Extra Credit

Should colleges with low graduation rates be banned from March Madness?

Well, the Education Secretary (a former professional basketball player himself) thinks so. Arne Duncan said any team with a graduation rate lower than 40 percent should be banned from post season playoffs. That would include Baylor.

Such a rule would have kept the Baylor men's team and Lamar women's team off the brackets this year. A recent study found Baylor's team graduation rate to be 36 percent (that's with 29 percent of African Americans on the team graduating compared to 100 percent of white students graduating). Lamar's graduation rate was 35 percent with 36 percent of African American students graduating and 25 percent of white students graduating.

The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at the University of Central Florida released its annual study this week looking at the graduation rates for basketball teams in the NCAA playoffs. The report found that the women athletes are graduating at higher rates than men. It also found that white students are graduating at much higher rates than African-American students (84 versus 56 percent in men and 90 versus 78 percent in women).

-Eva-Marie Ayala

Baylor clash a result of racial or political tension after Obama elected?

The school's campus newspaper The Lariat reports that Obama signs were burned just after the Illinois senator was declared president. In another incident, an argument ensued near Penland Hall. Reports conflict. One side said a group of white students were yelling at Obama supporters driving by and another said a group of African American women drove by yelling racial slurs at a group of white men. Yet another witness said Obama supporters overheard racial slurs from white students. No violence was reported. Read more here.

UPDATE: The Waco Tribune reports Baylor interim president has confirmed the racial incidents. David E. Garland's statement on the paper's web site also says that Tuesday, university police were alerted to a rope tied to a tree witness said looked like a noose. "These events are deeply disturbing to us and are antithetical to the mission of Baylor University," he said in his statement.

-Eva-Maire Ayala

Why fire the Baylor U. president?

Nothing like a family feud at Baylor University. The Board of Regents, meeting at the Gaylord Texan this morning, summarily fired President John M. Lilley, just three years after they moved out former President Robert B. Sloan Jr. Read John Austin's story here. One of the best tidbits was that Lilley had caused a ruckus by threatening to mess with the BU football helmet logo.

Another good link: The Baptist Standard's story here.

Tell us why Lilley needed to leave, or why he got a raw deal, by posting a comment to us.

- Kristin Sullivan