NYT: Still Refusing to Acknowledge that the UNC Football Scandal Was an Academic Scandal...
...and not an athletic one.
link
It's much worse, and much more embarrassing, that it is an academic scandal. But that's what it is.
However, to acknowledge that, places like the NYT would have to acknowledge that all the responsibility lies with the African-American Studies department.
And that, let's face it, they are not going to do...
link
It's much worse, and much more embarrassing, that it is an academic scandal. But that's what it is.
However, to acknowledge that, places like the NYT would have to acknowledge that all the responsibility lies with the African-American Studies department.
And that, let's face it, they are not going to do...
posted by Winston Smith at
6:59 PM
3 Comments:
Okay, I respectfully disagree on a couple of points.
First, it is both an athletics and academic scandal. Mostly academic. However, the athletics program specifically put their people into this class because they knew it was an easy pass and didn't care about their students' education. That's unethical. And this crap happens all the time...
Second, the Africa-American studies department and its head/chair bear most of the responsiblity. But they are part of a college (such as Arts and Letters, Arts and Sciences, etc), that presumably has a Dean. That Dean is responsible for what happens in their unit, as is the Provost for all academics, President for the whole university, etc. - and if one starts to officially lay blame, where will it stop? That's probably a major reason why no one is going after the African America studies department...and honestly that would be a very difficult thing to do as I think you hinted in your post.
From a middle aged caucasian academic in the midwest.
~Mark (hbr221f)
Mark,
Well, you've got a point. It's apparently true that some football tutors guided football players to these courses... But is that enough to make it an athletic scandal? I don't know how closely tutors work with e.g. the football program.
WS,
In my experience the tutors and advisors know full well what's going on with the academic classes and programs. They specifically target 'easy' or easier professors and get their students into their classes. Likewise, they know who will not show favoritism to athletes (the rules are the rules and apply to everyone) and actively avoid those professors.
I have a very hard time believing the tutors and advisors didn't know exactly what they were doing. In fact, there are monetary incentives for individuals at most schools (mine is no exception) if a certain number of athletes remain academically eligible.
~Mark (hbr221f)
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