The NCAA has released its 2007 report on academic progress rates (APR) for Division I institutions, and McNeese State has been notified that its men's golf program and baseball program have received a public notice, but this will not result in any penalties.

Data is compiled over a four-year period in computing the APR and doesn't always reflect accurately the current efforts by student-athletes, according to Bridget Martin, associate director of athletics, coordinator of athletics compliance and senior women's administrator at McNeese. For example, she said the grade-point average of the men's golf team is 3.07, while the GPA of the baseball team is a 2.99.

Tommy McClelland, McNeese athletics director, said McNeese State would "continue to focus on the retention of our student-athletes and their academic and athletic experiences here at the university."

"We are committed to providing them with the academic support, advising and tools they need to be successful in the classroom," McClelland said.

According to McClelland, McNeese student-athletes were successful in fall 2007 in the classroom, with 83 student-athletes making the Honor Roll and 62 student-athletes making the President's Honor List.

He said McNeese's commitment to improve student-athlete success includes the monitoring of at-risk student-athletes, tutoring, an academic study center and the development of a mentoring program.

"Our athletic program continues to strive to improve performance both on and off the playing field for our student-athletes," said McClelland.

This annual report identifies programs that fall below an NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) standard of 925. This mark, according to the NCAA, equates to a program graduating roughly half of its players.

McNeese had two teams meet the APR standard while 12 other teams did not but they are not subject to penalty because the teams are performing better than the institution's general student body or have demonstrated academic improvement.