New football policy: Miss classes, miss games

Continuing an effort to improve the academic performance of USF's athletes, a new attendance policy for Bulls football will call for a game suspension after a fifth unexcused missed class in any semester.

"We need to make sure our students realize it's crucial they attend every class when they're not traveling for competition," said Amy Haworth, USF's associate athletic director for academics. "The correlation between (attendance and academic success) is so high. There has always been an expectation, but the policy came as we continue to raise standards and raise expectations."

USF football has specific incentive to improve its academic performance, as the Bulls had the lowest Academic Progress Rate score of any BCS football program last year and barely avoided penalties from the NCAA. The APR weighs retention as much as academic eligibility, and much of USF's problems stem from high turnover as the Bulls moved to the Big East in 2005; that year won't count toward the APR's four-year window in next year's scores, and USF has already anticipated a substantial rise in its football APR score.

Other USF teams already have similar policies in place, including the potential for suspension for games, and Haworth said USF's men's basketball team will institute its own policy for the fall semester.

A football player's first three unexcused absences in any class in a semester do not carry specific penalties, but coaches and administrators are notified and the coach has the discretion to use extra running or sessions with an academic counselor. A fourth unexcused absence means a player will miss a practice, and each subsequent absence will result in suspension from a football game.

"From the outside, I realize the implementation of an attendance policy may seem as if it were in response to excessive absences, but that wasn't the case," Haworth said. "It's really just our desire to continue to get better as a program."

-- Bleacherreport.com has its Big East preview out, picking USF to go 6-1 in the league to finish first and earn a BCS berth in the Orange Bowl. Their projection also includes USF getting a home win against Miami (but losing at Florida State) as part of a 10-2 regular-season record.

-- Soccer post! USF has had a great pipeline from Trinidad and Tobago, and according to this story in the Trinidad Express, the Bulls have another talented player coming in January in midfielder Leston Paul, a member of the under-20 national team and former captain of Trinidad's u-17 team.

-- Another story of season ticket sales being down, as Rutgers has sold tickets to just 35 percent of a 12,000-fan waiting list that was used as the basis for an 11,412-seat stadium expansion, according to the Star-Ledger. Rutgers is offering a ticket mini-plan with all four Big East games starting at $160.

-- The News and Sentinel in West Virginia, running through each of the Mountaineers' opponents, has a USF preview posted as well.

-- Former USF cornerback Mike Jenkins, entering his second season with the Cowboys,  has changed his jersey number and his official site has moved as well. Jenkins, once at MikeJenkins31.com, is now settled in at MikeJenkins21.com.

-- I'm heading up to St. Augustine with the family to see my sister, so you won't likely see another post until Sunday. Enjoy the weekend ...

Comments

[العاب]

مرحبا الأعزاء ،
وقد يجلس رائعة ، لأنه بفضل ،
لقد زرت موقعك ، وهذا أمر جيد ولكن يكفي أن يتمتع أكثر من أي واحد فقط من زيارة هذا الموقع والتمتع الألعاب الكثير من هذه الألعاب.
شكرا

[USFMikeB]

Chalko, there are also lots of people saying that they don't recall professors taking attendance. I'll reiterate it for you so that perhaps you can clearly integrate it:

1) I have three college degrees.
2) In the course of earning those three college degrees, I spent a lot of time in classrooms.
3) In attending class, the only time I recall professors taking attendance was in the first week when they need to confirm the class roll for the Registrar.

Perhaps there's a different attendance expectation in the College of Business, but this assertion is unequivocal, and as I'm the person that attended those classes, I am absolutely qualified to make these statements.

Is that clear enough for you to get through your dense skull?

[Flash]

Few USF professors take regular attendance. Student-athletes' professors routinely get emails from academic services in athletic dept. requests for updates on their progress in class. The emails I think even have photos of the student to help professor recognize student-athlete. Nothing really new going on.

[JupiterBull]

At some classes, with hundreds in attendance, no attendance was taken. I vaguely recall some upper class attendance, but mainly for projects & deliverables. I'm sure it varies by prof, but maybe for student-athletes, it's different. In any case, establishing some criteria (and enforcing it), should help our school improve the sports/academic standings.

[Richard Todd]

Maybe a different time but I don't remember anyone taking attedance when I went to school. Of course maybe thats because if you missed to many classes you couldn't pass the class anyway. At least at USF in the accounting dept ranked in the top 20 in the country.

[Steve O'Neal]

Chalko, lay off Stevo??? LMAO! I'm fine, Thanks. Hey, you better than anyone know that I enjoy a good "debate". HAHAHA! GOOOOOO BULLS!

[Chalko]

Excused absences are given for athletic competition or a documented illness.

So Mike... Even your own people are backing my statement... Where are you now? In the future I would suggest you don't make claims about something you obviously know absolutely nothing about.

How ya been Stevo?

[Steve O'Neal]

That would make sense and I'd be surprised if that were not the case, Ken. I was never a college student/athlete, but I always thought that it would be tough to handle a full course load and the rigors and demands of college athletics.

[Ken]

I believe that classes that are missed because of representing the university at an official function (e.g., an out of town BB or FB game) will be excused absences.

