Oklahoma only school graduating less than 50% of white players.

[adoniijahsooner]

Even though the gap between whites and blacks is widening. Pretty disturbing....


Graduation rate gap has widened

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The disparity between graduation rates for white and black players at schools headed to bowl games grew again this year even as overall academic progress increased for both, a study released Monday found.

The annual report by the University of Central Florida's Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport found that the graduation success rate is increasing at a higher rate for white players than black players.

Richard Lapchick, the primary author of the study, said it's a "disturbing" gap that has continued to widen.

"The growing gap is and has been my biggest concern with graduations rates for some time," he said. "It's like in the economy if income for Latinos and African-American grows at 2 percent but increases 3 percent for whites. Yes, it's getting better. But it's still not great for everybody."

The graduation success rate for black players went from 58 percent to 60 percent this year among the 70 bowl teams. But for white players, the graduation rates increased from 77 percent last year to 80 percent this year.

The NCAA was encouraged that all graduation success rates -- not just those for whites or blacks -- increased, and hoped continued improvement for both groups in the future would close the gap.

"With such a large number of students, any increase is important, so this improvement is noteworthy. That improvement extends to African-American football student-athletes as well," NCAA spokesman Erik Christianson said in a statement.

Data was collected by the NCAA from member institutions for the study. The Institute reviewed the six-year graduation rates of each school's freshman class that enrolled in 2003-04, then calculated a four-class average.

Five schools had graduation success rates for black players that exceeded their rates for white players: Northwestern (one percent higher), Virginia Tech (3 percent higher), Southern Mississippi (three percent higher), Notre Dame (four percent higher) and Troy (10 percent higher). That's up from four schools in last year's study.

Notre Dame and Northwestern were the only schools that graduated 95 percent of their players and at least 95 percent of their black players. Air Force and Northwestern had the highest academic progress rate with scores of 988 and 986, respectively.

Texas Tech was the lone school that had overall graduation success rates for football players that were better than the overall athletes. And Oklahoma was the only school that graduated less than 50 percent of its white players.


Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

[KantoSooner]

I find that difficult to believe and would want to look further into the data. But thanks for posting.

[Soonerfan88]

Think maybe it's because the black athletes are leaving early for the NFL instead of using their entire 4-5 years of eligibility and getting their degree?

[MsProudSooner]

I received my Arts & Sciences newsletter last week and it commented on the graduation of Derrick Straight and Mark Clayton. Of couse, neither of those graduations will be reflected in the NCAAs arbitrary stats.

[OrlandoSooner]

I received my Arts & Sciences newsletter last week and it commented on the graduation of Derrick Straight and Mark Clayton. Of couse, neither of those graduations will be reflected in the NCAAs arbitrary stats.

Yep. If you don'g graduate within 5/6 years, you don't count. That is why these should be used as a indicator, not as an exact science.

[OhU1]

I find all the race based statistics to be dubious. How dark does one have to be to be "black". One drop of "black" blood like the old deep south? Is Taylor Griffin white and his brother Blake black because Blake is darker? If I "identify" as black on a survey but everyone thinks I'm white am I white or black?

[BoulderSooner79]

I received my Arts & Sciences newsletter last week and it commented on the graduation of Derrick Straight and Mark Clayton. Of couse, neither of those graduations will be reflected in the NCAAs arbitrary stats.

I hate to judge a book by its cover, but check the thread title...

[rainiersooner]

Last year, we did graduate 100% of our Native American players.

[cccasooner2]

It's a conspiracy.

http://dmiessler.com/wp-content/uploaded_content/2008/03/conspiracy-cartoon.png

[85sooners]

:eek:

[Dan Thompson]

There is a simple answer - they all leave after their 3rd year for the NFL.

[sperry]

Last year, we did graduate 100% of our Native American players.


I don't think Sam graduated, I think he's a couple credits away, which you'd think he'll probably get done this spring.

[sooner518]

what was our overall grad rate?

[cdlbdd]

Its their own fault- seems pretty short sighted to me not to take advantage of a subsidized education when given the opportunity.

[Landthief 1972]

Yep. If you don'g graduate within 5/6 years, you don't count. That is why these should be used as a indicator, not as an exact science.

My dong never graduated either, but I make a comfortable living. :D

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[sooner59]

We have had quite a few white athletes leave OU over recent years. QBs, Linemen, etc. Not sure how much that plays into it. Maybe when you take the fact that our black athletes outnumber out white athletes into account plus white players leaving, there would be a more clear idea of why this is happening. I know Bob wants them to go to class and get an education, but I don't expect him to hold hands with them while they study or give them piggy back rides to their convocation.

[slh1234]

I find all the race based statistics to be dubious. How dark does one have to be to be "black". One drop of "black" blood like the old deep south? Is Taylor Griffin white and his brother Blake black because Blake is darker? If I "identify" as black on a survey but everyone thinks I'm white am I white or black?


