Three ODU Teams Recognized for 100 Percent Graduation Rate Success

Three Old Dominion University athletic teams have been recognized for earning a graduation success rate of 100 percent in the NCAA's latest Graduation Success Rate (GSR) report, released Thursday.

The report tracks freshman student-athletes receiving athletic aid that entered college in 2003 through 2006, as well as transfers from other institutions and entering mid-year freshmen.

The ODU women's golf team, men's swimming and field hockey programs reported 100 percent graduation success for this period. It was also the fifth consecutive NCAA report that the women's golf program earned a perfect GSR score.

"The academic results for our men's and women's teams reflect one of our better overall academic performances in recent years. Such academic success illustrates the academic quality of the students our coaches are recruiting as well as the hard work and academic dedication of our student-athletes and academic coordinators," said athletic director Wood Selig.

Thirteen of ODU's 17 teams tracked in the report equaled or improved their GSR from last year and collectively posted a GSR rate of 74 percent. Football only reported one year (2006), which was the first year ODU began to admit student-athletes for the sport. The university fielded its first football team in the fall of 2009.

Each year, the NCAA publicly announces the Graduation Success Rate of all Division I institutions, along with a similar Division II Academic Success Rate. The graduation-rate data are based on a six-year cohort prescribed by the U.S. Department of Education. The graduation rate is the percentage of baccalaureate degree-seeking students who entered school during the four measured school years and graduated within six years after initially enrolling.

Under the calculation, institutions are not penalized for outgoing transfer students who leave in good academic standing. The outgoing transfers are included in the receiving institution's GSR cohort. The NCAA began collecting data with the freshman class of 1995.