New Student-Athlete Services division formed

A new partnership between two pivotal Athletics areas, Compliance and Academic Services, brings a new name: Student-Athlete Services.

While retaining their individual functions, Compliance and Academic Services operations are physically located together in the North Gym to better facilitate interaction with regard to student-athlete athletic and academic eligibility, advising, academic progress monitoring and rules compliance education and oversight.

Athletics Director Scott Johnson also announced that Academic Services will now report jointly to him and the Office of the Provost. Previously it reported solely to the athletics director “We believe this provides each area the support of the other to improve services to our student-athletes. Enhanced by a dual reporting role for academic services to both me and the Provost ,which will give new insight into our procedures, this partnership will help us ensure academic integrity and institutional control,” said Johnson.

Johnson also announced over the summer that effective immediately, Fresno State will no longer accept academically non-qualifying athletes.

“We are making a strong statement about the importance of academic standards at Fresno State and I know this policy will enhance our academic success and graduation rates,” said Johnson. “Our coaches have done an admirable job in the past with non-qualified students and worked very hard to see that they have had every opportunity to succeed. At this time, however, it's in our best interest as a university and athletics department to adopt this new policy."

Last year only eight non-qualifiers were admitted to Fresno State. Non-qualifiers represented only 1.2 percent of all Fresno State student-athletes.

Academic non-qualifiers, commonly referred to as "Prop 48" or "props," are students who do not meet the minimum academic requirements set by the NCAA to be eligible for scholarship or competition as true freshmen. Non-qualifiers are not allowed to participate or receive athletic aid in their first year of college. They may be admitted as students and after satisfactorily meeting academic requirements in their first year, they are eligible to receive athletic scholarships and join teams in their second year.

Johnson said he consulted with a variety of faculty, coaching staff members and athletics department staff in the development of the new policy, noting that there is broad support for the changes.