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Author Topic: UNC investigation finds 3,100 students affected by academic fraud over 18 years
eleem
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posted 10-22-2014 08:57 PM      Profile for eleem   Email eleem   Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
The findings from the UNC academic fraud probe are out, and according to investigators, academic advisors steered athletes into sham classes over an 18-year period. According to the report, over 3,100 students were affected by the fraud, which included “paper classes” that didn’t require attendance and inflated grades in order to keep student athletes’ GPAs high enough to keep them eligible. The report implicates Deborah Crowder, the manager in the African and Afro-American Studies Department, and later Julius Nyang-oro, who took over once Crowder retired in 2009.

So, does this mean banners will come down? Not exactly. The report doesn’t directly implicate coaches, and says that although coaches knew of the easy classes, there is no evidence to show that they knew Crowder was grading a particular course. 963 UNC football players and 226 basketball players were enrolled in the paper classes beginning in 1999. Many were steered to classes by their academic counselors and tutors often wrote papers for them.

The NCAA has yet to issue sanctions, but released this report with the UNC president:

The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and the NCAA enforcement staff continue to engage in an independent and cooperative effort to review information of possible NCAA rules violations as was announced earlier this year. The university provided the enforcement staff with a copy of the Wainstein Reports for its consideration. The information included in the Wainstein Reports will be reviewed by the university and enforcement staff under the same standards that are applied in all NCAA infractions cases. Due to rules put in place by the NCAA membership, neither the university nor the enforcement staff will comment on the substance of the report as it applies to possible NCAA rules violations.

Read more about the report here.

Link

Posts: 13248 | From: flatwoods,ky. | Registered: Oct 2000  |  IP: Logged
handycat
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posted 10-22-2014 09:02 PM      Profile for handycat   Email handycat   Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
UNC cheating? Who in the world would have ever thought it!
Posts: 5377 | From: decatur ill. | Registered: Feb 2005  |  IP: Logged
catmandoo
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posted 10-22-2014 10:45 PM      Profile for catmandoo   Email catmandoo   Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
The ugly truth..

Six words: Phony classes to keep athletes eligible.

That’s the dirty truth. There’s no way around it now, no “everyone else is doing it” justification. Not easy classes. Completely phony classes with plagiarized papers graded by a secretary for the express purpose of athletic success.

With the threat of criminal charges from Orange County District Attorney Jim Woodall to bring Deborah Crowder and Julius Nyang’oro to the table, Wainstein conducted a thorough and unsparing investigation of the paper classes within the Department of African and Afro-American Studies, laying out the misdeeds in all their ugly glory.

While only a small number of people – Crowder, Nyang’oro, ethics professor Jan Boxill (ethics!) and a handful of academic advisers – were actively complicit, countless others either managed to look the other way or remained conveniently unaware of the nefarious shenanigans despite the obvious evidence.

A few people perpetrated this fraud. So many more enabled and benefited from it. For years and years and years. There’s more than enough blame to go around.

That’s why there’s no minimizing this now, no hanging it on a few bad actors the way former Gov. Jim Martin tried to do in 2012. Despite Martin’s unfounded declaration to the contrary, this is and always was an athletic scandal.

“Was it an academic or athletic issue? Clearly it was an issue in both areas,” Folt said.

During the period academic advisers were steering athletes to those classes to keep them eligible, North Carolina won two national championships in basketball (although only the 2005 team was heavily enrolled in the fake courses) and saw the rise (and fall) of the football program under Butch Davis, who continues to maintain his ignorance despite attending a 2009 presentation to the football coaching staff outlining the purpose and function of the fake classes in the wake of Crowder’s retirement.

None of that is the real shame. It’s the notion that giving unqualified students a fake education was somehow helping them.

“It was an inexcusable betrayal of our values and our mission and our students’ trust,” Folt acknowledged. “The length of time this behavior went on and the number of people involved is really shocking.”

On a day with so much awful news for North Carolina, there was one kernel of good news moving forward.

The NCAA will have its say – as unpredictable as that goliath can be, there’s no telling how long it will take or what conclusions it might reach – but North Carolina has finally said what it needed to say, answered the questions it for so long desperately needed to ask.

It shouldn’t have taken this long to come out, but it finally did, thanks to Woodall and Wainstein. For North Carolina to start to get clean, it had to figure out how dirty it really was. And change.


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Posts: 186357 | From: st. augustine florida 32092 | Registered: Mar 2001  |  IP: Logged
UNC-HEELS
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posted 10-23-2014 01:51 AM      Profile for UNC-HEELS     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
First of all let me say, I know you on this board have no love for UNC, that goes without saying, and same goes for me toward UK.

