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California Lt. Gov wants AD jobs tied to academics

By WTOP Staff

ANTONIO GONZALEZ
AP Sports Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom wants the jobs of athletic directors at the state’s public universities to be tied more to the academic performance of athletes.

Newsom outlined his recommendations in letters sent this week to University of California President Janet Napolitano and California State University system Chancellor Timothy White. He said there should be aggressive benchmarks and penalties — not bonuses — in the contracts of athletic directors depending on the department’s academic performance.

“It’s a disgrace,” Newsom said in a phone interview Friday. “The reality is self-evident. We’re not incentivizing academics. We’re incentivizing athleticism.”

Newsom’s letters come at a time when there are three public schools in the state — California, Berkeley; Fresno State; and Sacramento State — searching for new athletic directors. He suggested financial stipulations based on academic performance be placed into every new athletic director’s contract and, eventually, reworking existing contracts around the state.

“We cannot skirt around the edges of the problem,” Newsom wrote in both letters. “If our goal as a university is to educate, then we should make it a contractual priority.”

In the letter to Napolitano, Newsom noted the Cal football team’s past two NCAA Graduation Success Rate figures — 44 percent in 2013 and 48 percent in 2012. In the letter to White, he highlighted the Fresno State men’s golf team’s most recent GSR of 29 and the Sacramento State football team’s GSR of 61.

The most recent GSR is based on four years of data collected from freshman athletes who entered school between 2003-04 and 2006-07 and earned their degrees in six years. The GSR also allows schools to subtract athletes who leave before graduation, as long as they would have been academically eligible to compete if they remained.

Cal has been focused on improving the academic performance of its athletes, particularly in football and men’s basketball, and said the most recent GSR ratings do not reflect the changes that have taken place at the university in the past couple of years. The football team had a 969 out of 1,000 in the Academic Performance Rate for 2012-13 released by the NCAA in May as more resources and support have been dedicated to academics.

Interim athletic director Michael Williams was on a task force looking into academics in the Cal athletic department and said recommendations will be made to the chancellor before the end of September. Williams said Friday that he would not respond specifically to Newsom’s letter but stressed the importance of the issue.

“Does anyone really think I’d be in this job not caring about academics?” Williams said. “I’m very focused on academics and we were before I took over. We had already made changes.”

With three searches for athletic directors ongoing in California, Newsom believes it’s an opportunity to start enforcing stricter academic standards among athletic department leaders.

Cal is seeking a replacement for Sandy Barbour, who left in June. She has since been hired as Penn State’s athletic director.

Fresno State announced Tuesday that Thomas Boeh is being reassigned from athletic director to an adviser to the university’s president. And Terry Wanless retired as Sacramento State’s athletic director June 30.

Newsom, a UC Regent and former mayor of San Francisco, said he has called for hearings at both of the state’s academic governing bodies to discuss changes in athletic directors’ contracts and expects those meetings to take place in the next few months. He also said he would be “very critical” of any new contract — including those for coaches — that comes before the Regents for approval.

Steve Montiel, a spokesman for Napolitano’s office, declined comment. Mike Uhlenkamp, director of public affairs for the CSU system, said White received Newsom’s letter and was reviewing the recommendations.

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AP Sports Writer Josh Dubow in Berkeley contributed to this story.

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Antonio Gonzalez can be reached at: www.twitter.com/agonzalezAP

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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