The Division I Committee on Academic Performance recommended an adjustment to the Academic Progress Rate for transfer student-athletes who meet a specific academic profile. The Division I Board of Directors will consider the proposal Monday.

The proposal would allow institutions to discount the retention point in the APR formula for transfer student-athletes who immediately enroll in another four-year institution, earn the eligibility point and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 2.6 or higher. The student-athlete must have attended the initial institution for at least one academic year.

The change would be effective with the 2007-08 cohort, which will be collected in fall 2008 and not be retroactive.

Additionally, the committee wants to further study student-athletes with sub-2.6 GPAs. The particular factors for consideration, including the student-athlete's academic record and team transfer history, are not yet determined.  The committee will revisit the issue in April to finalize the acceptable factors for such an adjustment.

The committee has been studying the transfer issue for more than a year. Key in the decision was data indicating student-athletes with higher GPAs are more likely to succeed and graduate after a transfer. The committee also examined data showing that generally, student-athletes who transfer are less likely to graduate and take longer to do so. The data pointed to a 2.6 grade point average as a level at which student-athletes who transferred had similar success to those who stayed at one institution for their entire academic career. The committee will continue to use these data in making future decisions.

In other business, the CAP will permit institutions to request an adjustment for student-athletes who turned professional, returned to school (and the APR cohort) and then left for the pros a second time. The adjustment will apply if a student-athlete returns in the academic term after his or her initial departure, and it would be contingent upon the student-athlete being eligible when he or she initially left.

Committee members also were encouraged by news that 160 institutions have taken advantage of the new national office program offering assistance with APR improvement plans. Other educational opportunities have proven to be popular among the membership, including an online course and summer workshop.