Assessing Outcomes for Intercollegiate Athletes at Liberal Arts Colleges

• Activity Number: 340
• Type: Contributed
• Date/Time: Wednesday, August 11, 2004 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Social Statistics Section
• Author(s): John D. Emerson*+
• Companies: Middlebury College
• Keywords: intercollegiate athletics ; educational outcomes ; liberal arts colleges ; empirical research

Abstract

Empirical research published in two books by William Bowen and his collaborators, The Game of Life and Reclaiming the Game, calls attention to the substantial impact of intercollegiate athletics at selective colleges. Longitudinal studies of thousands of college students indicate that the academic credentials of entering athletes increasingly differ from those of other students at these colleges. When coaches recommend athletes for admission, the acceptance rate is substantially increased, often by a factor of two. Intercollegiate athletes, especially male athletes and recruited athletes, perform less well academically than their test scores and other characteristics predict--they underperform. These findings have led to policy changes at some colleges, and especially at the conference and national levels. Empirical investigation is now needed to assess outcomes and to monitor progress made from efforts to reduce the gaps in academic achievement between athletes and other students. One stated goal is to ensure that athletes are fully representative of their student bodies.