AND



What about the large number of us who are mixed race? What of those of us who have more than 2 races in their bloodlines (like my kids)?

Everything from the way we count noses to classify them into "races" which don't reflect the reality of the world to the way they are used politically is dubious at best.

(I HATE being asked what race I am for statistical tracking ... I want to answer "Human" but that's not a choice. My kids hate it even more than I do. I'm not ashamed of any of my family, but some nose counter thinks I need to identify myself with one part or the other).

[MsProudSooner]

I hate to judge a book by its cover, but check the thread title...

The point is that everyone could have graduated within 6.5 years, and the NCAA wouldn't recognize it.

[Tulsa_Fireman]

Blactinocasian?

[SanJoaquinSooner]

Not sure if it's still the case: used to be if they transferred to another school and graduated there, it still counted against us as "not graduating."

A few years ago, it was reported our basketball team had a 0% graduation rate. Zero. Nada. Zilch.

turns out it was based on a recruiting class of n = 2. one took 7 seven to graduate so it didn't count. The other transferred and graduated elsewhere.

So although our reported graduation rate was zero, 100% of them had earned college degrees.


As far as OU the only school with below 50% for white players, I imagine a large chunk come here and see they'll never be starters and go elsewhere.

[olevetonahill]

There will always be Racism as long as the Govt. and or any other entity keeps making distinctions.

[SanJoaquinSooner]

as far as it not counting if it takes more than 6 years, that is ridiculous.

I've seen many, many women who start college, and due to factors such as childrearing, etc, take 20 years to graduate. Try telling them it doesn't count because to took more than 6 years.

[slh1234]

There will always be Racism as long as the Govt. and or any other entity keeps making distinctions.

+1000

Count us all as human.

[slh1234]

as far as it not counting if it takes more than 6 years, that is ridiculous.

I've seen many, many women who start college, and due to factors such as childrearing, etc, take 20 years to graduate. Try telling them it doesn't count because to took more than 6 years.

That applies to more than just women. Sometimes it's as simple and common as economic hardships in the family that makes the person have to work and slow down their college progress, to maybe not being able to go at all for a few years, then returning to finish later.

I've heard that less than half of students who start college finish, but I wonder about factors like you pointed out, and then I wonder how much my sig block plays into what I hear.

[Tigeman]

My dong never graduated either, but I make a comfortable living. :D

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Glad yours does. My Dong likes to hang out in some pretty sleezy holes. It's like a drug addict, it'll disappear for hours in those deep dark places while getting it's fix. Sometimes they're nice, sometimes....well...not so much, it's quite the alcoholic and that's when the places turn out not so nice. But they're usually pretty warm, so I guess that's a good thing.

The problem really got out of hand in college, and I figured after graduation the dong would settle down. But noooo, 2 degrees later, and no maturity has set in. IDK what to do w/ it and how to give it a better life as he likes to abuse himself :rolleyes:
:gary:

[Soonerfan88]

I don't think Sam graduated, I think he's a couple credits away, which you'd think he'll probably get done this spring.

He graduated last December with a 3.8? in Finance.


Knowing the formula for this story would really be helpful.

[olevetonahill]

Glad yours does. My Dong likes to hang out in some pretty sleezy holes. It's like a drug addict, it'll disappear for hours in those deep dark places while getting it's fix. Sometimes they're nice, sometimes....well...not so much, it's quite the alcoholic and that's when the places turn out not so nice. But they're usually pretty warm, so I guess that's a good thing.

The problem really got out of hand in college, and I figured after graduation the dong would settle down. But noooo, 2 degrees later, and no maturity has set in. IDK what to do w/ it and how to give it a better life as he likes to abuse himself :rolleyes:
:gary:

You should just beat it .

[Tigeman]

Ym0hZG-zNOk


I tried that.... it doesn't work! It still sneaks out to it's watering holes and old habits! It's an addict I tell you! You just can't help an addict I guess!

[olevetonahill]

Then you aint beatin it hard enough nor often enough. Dayum kids these days

[badger]

My dad was upset when the Census questionnaire arrived and asked him if he was white, black or one of like 50 different asian backgrounds, 50 different hispanic backgrounds, etc.

Back to the Sooners - I know that OU cares about getting kids an education regardless of what these stats say. Remember this?


New Orleans Saints' Jammal Brown, Usama Young enjoy degrees of success

Before May 16, Saints teammates Usama Young and Jammal Brown had little in common other than occupation.

Brown plays offense. Young plays defense.

Brown's a two-time Pro Bowler. Young's a third-year reserve trying to make his way in the league at a new position.

The hulking 6-foot-6 Brown wears his hair closely cropped and his jester's personality on his sleeve. The lithe 6-foot Young likes his hair in shoulder-length braids and bears a quiet demeanor.

But now they share this: They're both college graduates.

