Monday, January 7, 2013 —
RALEIGH – To conclude that former Gov. Jim Martin’s review of the athletic and academic scandal that has enveloped the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was a meaningless exercise would be unfair.
Unfortunately, many people will come to that conclusion because the report from Martin and the management consulting firm Baker-Tilly fails to answer critical questions raised by revelations regarding student-athletes enrolled in bogus or questionable courses at the school.
The real value of the 77-page report resides in findings that show, in detail, how bogus lecture courses and questionable independent study courses offered by the university’s African and Afro-American Studies Department spiked from 2003 until 2008, while going back as far as 1997.
That is the report’s strength.
The weaknesses include a sweeping conclusion that the scandal is “isolated” and is academic in its origins and not athletic.
How Martin et al could reach that conclusion without answering the most basic question facing the university, the one that all those associated with UNC-Chapel Hill appear willing to go to any lengths to avoid, is a mystery.
That basic question: Who was responsible for steering athletes to these courses?
To come to the conclusion that the Martin report reaches, one has to believe that two people, a professor and his departmental administrator, invented the scheme out of whole cloth and without intending to benefit athletes.
One also must believe that football and basketball players found out about the courses through osmosis.
The evidence from investigative reporters Dan Kane and Andy Curliss of The News & Observer of Raleigh establishes an open-and-shut case that it simply didn’t happen that way.
Former UNC football player Marvin Austin was enrolled in a questionable, upper-level course in the summer before beginning his first full semester as a freshman. How did he know to do that, and who arranged it?
Eighteen football players and a former player filled up a bogus summer course within four days of its creation. So, we are to believe that the good professor called the players, without ever speaking to anyone in academic advising or the athletics department?
And how about that naval weapons course, attended by six basketball players just as an adjunct professor eased up on the course requirements?
The Martin report’s explanation of that course is that departmental administrators were looking to counter bad publicity for ROTC courses, evidenced by graffiti on campus and cast a wider net for students.
There is no mention of whether the dog ate the old syllabus.
The report also states that no evidence was found that academic advisers colluded with professors to create the courses. Interestingly enough, it doesn’t specifically mention whether the review looked for collusion between the athletics department and instructors.
That university officials and those whom they employ have again avoided the central question posed by two years of unsavory revelations leads to the obvious conclusion that the answers must be pretty awful.
Still, they continue to deceive themselves that the stain can be washed away without answering it.
Opinion
Related Photos
-
Scott Mooneyham
Discussion
UNC report avoids main questions of scandal
- Opinion
-
-
Editorial: Seizure of AP phone records insult to independent press
This amounts to spying on an American news organization -- common practice in dictatorships but scary conduct in a democratic system that prizes the public value of an independent watchdog press.
-
Google shuts down SMS search, angers people who had forgotten it existed
Instead of texting back search results, Google responds with a short message noting that the service "has been shutdown" (sic) and that you can continue to search the Web by visiting google.com (duh).
-
Walking by Faith
Last week I wrote about waiting on the Lord. I really needed to hear from the Lord, but all I was receiving was “wait.” I really don’t like to wait, but it is important to give God the opportunity to work things out before we proceed. After we wait on God, the next thing we are going to be asked to do is to walk by faith. That means that God is only going to reveal one step at a time, which is almost as much fun as “wait.”
-
Jettie Parker
Jettie Frick Parker, 89, of Albemarle died at 2 a.m. Friday, May 3, 2013, in Trinity Place, Albemarle.
-
Always Learning
I am teaching a class this semester that I haven’t taught in over a dozen years. Although I have taught it before, it still has a feeling of being new. The curriculum has been updated, and I must spend a good bit of time reviewing and preparing for the lesson each day. It doesn’t surprise me that often that I will come across something I didn’t know. The other day I made a big fuss about learning something new. The kids had a good time with that; their teacher learned something new.
-
West of Memphis: My Favorite Documentary Gets a New Partner
I saw “Paradise Lost: The Child Murders of Robin Hood Hills” when it played in theaters in 1996. At some point during the viewing, it became my favorite documentary. A position it has held for nearly 20 years. I own a copy of it, along with the two sequels “(Paradise Lost 2: Revelations” and “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory).” Many know part of the story told in the films; it is a story that everyone should witness.
-
Childhood bullying linked to adult psychological disorders
A significant study from Duke provides the best evidence we’ve had thus far that bullying in childhood is linked to a higher risk of psychological disorders in adulthood. The results came as a surprise to the research team.
-
Saturday night with ‘The Rocketman’ Elton John
The Grateful Dead had its Deadheads.
Jimmy Buffett has his Parrotheads.
I guess Elton John has his … Eltonites? -
Spring Cleaning
Last week during spring break I spent a lot of time catching up on my sleep. My wife and I also worked on a number of different projects around the house. Today I headed back to work and can reflect back on a productive week around the house. While there are other things that we wished we could have gotten done, we both feel good about the progress we made around here.
-
Oz the Great and Powerful: A Prequel to a Classic
I am a fan of Sam Raimi, the director of “Oz the Great and Powerful.” Chances are you have seen some of his work, even if you did not realize it. He directed all three of the first “Spider-Man” series, the ones with Tobey MaGuire as Peter Parker/Spidey. In 2009, he directed one of my favorite horror movies of the last two decades: “Drag Me to Hell.” I know the title sounds strange, but it is one of the best PG-13 horror films ever. It was my choice in 2010 for my annual Scary Movie Night that happens the weekend before Halloween every year: all my guests were quite pleased with the selection.
- More Opinion Headlines
-
Editorial: Seizure of AP phone records insult to independent press
