By Alicia A. Caldwell and Jennifer M. Fitzenberger
Arizona Daily Wildcat
October 13, 1997

Simon no exception

UA students, including student athletes, do not receive preferential treatment when their grades drop, but many instructors work with struggling pupils to help overcome academic problems, a University of Arizona professor said yesterday.

This contention followed a Kansas City Star report Friday that basketball star Miles Simon squeezed through academic loopholes to remain at the UA despite low grades. The grades caused him to sit out the team's first 11 games before leading the Wildcats to the 1997 NCAA National Championship.

"When people don't do well, I contact them and try to figure out what their problem is," said Delbert Phillips, a UA Russian professor. "We do everything that we possibly can to help people."

"Many, many professors on campus do their very best to try to help people," he added.

Simon fell below the university-mandated 2.0 minimum cumulative grade point average in the summer of 1996. He transferred to the School of Family and Consumer Resources soon after, which accepted him despite his 1.6 GPA. The GPA placed him on academic probation.

Each college has different standards, but they cannot go below the university minimum, said Eugene Levy, a UA administrator.

Levy, dean of the College of Science, added, however, there have been a number of cases where colleges make exceptions to the 2.0 rule for special circumstances, including personal and family problems.

"It's important to treat students as individuals when they have individual problems," he said.

FCR director Rodney Cate said students are considered on a case-by-case basis and GPA is not the only factor.

"I know there are people who are going to school all the time that are on probation," Cate said. "Just because you don't carry a 2.0 (GPA) doesn't mean you automatically get kicked out."

The UA Attorney's Office found nothing indicating a violation of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) student-athlete eligibility regulations in the Simon case, said Mike Proctor, a university lawyer.

He added the athletic department is investigating the recent implications that UA student athletes received favorable treatment due to their sports status.

UA athletic director Jim Livengood refused comment.

Proctor also said the UA has launched an investigation to find out who leaked Simon's academic records to the Kansas paper in violation of the Federal Education Records Privacy Act of 1974, which keeps students' grades confidential.

Humanities professor Donna Swaim took issue with media reports implying the UA basketball star had it easy because of his athlete status. The Kansas City Star reported Simon received an "A" in her one-credit colloquium.

"It's not because they're an athlete, it's because they're a student," said Swaim, also a student adviser in the athletic department.

"Almost everyone gets an 'A,'" she said of the class, which she said was designed to stimulate thought.

Controversy surrounding Simon's academic eligibility also followed an Oct. 1 speech UA men's basketball coach Lute Olson, where he criticized athletic department graduation rates.

"64 percent is not great, and we are certainly not pleased," he said. "We are constantly working to get better."

The Arizona Board of Regents also talked last month about setting criteria for student athletes to balance academic and victory standards.

Associated Students President Gilbert Davidson said there should be academic assistance programs to help struggling students bring up their grades.

Davidson said students pay tuition and often grades cannot be the first priority. He said he doesn't feel a student in that situation should be disqualified from the university.

"I think it is important that university administration support any student in succeeding academically," he said.

UA President Peter Likins was in meetings and unreachable for this article. Provost Paul Sypherd was out of town, Miles Simon and Lute Olson did not return phone calls.

Wildcat reporter Arlie Rahn contributed to this story.