UNC Athletics Scandal - Wainstein Report

[CameronBornAndBred]

Driving home from Greensboro today, I listened to UNC apologists Dave Glenn and Art Chansky on the radio. They shared the same take -- because this involved regular students as well as athletes, there is nothing for the NCAA to see here.

Because no regular student enjoys taking an easy class to pad their GPA and lighten their workload. Ever.

Edit...after thinking about that, it is even MORE remarkable that their wasn't a more average mix of athletes and regular students. You'd think everyone would want in. Unless not everyone had the opportunity. Hmmmm.

[uh_no]

Soooo, does Cleveland State need to prepare their appeal yet or not?

No, but Dan Ewing will surely get his second.

[JetpackJesus]

I didn't see this article from Bloomberg linked yet. Apologies if I missed it. It is not kind to UNC and includes the following gem:

"In other words, to keep members of UNC’s top-rated basketball team on the court, professional “counselors” encouraged flat-out academic fraud."

Ouch.

[Kedsy]

ESPN's take.

[Duvall]

I can't believe the pass Roy Williams is getting for being caught going along to get along.

The double standard is as real now as it was in 1984. Actually it's a triple standard now - the standard to which the media holds Duke, the standard to which the media holds most schools, and the standard to which the media holds UNC.

[roywhite]

I avoided David Glenn's show today for this very reason. He's a lawyer and should know better. UNC had to partially open these classes to non-athletes in order to keep the scam going. If they did not, some disaffected student would have complained. This could have blown up years ago.

Did Glenn/Chansky just avoid the eligibility to play issue?

I made the mistake of listening to Joe Ovies on 99.9 when travelling in the Triangle area today; he made sure to remind listeners about Lance Thomas, seeming to indicate some equivalence with the 2005 UNC team winning a championship with numerous players in the AFAM scam, and Duke having a 2010 championship banner despite Lance Thomas's jewelry purchase.

[JetpackJesus]

Edit...after thinking about that, it is even MORE remarkable that their wasn't a more average mix of athletes and regular students. You'd think everyone would want in. Unless not everyone had the opportunity. Hmmmm.

I think you nailed it. I'd guess small class sizes with athletes registering before or having priority over non-athletes and taking up the bulk of the open seats.

...not that there were actually any seats.

[devildeac]

Has anyone visited PackPride today?

[diablesseblu]

I think you nailed it. I'd guess small class sizes with athletes registering before or having priority over non-athletes and taking up the bulk of the open seats.

...not that there were actually any seats.

Exactly!! This is a prime example of why there had to be complicity between the registrar's office, the athletic department, and the advisors. Slots in classes are reserved only when a professional in the registrar's office manually overrides their computer system. Also, each athlete's class registration would have to have been done by a member of the registrar's staff.

[wsb3]

Outside the Lines was interesting today. Couple of highlights... The excuse that all students took these classes was answered by Willingham...Yes some took one or two.. but some of the athletes took 15, 16 of these type classes. She will be addressing that in her book that comes out next March. Some of the panel felt like today vindicated her. She also reported a death threat this week..

Also they played the answer Roy gave Jay (in that hard hitting interview)..in response to McCants saying Roy knew 100%. Of course he denied that. Ole Roy is not that involved in academics but then they played a clip from 2012 where Roy talked about how much he knew what was going on with his players academically.

So Roy is either being not so truthful, or he did not know. One of the panel said not knowing is just as bad.

I suggest OTL for your entertainment.. Break out the popcorn.

[miramar]

When are y'all going to realize the important point, which is that I would be proud to have any of the guys who took bogus classes babysitting my grandkids. In fact, by spending less time studying, they had more time for babysitting, which is what I call a win-win situation.

[miramar]

According to the N&O, Mary Boxill is one of the professors who was caught with her hand in the cookie jar since she wrote sections of some of the papers that women basketball players turned in and was also involved in collusion on deciding the grades that some of them would receive. Here is what the N&O has to say about her:


"Boxill is a senior lecturer in the department of philosophy and was chair of the faculty from 2011 to earlier this year. She directs the university’s Parr Center for Ethics."


Let me see if I have this straight: Someone who was involved in plagiarism and altering grades directs an ethics center? Oh well, I guess that must be the Carolina way.


Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2014/10/...#storylink=cpy

[OldPhiKap]

Serious question:

What is the closest comparison to this in the past? Where there was over a thousand athletes taking bogus classes, guided there by advisors for decades, and the NCAA was called to investigate?

[Im4howdy]

You can't make this stuff up.

I'll wager that most of the faculty are appalled over what has been presented. It's Chansky and all the other baby blue fanatics who consider the institution as a deity, that can't even be accused of wearing blinders now, because they've put on blindfolds.

The Emerald City may still exist, but the man behind the curtain has been exposed. (translation: there is still an important university in Chapel Hill, but the "Carolina Way" is a fraud). Art, you and Toto aren't in Kansas anymore.

[dukebluesincebirth]

Crowder immediately gave the report an A.

