Passage Two

Troubled by the persistently poor graduation rates of basketball and football players, the National Collegiate Athletic Association plans to start punishing schools whose athletes continue to underperform in the classroom. The proposal, which is expected to adopt next month, is being proposed by NCAA President Myles Brand as the final and critical piece of a package of changes designed to boost graduation rates and put the student back into the often-mocked term, student-athlete. Even supporters of the plan, however, worry that it will prove impractical, characterizing it as a well-intentioned idea that has been weakened by compromise and will ultimately generate more paperwork than real change. There’s also broad acknowledgement that it may cause unintended consequences of academic deception: more schools offering dishonest courses and cut-down curricula, and heightened pressure on faculty to give passing grades to keep star players qualified. But with the continued academic struggles of athletes in high-profile sports, particularly in basketball, NCAA leaders believe it’s time to take a more aggressive act. Only four out of 10 players on big-time basketball teams graduate even though the vast majority are on full scholarships. The NCAA will hold out the prospect of the ultimate sanction (制裁) for habitually poor performers—a ban from competing in the annual March Madness and sharing the riches that come with it. The proposal, which would affect athletes competing at all major colleges and universities, would punish schools with chronically low graduation rates, beginning with a warning, followed by the less of a scholarship and then a ban on postseason play. Each round in the 65-team men’s basketball tournament (联赛) is worth more than $750000 per school. Schools that perform well would be rewarded, although the NCAA has yet to determine how. But it will be years before it’s clear whether this carrot-and-stick approach works. Skeptics say the penalties are too weak and too slow to take effect. Others say the quality of a college education isn’t measured by grades and graduate rates alone. English professor Linda said, "Graduation rates themselves don’t prove athletes are getting an education." Her argument was approved by the recent disclosure (揭发) of a final exam given by former Georgia assistant basketball coach Jim Harrick Jr. to his class. Among the items on the 20-question, multiple-choice exam were: "How many halves are in a college basketball " and "How many points does a 3-point field goal account for in a basketball "

The chief purpose of the recent punishment measures proposed by NCAA is to ______.