Georgetown's Student-Athletes

The March 31 editorial "Go, Georgetown," which critiqued Georgetown University's men's basketball graduation rates, relied on data for players who entered Georgetown from seven to 10 years ago.

Those data include student-athletes who enrolled at Georgetown but later transferred or withdrew. Other facts demonstrate our commitment to educating student-athletes.

Consider:

· The two seniors on this year's men's basketball team plan to graduate. Last year, all five seniors on the team, all of whom were African American, walked across the stage in May with degrees. In 2005, the one senior on the team graduated, and in 2004, the team's three seniors graduated.

· Every player has access to an academic counselor and takes courses year-round. Since 1996, of the players who played four seasons of men's basketball at Georgetown, 16 of 17 received degrees. This speaks to Georgetown's deep, long-term commitment to providing the support and resources for our athletes to succeed academically.

Georgetown's athletics program develops student-athletes who act with integrity, play competitively and are prepared to succeed on and off the court.

BERNARD M. MUIR

Director of Athletics