On May 16, the Saints teammates received their college diplomas, Young from Kent State and Brown from Oklahoma.

Four states and 1,000 miles from each other, their motives were independent, but their missions were the same: to fulfill a personal goal to themselves, an obligation to their respective universities and a promise to their parents.

Few in Browns' graduating class of 117 former and current student-athletes were more unlikely than the 28-year-old Lawton, Okla., native.

He arrived at Oklahoma as a partial academic qualifier and needed a year of tutoring and help just to make it on the field as a freshman.

Brown left Oklahoma 15 hours short of his degree in multidisciplinary studies and was still seven hours shy after completing coursework in 2006.

Fame and fortune interceded.

In December, the powerful left tackle was voted by coaches, peers and fans to play in his second Pro Bowl. He'd already earned about $10 million and was scheduled to earn another $2.4 million this season.

"He certainly didn't need to come back to school, " said Lt. Col. Randy Garibay, the academic adviser for the Sooner football team. "Financially he was set."

Brown's conscience, however, tugged at him.

He aspired to be the first of the four children in his family to earn a degree. He wanted to reward his coaches at Oklahoma who hounded him to complete his degree every offseason when he returned to Norman, Okla.

Most important, he didn't want to renege on a promise he made to his mother, Zola, who died in 1999 from lupus when Brown was a junior at MacArthur High School in Lawton, Okla.

"My mother always wanted me to graduate from college, " Brown said. "I told her I would, and I kept forth that promise. I finally buckled down and made school a priority."

Brown completed seven hours this spring by taking online courses under the supervision of Oklahoma's dedicated academic counseling staff.

Not even his second trip to the Pro Bowl in February could deter him from his studies. Between practices and Pro Bowl duties, he plowed through coursework on his laptop in his hotel room.

The effort paid off. Brown graduated with honors, a 3.5 GPA. He needed a couple of extra cracks at some exams to get there, but his advisers were more than willing to let him do it.

His father, Charles, girlfriend Stephanie, 10-year-old daughter Halle, and several other relatives attended his graduation ceremony. That night, the group toasted Brown at a surprise party attended by some of his old teachers and advisers.

"It was just really exciting, " Brown said this week after a Saints offseason practice. "I had my cap and gown on. My whole family was there. It was just a great feeling for me."

Young knows the feeling.

The cornerback-turned-safety was one of 52 student-athletes to receive a diploma at the M.A.C. Center in Kent, Ohio.

He completed seven hours at Kent this spring and earned his degree in educational studies, but Young's back-to-school experience was much different than Brown, who did most of his work online.

Returning to campus was "culture shock" for the affable 24-year-old. As was Ohio's winter weather. Sub-freezing temperatures greeted him on his first day of classes, which began at the ungodly hour of 7:45 a.m.

Midway through the semester, Young was forced to return to New Orleans, where he participated in the Saints' offseason conditioning program and tried to learn a new position in the defensive secondary.

Although all the on- and off-field learning left little time for socializing, Young remained undeterred.

"It got hard there for awhile, " Young said. "I was trying to learn the safety spot and then exchange notes with people over the phone. I kept in touch with my math professor via e-mail.

"I questioned myself a few times, " Young added with a chuckle. "But I owed it to the coaches and my parents. I wanted to finish what I started."

Usama became the fifth of Janice and LeRoi Young's five boys to earn a degree, fulfilling a promise he made to his mother, a career educator at the high school and college level.

"She was proud, " Young said. "She said, you finally got it done. Now it's time to get that master's."

With his degree, Young hopes to one day open a learning/rec center for youth. He said the experience also will allow him to speak with greater conviction when he speaks to youth groups and at schools during the season.

"Hopefully, I can change some lives, " Young said. "Being NFL players, we've got that opportunity because so many people listen to us."

On the field, the Saints are expecting big seasons from both Young and Brown.

Off the field, each has already had a hell of a year.

[cccasooner2]

In the electromagnetic spectrum, white includes all colors in the visible band. You're welcome. :D

[Tigeman]

Then you aint beatin it hard enough nor often enough. Dayum kids these days

Awwww, the wisdom that comes w/ age! Teach us Vet... Teach us!

[slh1234]

In the electromagnetic spectrum, white includes all colors in the visible band. You're welcome. :D

Ah, but if you're talking pigment instead of color, then you're talking about the absorption of color which changes what in the electromagnetic spectrum gets reflected back ... I'm so confused :D

[I Am Right]

What the? So graduation rates are racist? Geees

[Soonerjeepman]

let's see...R Bomar (white), JD Quinn (white)...that's 2 for 2 that don't or won't count...

I'd say the ratio of white to black football players at OU is very large...

20 white guys to 85 black...so it's just a numbers game...

**34 out of the first 97 players on the roster are white...that I could tell...didn't count all..just wanted to check my guess...**