UCLA administrators defend athletes’ special treatment

Wednesday, November 20, 1996

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Players benefit from slew of exclusive perks, including lower
standards and on-the-road examsBy Brooke Olson

Daily Bruin Staff

It’s no secret that athletes receive special academic treatment
from the university.

Rigorous athletic schedules combined with pressures to perform
well both on and off the playing fields often make specially
tailored programs a necessity.

"The university has created the most comprehensive academic
program and has in place the best resource services for our
athletes," said Wayne Johnson, director of academic services for
athletes, noting that many athletes are less prepared academically
than their freshman counterparts.

In the fall of 1995, incoming scholarship athletes had an
average SAT score of 984 and an average high school grade-point
average of 3.32, while the average incoming freshman class for that
year had an 1136 SAT score and a 3.92 GPA, according to both
Johnson and the Office of Academic Planning and Budget.

"We have many athletes that are below the UCLA norm (for
admissions) and this university does not offer remedial classes, so
we have to do all that we can in order to ensure the athlete’s
academic success," Johnson said.

Academic support and guidance begin even before the athletes
start school. A special three-day, on-campus orientation designed
specifically for athletes is held six weeks before class
begins.

The athletes are given a tour of campus and introduced to the
academic resources available to them, including tutoring and career
counseling.

During the first five weeks of school, athletes attend different
learning strategy seminars for one hour a week, learning how to
deal with stress and stay focused academically.

Tutors are assigned to work with the athletes for the first half
of their freshman year.

"We get a tutor for each of our classes … some of them go to
class and take notes," said Maylana Martin, a member of the women’s
basketball team. "English tutoring is one-on-one and they go over
our papers and stuff."

Although tutoring is optional for athletes who earn at least a
2.5 GPA, one-on-one, free-of-charge tutoring is available to all
athletes during their entire career at college.

Academic resources are right around the corner, including access
to an athletes-only lab on campus containing both computers and
printers.

Additional computers are available next door to the weight room
in Pauley Pavilion, and academic tutor offices are located in a
building adjacent to the arena.

"The athletes have a fairly large amount of resources, but we
also utilize the university resources," Johnson said.

But athletic resources and tutoring are not the only special
considerations and resources offered to the athletes. Students are
also given special considerations for exams.

Since athletic schedules often conflict with midterms and final
exam times, athletes have the option of taking the exam on the road
to the game or right after the game itself.

Four Letters and Science counselors often travel with the sports
teams administering the exams. If a professor is unwilling to give
the exams to the students, athletes often drop the class.

Some students question the fairness of the exam procedure,
noting that it is applied to athletes only.

"I’m just a regular student and when I have a final or midterm
scheduled, I have to be there to take the exam even when the
athletes don’t have to go," said Jason Sutters, a second-year
psychology student.

But administrators contend that such preferences are necessary
in order to accommodate the athlete’s busy schedule.

"A student cannot be penalized for being part of the university
team … most of these schedules are planned years in advance and
it’s not the athletes’ fault," Johnson said.

Despite all of the academic support, many Bruin athletes fall
behind their fellow students, with just over 60 percent graduating
within five years compared to the university average of nearly 80
percent.

But those statistics do not account for athletes who decide to
leave UCLA and pursue a professional sports career.

For athletes who choose such a path, the university offers a
special program allowing them to return to UCLA at any time to
complete their degree.

This back-to-school program ­ known as Final Score ­
began in 1988. Since then, over 150 students have returned to the
classroom ­ in many cases, tuition-free ­ and earned
their degrees.

High-profile athletes such as Olympic track stars Jackie
Joyner-Kersee and Mike Powell, as well as UCLA women’s track coach
Jeanette Bolden and gymnastics competitor Valorie Kondos, have
taken advantage of the program.

"The university is fulfilling a promise that we made to these
athletes when they came here ­ a university degree," said
Frank Stephens, program director of Final Score. "My personal
feeling is that it would be absolutely unfair if we didn’t offer
this opportunity."

Along with financial assistance, Final Score offers returning
students tutoring and career counseling.

But some regular students question the equity of such a program,
asserting that special consideration should not be given to the
athletes who willingly chose to leave school.

"Not only do athletes get all of this help when they’re here,
but then they’re also allowed to come back whenever they want and
get their degree … it doesn’t seem fair," said Joan Sykes, a
third-year sociology student.

But administrators believe otherwise, remarking that there
exists alternative programs which allow regular students to come
back to school and finish their education.

Although athletes must re-apply for admission, their acceptance
to UCLA is nearly a 100 percent guarantee, according to Stephens.
Administrators also note that athletes are offered financial
assistance only if they are not under a professional contract.

"This isn’t a preference ­ regular students can have the
same types of opportunities that the athletes have," Stephens said.
He added that currently athletes have the option to come back to
the university at any time, although that issue is under review by
an administrative board.

Despite the controversy surrounding the athletic preferences,
many student and administrators will agree that athletics are an
important part of UCLA.

"Athletics are a fairly large piece of the financial pie,"
Johnson said. "Aside from the recognition that athletes bring to
the universities, every time we win a national championship we earn
more and more notoriety.

"The athletic department is a money-making machine and it is in
our best interests to maintain that machine."