[Denver]

In my four years at USF, I only had one prof that DID NOT take attendence. Almost all of them dropped you a full letter grade for your second or third absence. My GPA took a hit because of that crap. Maybe I was being selfish, but I always thought it was my money and my education so why penalize for missing a class? Certainly a difference for a student athlete. There will be some guys missing games as a result of this policy.

[USFMikeB]

Yep, chalko's a bright one. He calls anyone that disagrees with him a moron and insults them, yet he's the fool on a website for a school he didn't go to obsessing about anything and everything associated with that school.

Sounds like a second grader to me, which would be consistent with the educational standard at UCF!

What's next, chalko, does everyone at USF have cooties too?

Man, UCFers crack me up with their claims of superiority while they envy everything about USF!

[Steve O'Neal]

For all you college educated superior beings at other schools, What original material......make my pizza.....mow my yard.....check the fries......ride the short bus....real impressive....for elementary kids! USF increasing their academic standards and they are a joke???? How about Southern Miss? Taking our academic castoffs. Louisville....thinking about taking someone who changed NINE grades in the last half of his senior year?????? Talk all you want, me I'm just going up there and CHEER my team without talking BS and hopefully my team will prevail. GO BULLS!

[Chalko]

Agree with Ken. Mike, you are a moron! Make my pizza and get off the internet!

[Ken]

My understanding is that it is 5 absences in all classes combined during the course of a semester. Many instructors do not take attendance, and so absences there won't be known, but many do--more than some posters seem to think. If a student is taking 4 or 5 classes, this isn't very many--of course, it is unexcused absences--absences for doctors, etc. will probably be excused.

[Soccer Steve]

SOCCER!!

Forgive me for my short comment...about to drive 8hr for a wedding.

T&T has a decent program, well, for North American standards.

[BC]

Oh look, the ever so original geography diss. How clever.

[USFMikeB]

Ari, the blog post clearly says that it is a cumulative five missed classes, not five of one course.

[USFMikeB]

As usual, chalko is wrong. I've got three degrees, including a Master's. I never had a class that took attendance, with the exception being the first week so that they could drop anyone who didn't show up from the rolls and open up a seat for someone else.

Your professors took attendance for a reason, chalko, because you and your fellow students needed them to take attendance. Good luck with that juco degree!

[Ari Hinkelberger]

miss a class 5 times?
Or miss 5 classes?

miss 5 classes seems reasonable.

miss a class 5 times = laughable.

[Chalko]

You probably never went to college Mike. When I was working on my Master's I had a professor who required a 10 page paper for a missed class. Many undergrad classes don't take attendance, you're right, but I did have several that would drop letter grades for more than two absences. There should be no reason for a student on an athletic scholarship to miss five classes. Good try Mike.

[Gators and Noles]

Watching little USF and UCF have their little rivalry is like watching the kids down the street who ride the short bus to school having a play fight in the sandbox.

Get real! For one, a lot more kids in this area desire to go to UCF to leave the area. For two, USF, which means Univ. of SOUTH Florida isn't EVEN IN SOUTH FLORIDA. Your school must not have a geography department.

The real rivalry is further to the north and it's intense. People care. Networks care. Fans care. You clowns are the best part of the circus!

[USFMikeB]

College professors at UCF take attendance? Wow, sounds like more proof that UCF is really just a junior college.

At a real university, the professors don't take attandance (except for people like student athletes), as they assume that those who don't show up for class will see the effect on the exams at the end of the year.

I don't recall any college class that EVER took attendance.

[Chalko]

Five unexcused absences??? What kind of joke is that?? Nine in high school will get you failed. Most college professors that are strict on attendance start dropping grades after one or two. Another joke policy at USF.

[USFShep]

Raintree is excellent!! Love the 10-2 record, Orange Bowl and win over the U!!

[Steve O'Neal]

Yes, the Raintree restaurant is very nice and they do have some good specials so you can enjoy without going broke. I really ejoyed the story of how it became the Raintree. We've been 3 times over the years and never dissapointed!

[Steve Stacy]

That WV article is hilarious!
It says "39.7 points per pun ", which is the funniest hing I have ever read. I assume he meant 39.7 YArds per PUNT, but that's just details...It *is* West Virginia, afterall.

Also, I'd take 10-2, the Orange Bowl and beating UM.

[Walla Walla Bing Bang]

I recommend the Raintree Restaurant on San Marco.

[Steve O'Neal]

Red Brick ale! One of my favorites!

[Miles]

Greg,

St. Augustine is a great city! Make sure you go to the A1A Ale Works by the Bridge of Lions, great place!

[Harvey Wallbanger]

what..they don't have internet up in St. Augustine??? slacker!

[David Weber]

That's a good rule- it should be the same at every school.

[Brian]

Great soccer update!

Glad to see Keifer is still pulling in great recruits.

[Walla Walla Bing Bang]

Greg you let McMurphy beat you to it, he posted it yesterday.

[USFBullsBabe]

I'm glad they are implementing these rules. It only add more discipline to the players. Have a great weekend, greg!

[Mike Lakeland]

I wonder who will be the first casualty of the new rules. You know that someone will have to be made an example of. Let's just hope it's for one of the FCS games!