June 6, 2007

~By RICK CLEMENSON, Albany Times Union staff writer

Siena's 97 percent graduation success rate among scholarship athletes tied it for third in the nation among Division I schools, according to NCAA statistics. Only the U.S. Naval Academy (99 percent) and Notre Dame (98) fared better.

Siena tied with Duke and Davidson for third place among Division I athletic programs in percentage of scholarship athletes who graduated or transferred in good academic standing, the criteria NCAA uses in determining graduation success rate.

Siena was ranked fifth with a 97 percent graduation success rate in the inaugural report last year.

Fourteen of Siena's 18 athletic programs were at 100 percent, including men's and women's basketball. The rest of Siena's student body had a 77 percent GSR, according to figures released by the school.

"The No. 1 factor in our success is our coaches recruit athletes who want to succeed academically," Siena athletic director John D'Argenio said. "And then we motivate them to succeed academically while they are on campus."

The University at Albany, which upgraded from Division II to Division I in 1999, had a 66 percent GSR, according to the NCAA report. Athletic director Lee McElroy disputed the report at the time, pointing out that several athletes left when the school moved up to Division I, which drove down UAlbany's GSR.

The data supplied by the NCAA offers students who are deciding which school to attend an academic track record on which to base their decision, said Peter Roby, director of the Boston-based Center for the Study of Sport in Society.

The NCAA also can use the data to assess penalties -- typically, scholarship reductions -- for schools whose GSRs are chronically low.