The disincentives structure the Board of Directors approved in April used to have an incentives component attached to it. Two years ago when the idea was conceived, this second phase of academic reform that puts the accountability tag on the enhanced initial-eligibility and progress-toward-degree standards was called the "incentives/disincentives package."

The trouble was, as those charged with developing the system studied the matter, they struggled to find any incentives. It wasn't long before people said the only incentive for the program was "not to get a disincentive."

Several months ago, then, the incentives were quietly pushed to the back burner and the proposal simply became the "disincentives package."

But a closer look at the charge of the Committee on Academic Performance indicates that the notion of finding some incentives hasn't completely vanished. One of the committee's stated goals is to "identify and notify institutions or teams that demonstrate academic excellence under the academic performance program," and another is to "oversee the administration of a public-recognition program for institutions or teams that demonstrate excellence under the academic performance program."

Since committee Chair Walter Harrison, president at the University of Hartford, is a firm believer in the disincentives-as-motivation theory, he believes that the right incentives can be just as successful in motivating as disincentives.

"The public-recognition program is a powerful incentive that people haven't fully comprehended," he said.

As an example, Harrison recalled a national sports magazine several years ago that ranked the preseason football powers and listed graduation rates alongside. As the graduation rates showed, many of the schools predicted to fare well on the gridiron would not have qualified for a bowl game based on their student-athletes' chances of earning a degree.

"If you were to reverse that ranking and publish schools that achieve academic success," Harrison said, "that kind of recognition would be a powerful incentive."

Harrison drew a parallel to academic all-Americans. At Hartford, he said, the institution is just as proud of its academic all-Americans as it is of its athletics all-
Americans.

"We see the former as real proof that the student can excel in two ways," he said. "You can make that analogy to the institution. If the institution is publicly recognized for its outstanding success in preparing athletes as students, that would be an honor roll that provides positive publicity for institutions and would therefore become an incentive."

-- Gary T. Brown