[LastRowFan]

My favorite quote (p. 71):

"As described more fully below (see Section VI.G), Coach Davis came to Chapel Hill with the expectation that he would find a strong infrastructure for maintaining high academic standards among the players. According to Davis, he quickly realized that there was lots of talk about the importance of academics without anything to back up that talk. He found Chapel Hill’s attitude toward student-athlete academics to be like an “Easter egg,” beautiful and impressive to the outside world, but without much life inside."

[lotusland]

From IC

BubbaC email to Rams Club members today

Earlier today, Mr. Kenneth Wainstein released the findings of his independent investigation into academic irregularities at Carolina. You may read the report and related materials at www.carolinacommitment.unc.edu.

This has been a challenging period for everyone affiliated with the University of North Carolina. I have included below the Carolina Points of View that show how we are moving forward to ensure that our University fulfills its mission with the integrity and standards we expect. We now turn our attention to the future with optimism that the lessons learned will lead to marked improvements that further build upon the extensive actions already taken. We are eager to embrace the challenge to lead in a way that makes you proud to be a Tar Heel.

I want to express how important your loyalty has been over these past few years. Thank you for your continued support of Carolina Athletics and the outstanding student-athletes who represent this University every day.

Bubba Cunningham
Director of Athletics



Carolina Point of View

We are taking responsibility for the past.
For four years, the Carolina community has been under a cloud – consumed in some ways by the past and unable to focus fully on our future. The reason we commissioned this report is to more fully understand and address that past so that our students, faculty, alumni and broader community can finally move forward.
Mr. Wainstein’s investigation shows that the bad actions of a few and the inaction of others failed our students, faculty and broader community. They betrayed our mission and undermined our institution.
The length of time this behavior went on and the number of people involved and impacted are shocking. It could and should have been stopped much earlier by individuals in positions of influence and oversight. Many others could have sounded the alarm more forcefully.
Mr. Wainstein found no indication that this wrongdoing spread beyond AFAM. He found that current coaches were not involved. He also confirmed that the irregular courses ended in 2011.
The report shows this was both an academic and an athletics issue; it was a University issue.
While we recognize that this is one chapter of our history – a chapter that we must use as an opportunity to make ourselves stronger – it should in no way define us.
This investigation was different.
Mr. Wainstein had access to pivotal witnesses including Deborah Crowder and Julius Nyang’oro. He spoke to anyone who was willing and able to share relevant information. He determined when the wrongdoing began and ended – and why.
We are confident this was the most thorough and complete investigation possible.
We will continue cooperating with the NCAA and SACSOC.
We have made and will continue to make significant reforms.
More than three years ago, we started to transform our culture, structure and policies from the top-down and the ground-up in order to ensure nothing like this happens again. Those reforms are detailed on carolinacommitment.unc.edu/.
Based on Mr. Wainstein’s findings, the University will take additional actions to help restore trust and confidence in Carolina.
We are holding accountable those personnel who are directly implicated as a result of this investigation.
The University has announced several major new initiatives today based on learnings from the report:
Department Integrity: We will develop and implement an expanded process for the consistent evaluation and review of every unit and department. The Provost or appropriate director will be authorized to launch special department reviews as needed.
Ethics & Integrity Working Group: We will establish a working group to ensure there are clear, consolidated and confidential channels through which people can raise their hand and share concerns. The working group will also recommend how to best oversee the University's commitment to integrity and compliance.
Advising: The University will launch a new effort to align and advance existing advising and support programs for student-athletes – including earlier and more intensive attention to exploring majors and planning career paths.
Integrating Faculty: To better integrate faculty into the lives and progression of our student-athletes, we are adding faculty to a group that reviews student-athlete eligibility and progression toward degree.
Policy Audit: The University will conduct an institution-wide policy and procedure audit. This audit will allow us to identify any remaining redundancies and gaps, and will create a mechanism for periodic re-evaluation. In addition, we will provide mandatory training and education for faculty and staff.
Stabilization Plans: We will immediately implement a plan to stabilize the Department of African, African American and Diaspora Studies. This effort will be led by our Provost, Jim Dean. Similarly, athletics director Bubba Cunningham has been executing a plan to bolster integrity and accountability throughout the Athletics organization.
Public Records: We are launching a new public records website to enhance transparency, responsiveness and efficiency around records requests.
Carolina’s future is bright.
Carolina is already much stronger as a result of our journey over the past few years, and the great work of our community has continued unabated. Great institutions do that – they adjust and move forward, better than before.
Our core mission as an institution is academics. But we also believe we can offer strong athletics programs, and that, in fact, athletics advances our academic mission.
If we learn nothing else from these past mistakes, we hope it is that everything begins and ends with what is in the best interest of our students.
Today we recommit to our foundational mission: to educate and empower our students to become the next generation of leaders.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

FWIW this was one of the lead stories on CBS Evening News.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

From IC

BubbaC email to Rams Club members today

Earlier today, Mr. Kenneth Wainstein released the findings of his independent investigation into academic irregularities at Carolina. You may read the report and related materials at www.carolinacommitment.unc.edu.

