May 7, 2008

Washington, D.C. - Georgetown University found itself among the national leaders as the NCAA released the fourth year of Academic Progress Rate reports on Tuesday. Hoya athletic teams were among a group of 712 Division I sports teams honored earlier for their multi-year APR scores, while every GU team exceeded the NCAA's APR standard, including eight teams that earned perfect 1,000 scores.

Georgetown men's programs registered perfect 1,000 scores in golf, indoor track and outdoor track and five women's programs scored 1,000 - field hockey, golf, rowing, swimming and tennis.

The release on Tuesday follows up on the announcement last month by the NCAA recognizing teams that posted multi-year APR scores in the top 10 percent of all squads in their respective sports. Other Georgetown teams recognized included men's soccer (989), women's soccer (994), women's indoor track (994) and women's outdoor track (994).

The Hoya men's basketball team had a multi-year APR of 945, which was above the Division I average of 928, and the women's team had a score of 969, also above of the national average.

"We are proud of the continued hard work of our student-athletes, both in the classroom and on the field of competition," Georgetown Director of Athletics Bernard Muir said. "Our student-athletes continue to demonstrate the ability to balance both areas at a very high level."

The 2008 report released by the NCAA features a four-year compilation of APR data from the 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2006-07 academic years. The APR uses a series of formulas related to student-athlete retention and eligibility to measure the academic performances of all participants who receive grants-in-aid on every team at every NCAA Division I college and university.

Nationally, the multi-year APR rates - with four years of data collection available for the first time - show upward trends in several categories, especially from 2005-06 to 2006-07. The overall APR rose slightly, with increases in both eligibility and retention and a decrease in the number of student-athletes leaving school while academically ineligible.

The academic reform effort - and the Academic Performance Program in particular - was created to change the academic landscape of Division I athletics and not to be punitive. However, penalties are assessed for failing to meet the benchmark that projects to approximately 60 percent Graduation Success Rate and being unable to demonstrate measurable improvement in the APR.