That's natural for the most part. That is why I rarely even post on the basketball forum, this is after all a UK basketball message board and I respect that, and expect a more one sided view, just as I would if it was the other way around.

With that being said I would just like to make a couple of points in response to the prior post....

Though this is a very unfortunate event, and definitely a very embarrassing situation for North Carolina, the fact is this was not as the poster implies,phony classes to keep athletes eligible.” To suggest that means there would have been a conspiracy between departments and coaches.

This was not an athletic collusion with the academic department responsible. There seems to be some information left out of the prior comments such as......

Wainstein cites "failure of meaningful oversight" but "no indication of wrongdoing" outside of AFAM department & no current coaches involved/aware.

Of course as expected those who dislike UNC athletics are quick to inject "Lack of institutional control" which usually refers to a school not monitoring it's athletics program.

If the AFAM classes benefited students besides just athletes, then it's an ACADEMIC issue with the university not monitoring one of it's academic departments, not an athletic program running rampant. Other students benefited as well, not just athletes.

Again, one MUST READ THE REPORT and refrain from being” intellectually lazy”
The most important paragraph comes on p47:of the report.

"Of the 3,933 enrollments in the AFAM paper classes between 1999 and 2011, 1,871 – or 47.6% – were student-athlete enrollments. That meant that 21% of the student-athletes at Chapel Hill in those years took at least one of those classes. By contrast, only 2% of the general population of non-athlete students took a paper class during that time period. "

So, 52% of these papers were NOT athletes, and comes from a tiny fraction of the student body. This setup wasn't about keeping athletes' grades up at all.

Again, this is NOT an ATHLETICS department issue soley, it's just angled to athletics. Just like chancellor Folt said it's an academic & university issue, which it would be nice if people could be fair and at least attempt to put bias aside and understand this.

The script is just "athletics" because it involves student athletes and that's where the NCAA focus has been. But as pointed out by Wainstein, it involved non-student athletes and athletes, again, an academic issue.

Still, all that does not change the fact wrong was done. But this persistent bias by those who simply do not like Roy Williams and or the athletic department, were nefariously in concert with these professors to ensure athletes were guaranteed passing grades so they could continue to play sports is very short sided and ignoring the full results of the findings.

Folts was correct…“It was an inexcusable betrayal of our values and our mission and our students’ trust,” Folt acknowledged. “The length of time this behavior went on and the number of people involved is really shocking.”

Since this, nine professors have been relieved of their duties or disciplined. The report also found no evidence that current UNC head coach Roy Williams knew about the paper class scheme and how it was being used.

There is no doubt this is a stain on the university. However it is not the job of the coaches at any university to monitor the professors activities or jobs, that responsibility lies on the administration itself. And in this case it is apparent they failed in this aspect of their responsibility.

And to think this is only happening at UNC would be fool hearted to believe. But the events that have taken place at UNC, UNC is responsible for.

However, this is what the NCAA is helping to create. The NCAA requires the schools to be as pure and wind driven snow, while at the same time standing on the sidelines and collecting massive amounts of revenue and continuing to allow the ONE and DONE system for kids that have no real desire for a college education and to use college programs as a stage to display their talents for the NBA.

This issue could very easily be resolved by the NCAA whether the NBA does nothing about the rule or not. If the NCAA was all that concerned about “ACADEMCIS” then the answer to the ONE and DONE that is hurting the college program would to simply reinstitute the “Freshmen eligibility” rule…that's if the NCAA was truly about “the student athlete” and academics. But I think we all know the NCAA is about the all mighty dollar.

So in part the NCAA has a bit of responsibility in creating the atmosphere that exist in the college game today that leads to this very thing and have said that for a very long time. I just hate that it now involves UNC.

But that does not relieve a university like UNC of its responsibilities of academic integrity what so ever. The NCAA is what it is and UNC is wholly responsible for its actions or lack there of with no excuses.

[ 10-23-2014, 01:57 AM: Message edited by: UNC-HEELS ]

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WHO?UK
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posted 10-23-2014 08:51 AM      Profile for WHO?UK   Email WHO?UK   Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
UNCHEELS that is a really lengthy explanation, defense or rebuttal to a case that has shown that 963 Football Players- 226 Basketball players that were proven to take paper classes since 1999. Now the rest of the report proves that over half of the remaining students that took these paper classes were not student athletes. Well one could also assume that they were trying to hide the class by allowing a large population of the student body to take these paper classes with the student athletes. Maybe I don't know? :/

Im not very good at math so be patient. [Wink] But if my math is correct. 1999-2014 Is 15 years. A college football team has 85 scholarship players on the roster every Saturday. 85 x 15 = 1275 scholarship football players over 15 years. With 963 of them involved in the paper classes bringing the percentage of Football players taking paper classes to 72%. So for 15 years 72% of the football team could and should of been ineligible.

