May 28, 2015 PITTSBURGH - Duquesne's 16 varsity athletics teams posted an average Academic Progress Rate (APR) of 977.2 according to the latest multi-year report released by the National Collegiate Athletic Association on May 27.

Teams must earn a 930 four-year average APR to participate in NCAA championships. A score of 930 or higher puts a program in good standing with the NCAA with 1,000 serving as the maximum score. Every Duquesne athletic program scored above 945 in the latest report.

The APR provides a real-time look at a team's academic success each semester by tracking the academic progress of each student-athlete. The APR includes both retention at an institution and academic eligibility in its calculation. The current multi-year APR report covers the 2010-11 through 2013-14 academic years.

The APR is released annually. Teams that do not continually score well may be hit with penalties including practice/financial aid reductions and scholarship losses.

Duquesne's programs have been recognized by the NCAA for placing among the top 10 percent nationally in their respective sports 11 times, the most recent being the men's outdoor track program which received an NCAA Public Recognition Award last week.

The goal of the NCAA's academic performance program is improvement, not punishment. Not only does the program ensure accountability for student-athletes, teams and institutions, but also it provides fairness by considering individual circumstances per team and school.

DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC PROGRESS RATES
(2010-11 thru 2013-14)

Men's Basketball - 946
Women's Basketball - 960
Men's Cross Country - 986
Women's Cross Country - 990
Football - 960
Women's Lacrosse - 981
Women's Rowing - 988
Men's Soccer - 983
Women's Soccer - 973
Women's Swimming - 978
Men's Tennis - 984
Women's Tennis - 973
Men's Outdoor Track - 995
Women's Outdoor Track - 990
Women's Indoor Track - 990
Women's Volleyball - 958