FSU Gets Tough On Absentee Athletes

TALLAHASSEE Prior to the start of the spring semester, famous class-skipper Ferris Bueller had a chance to make it as an athlete at Florida State. As of Wednesday, he would be kicked off the team by the time the first exams rolled around.

In an ongoing attempt to restore FSU's reputation amid an academic cheating scandal involving more than 50 student-athletes, FSU President T.K. Wetherell informed the school's approximate 450 athletes Tuesday night that if they plan to skip excessive classes, they shouldn't plan on playing. As part of the restructuring, Mark Meleney, head of FSU's athletic academic support program, has been notified his contract will not be renewed when it expires in July.

According to a new class attendance policy instituted for athletes, three unexcused absences equal one missed game or athletic event; four unexcused absences equal missing 30 percent of the season; and five unexcused absences equal missing the rest of the season.

FSU spokesman Frank Murphy said Wetherell was unavailable for comment Wednesday. However, athletic director Bill Proctor attended Wetherell's mandatory meeting for FSU's student-athletes and said his message was clear.

"My understanding - and I think it was evident from his remarks - is that he is putting a lot of emphasis on class attendance, he's putting a lot of emphasis on making the grades, and he's putting a focus on graduation rates and just raising expectations," Proctor said Wednesday. "I think it's healthy."

According to FSU's former policy in the school's student-athlete handbook, an athlete could have up to six unexcused absences in a class without a definite penalty. If an athlete accumulated seven or more unexcused absences, "a meeting is convened by the chair of the academic subcommittee or designee from the subcommittee between the student-athlete, two members of the academic subcommittee, the director of athletic academic support, the academic counselor, and head coach or designee to address specific class absences and determine necessary disciplinary action."

For comparison, according to the University of South Florida's student-athlete handbook, there are no university-wide guidelines for punishing athletes for missing excessive classes. Each case is handled individually. As for the University of Florida, once a student reaches five unexcused absences in a class during a semester, he or she is suspended for 10 percent of the season. Each subsequent absence equals an extra 10 percent of the season penalty.

Senior women's basketball player Shante Williams, whose team has been without three players at different times this season for their involvement in the cheating scandal, understands Wetherell tightening the rules for the school's most visible ambassadors.

"I think it's a good policy that he is implementing," Williams said Wednesday. "A lot of student-athletes take their scholarships and their academic careers for granted. I think we should set a better example for our community and for the young kids who look up to us."

Wetherell also met with the school's head coaches Tuesday, including football coach Bobby Bowden, whose team lost more than 20 scholarship players to academic issues at the Music City Bowl.