On to Basketball using the same simple math. 15 years x 26 (women's team included) scholarship players = 390. With 226 players taking paper classes that means 57% of the entire basketball program was involved as well.

Lack of institutional control is the only answer to this situation. And it was over 15 years. No one can honestly say that Roy Williams or the AD had no idea this is going on. UNC and its fans just need to suck it up and take it on the chin that they got caught.

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RLTW!

Posts: 836 | From: Savannah Ga | Registered: Dec 2004  |  IP: Logged
handycat
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posted 10-23-2014 10:11 AM      Profile for handycat   Email handycat   Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
WHO?UK, well thought out and said.

However, I'm "intellectually lazy" and you probably should not get overly excited about any literary praise coming from me.

quote from UNC
quote:
But this persistent bias by those who simply do not like Roy Williams and or the athletic department, were nefariously in concert with these professors to ensure athletes were guaranteed passing grades so they could continue to play sports is very short sided and ignoring the full results of the findings.

I totally disagree with that statement. If Roy Boy was truly unaware of this situation, he is the most inept coach in America.
Posts: 5377 | From: decatur ill. | Registered: Feb 2005  |  IP: Logged
Bama Cat
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posted 10-23-2014 10:17 AM      Profile for Bama Cat   Email Bama Cat   Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
I agree with the explanations above but disagree on the total students involved. You can't say 85 football players and 26 basketball players per year. Some leave after 1, 2 or 3 years but you have kids who play for 4 years. Thus you don't have a full team changeover every year. You would have to go back and list each kid 1 time for the 15 year period to come up with the total number of student athletes who were involved.
Posts: 14120 | From: berea, ky, usa | Registered: Sep 1999  |  IP: Logged
catmandoo
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posted 10-23-2014 10:30 AM      Profile for catmandoo   Email catmandoo   Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Bottom line North Carolina knowingly cheated and for a long time. They will get off far more easy that they should and that is wrong and for the coachs who knowingly knew what was going on should be banned from collegiate sports forever.

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Posts: 186357 | From: st. augustine florida 32092 | Registered: Mar 2001  |  IP: Logged
Green-Bean
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posted 10-23-2014 11:13 AM      Profile for Green-Bean   Email Green-Bean   Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Give them the death penalty. Deputy Dog knew about it.

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I was Born A Wildcat!
That's All I'll Ever Be!

Posts: 2290 | From: Newport Ky. | Registered: Mar 2014  |  IP: Logged
WHO?UK
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posted 10-23-2014 12:15 PM      Profile for WHO?UK   Email WHO?UK   Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
I do understand that you have to take into account that not every kid stayed all four years... I was just going off of the general idea that D1 FBS Football allows 85 scholarship players every season. As for the basketball situation its the same idea. 13 scholarships every season boys and girls = 26. The numbers add up and its simple, UNC cheated for 15 years and didnt get caught (963 Football Players and 226 Basketball players). At least now they did... I think its comical that UNC fans are actually defensive saying Roy and the AD had no idea. :/... The reason I get fired up about it is because UNC and plenty of other fan bases attack UK and especially Cal assuming that there program is above cheating. Not any more Tar Heels... Its time for you to wear the black eye that UK was burdened with once before.

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RLTW!

Posts: 836 | From: Savannah Ga | Registered: Dec 2004  |  IP: Logged
UNC-HEELS
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posted 10-23-2014 12:27 PM      Profile for UNC-HEELS     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Handycat,

I reread my post and I do owe you an apology. I was not actually referring to you as being "intellectually lazy."

The post appeared to be a re-post or multi-generation copy....and it was to that effect I was making the statement.

But as I read that portion, it did not come across that way and I would have assumed the same.

My apologies to you.

As for your comments about Roy...by that same line of thought, the same can be said for Calipari and Bledsoe including Calipari's past at UMass and Memphis....and so it goes.

[ 10-23-2014, 12:41 PM: Message edited by: UNC-HEELS ]

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handycat
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posted 10-23-2014 12:44 PM      Profile for handycat   Email handycat   Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Heels, no problem. I actually am a little lazy but I do appreciate the sentiment.

I don't fault you for defending your university, I just think you're wrong and letting your love of the program override your good judgment.

