UH football grad rates among top 30 in nation

Advertiser Staff

The University of Hawai'i football team was one of 30 programs recognized recently by the American Football Coaches Association for a high graduation rate.

Only NCAA Division I football teams that graduated more than 70 percent of its freshman class from 1995-96 received recognition.

"This is the first time we've had that high of a graduation rate in about 10 years," said Leon Schumaker, UH's director of student affairs. "We've done so many things in the last few years to improve the academics ... it's basically been an all-around effort to get these kids graduated."

In particular, Schumaker cited the construction of the Nagatani Academic Center in 1999 and additional academic advisors and tutors as key factors. But he also added, "we're getting better students here who want to graduate."

Most of the Warrior players contributing to the high graduation rate were recruited by former coach Bob Wagner and his assistants.

Schumaker said UH's graduation rate for the class was "a little above 70 percent," although he did not cite specific numbers.

The overall graduation rate of the 95 schools participating in the survey was 59 percent. The median graduation rate also was 59 percent.

The study involved players entering school as freshmen receiving financial aid during the 1995-96 academic year.

Hawai'i was one of four teams from the Western Athletic Conference on the list, joining Rice, SMU and Tulsa. Only the Big Ten and Mid-American conferences, with five schools each, had more.

Notre Dame and Vanderbilt each graduated 100 percent of its players from that class, and shared the AFCA's Academic Achievement Award.