SMU is committed to providing support mechanisms to
help them succeed academically. With the help of generous supporters, the Athletics
Department is hiring four additional staff members to help student athletes develop
good lifestyle and organizational skills and has appointed a new Assistant Director of
Athletics for Student Athlete Development. In addition, these donors are helping the
Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center significantly increase its academic advising
space and staff to support more fully the needs of all students who use its services, with
some additional staff primarily supporting student athletes.
The threefold mission of the University is teaching, research, and service. One
of the most important auxiliary programs enhancing the campus experience is
intercollegiate athletics, and particularly in this part of the country, football. Coach
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June Jones has done a remarkable job in turning around our football program. In
support of his efforts, and the benefits to the University of having successful programs,
the academic sector of the University has made significant changes in SMU’s NLI and
admission processes.
While we regret the discord the issues surrounding our student athlete special
admissions process has created within the SMU family, we underscore again the
remarkable changes that have been made to date in support of strengthening our
athletics programs and the academic success of our student athletes. Progress has been
possible because of the cooperation and support of the entire University community.
We appreciate the efforts of so many to promote the unity of the University as
we work through the admission issues that recently emerged. We thank all Mustang
supporters for their past and future support of SMU football and our entire athletics
program.
R. Gerald Turner
President
Paul W. Ludden
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Steve Orsini
Director of Athletics

[ponyfanman]

disregard...someone already posted it. sorry.