[ 10-23-2014, 12:46 PM: Message edited by: handycat ]

Posts: 5377 | From: decatur ill. | Registered: Feb 2005  |  IP: Logged
UNC-HEELS
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posted 10-23-2014 01:11 PM      Profile for UNC-HEELS     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Handycat,

Let me be clear, I am not defending the actions or the events that have taken place. I have as you can imagine taken the "heat" by the Dukies, and UK fan base as it were. LOL, what's new?

But most of the responses I have read, not so much from this site, have been attempts to create the image that UNC had this great conspiracy between many departments for this clandestine operation.

I was pointing out what has NOT been stated in those types of post.

Make no mistake, I am not excusing UNC for what has taken place. Whether Williams knew or not, is not relevant.

Fact is the academic integrity of the university was compromised. I do believe a coach has many issues to contend with just on his players and coaches and program alone.

He can't also do the job of the administration of the college. The administration was exposed here as being lax or negligent,IMO, on its responsibilities.

In this case more than just "student athletes" and I use that word lightly as the NCAA has re-defined what a student athlete is this day and time.....benefited and though it may have helped sports team members, it was not simply a class that was requested or directed or related to the athletic department, in other words, there was no conspiracy between Williams and the academic powers to be to set up such a class.

We all know every university including DUKE, Vanderbuilt and even UK have those "underwater basket weaving classes" we all wink and nudge about.

I doubt seriously that Oakafor at Duke will be signing up for calculus or advanced physics during his more than probable one year stay at Duke. Same for some of your incoming players at UK and other elite programs.

Point is we all know this is happening and it would be naïve for any of us to actually believe in this day of OAD's that these types of classes are not available in any Div I program, especially among the elites.

If the NCAA comes down on UNC, then so be it...one way or the other whether or not the athletic departments knew about it, is not relevant, the higher ups in the administration were NOT doing their jobs and that left the door open for something like this to occur.

Not matter how I wish to look at it, it still is a stain on the university whether people in charge knew about it or not.

I do think it is important to make some distinction how this class was set up and for what reasons and how there was no accountability of this particular class and those involved.

For Pete's sake my wife is a school teacher, and she is observed by her superiors every month by actual in class observations.

No excuses from me, just some clarification on all that was found in the reports and yes to some degree defending Williams in a situation that would obviously bring "odd looks" at his program.

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Old Norm
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posted 10-23-2014 01:21 PM      Profile for Old Norm   Email Old Norm   Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
The fact remains, UNC and Dook are the media and NCAA darlings, and I would give odds that this is punished by the proverbial "slap on the wrist". Had it been UK, the s*** would hit the fan. I will therefore shed no tears over this.

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Pray For Our Country!

Posts: 36264 | From: Western KY | Registered: Aug 2001  |  IP: Logged
Old Norm
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posted 10-23-2014 05:40 PM      Profile for Old Norm   Email Old Norm   Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
An article was posted on the KSR (Kentucky Sports Radio) website about this. This is what one of the comments to that article said:

"I don’t see why it matters if Roy knew about it or not. They didn’t care that Cal did nothing wrong or had no knowledge when they stole his banners."

I think it hits the nail on the head.

Link to KSR story

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Pray For Our Country!

Posts: 36264 | From: Western KY | Registered: Aug 2001  |  IP: Logged
WHO?UK
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posted 10-23-2014 10:24 PM      Profile for WHO?UK   Email WHO?UK   Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
UNC has been caught red handed.... Accept responsibility. I hate that UNC Fans are all saying, "Well everyone is doing it. What about Cal at UMASS and Memphis? Im sure Duke's incoming freshmen aren't going to take calculus."

All I hear is a whole lot of sniffling and UNC wanting to say that well everyone is doing it.

Maybe just maybe everyone isn't doing it?

And every time UNCHEELS says what about Cal at UMAA and Memphis makes my blood boil... Well how about Roy? He has been known to give his players gifts... Lets not forget Roy is no angel and I guarantee he knew MCcants and others were taking paper classes.

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RLTW!

Posts: 836 | From: Savannah Ga | Registered: Dec 2004  |  IP: Logged
CatFanInYankeeville
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posted 10-24-2014 02:33 AM      Profile for CatFanInYankeeville     Send New Private Message      Edit/Delete Post  Reply With Quote 
Let's be honest guys. D. Rose was cleared to play by the NCAA, until several years after the game in question when they decided he was ineligible and all wins must be vacated. That's because Cal was his coach.

UNC has skated by on violations before, and they will again. UK can't get a fair shake for Enes Canter and has to play by the letter of the law to even be ABLE to have victories, unc has been able to do what they want with no fear of retribution.

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“Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the Government take care of him; better take a closer look at the American Indian!” Henry Ford

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