This has been a challenging period for everyone affiliated with the University of North Carolina. I have included below the Carolina Points of View that show how we are moving forward to ensure that our University fulfills its mission with the integrity and standards we expect. We now turn our attention to the future with optimism that the lessons learned will lead to marked improvements that further build upon the extensive actions already taken. We are eager to embrace the challenge to lead in a way that makes you proud to be a Tar Heel.

I want to express how important your loyalty has been over these past few years. Thank you for your continued support of Carolina Athletics and the outstanding student-athletes who represent this University every day.

Bubba Cunningham
Director of Athletics



Carolina Point of View

We are taking responsibility for the past.
For four years, the Carolina community has been under a cloud – consumed in some ways by the past and unable to focus fully on our future. The reason we commissioned this report is to more fully understand and address that past so that our students, faculty, alumni and broader community can finally move forward.
Mr. Wainstein’s investigation shows that the bad actions of a few and the inaction of others failed our students, faculty and broader community. They betrayed our mission and undermined our institution.
The length of time this behavior went on and the number of people involved and impacted are shocking. It could and should have been stopped much earlier by individuals in positions of influence and oversight. Many others could have sounded the alarm more forcefully.
Mr. Wainstein found no indication that this wrongdoing spread beyond AFAM. He found that current coaches were not involved. He also confirmed that the irregular courses ended in 2011.
The report shows this was both an academic and an athletics issue; it was a University issue.
While we recognize that this is one chapter of our history – a chapter that we must use as an opportunity to make ourselves stronger – it should in no way define us.
This investigation was different.
Mr. Wainstein had access to pivotal witnesses including Deborah Crowder and Julius Nyang’oro. He spoke to anyone who was willing and able to share relevant information. He determined when the wrongdoing began and ended – and why.
We are confident this was the most thorough and complete investigation possible.
We will continue cooperating with the NCAA and SACSOC.
We have made and will continue to make significant reforms.
More than three years ago, we started to transform our culture, structure and policies from the top-down and the ground-up in order to ensure nothing like this happens again. Those reforms are detailed on carolinacommitment.unc.edu/.
Based on Mr. Wainstein’s findings, the University will take additional actions to help restore trust and confidence in Carolina.
We are holding accountable those personnel who are directly implicated as a result of this investigation.
The University has announced several major new initiatives today based on learnings from the report:
Department Integrity: We will develop and implement an expanded process for the consistent evaluation and review of every unit and department. The Provost or appropriate director will be authorized to launch special department reviews as needed.
Ethics & Integrity Working Group: We will establish a working group to ensure there are clear, consolidated and confidential channels through which people can raise their hand and share concerns. The working group will also recommend how to best oversee the University's commitment to integrity and compliance.
Advising: The University will launch a new effort to align and advance existing advising and support programs for student-athletes – including earlier and more intensive attention to exploring majors and planning career paths.
Integrating Faculty: To better integrate faculty into the lives and progression of our student-athletes, we are adding faculty to a group that reviews student-athlete eligibility and progression toward degree.
Policy Audit: The University will conduct an institution-wide policy and procedure audit. This audit will allow us to identify any remaining redundancies and gaps, and will create a mechanism for periodic re-evaluation. In addition, we will provide mandatory training and education for faculty and staff.
Stabilization Plans: We will immediately implement a plan to stabilize the Department of African, African American and Diaspora Studies. This effort will be led by our Provost, Jim Dean. Similarly, athletics director Bubba Cunningham has been executing a plan to bolster integrity and accountability throughout the Athletics organization.
Public Records: We are launching a new public records website to enhance transparency, responsiveness and efficiency around records requests.
Carolina’s future is bright.
Carolina is already much stronger as a result of our journey over the past few years, and the great work of our community has continued unabated. Great institutions do that – they adjust and move forward, better than before.
Our core mission as an institution is academics. But we also believe we can offer strong athletics programs, and that, in fact, athletics advances our academic mission.
If we learn nothing else from these past mistakes, we hope it is that everything begins and ends with what is in the best interest of our students.
Today we recommit to our foundational mission: to educate and empower our students to become the next generation of leaders.

Hrmmmm... not a single mention of football or basketball, very little mention of even "athletics" until the rear end of the letter.

Way to go, spin team!

[Duvall]

Don't forget, the department that knew what was going on, the Academic Support Program for Student-Athletes, was not part of the athletic department, despite sharing the same offices. We're supposed to believe this separation of departments explains why the athletic department had absolutely no idea what was going on-- the people that shared offices with them somehow never told them.

It's laughable.

The thinnest of reeds:

ASPSA had traditionally been housed in and funded by the Athletics Department. In the
late 1980s, then Athletics Director John Swofford sought to move ASPSA over to the College of
Arts and Sciences in order to foster a stronger connection between athletics and academics.
Although ASPSA continued to be funded out of the Athletics Department budget – due to the
simple fact that Athletics was the only department with the requisite funds in its budget – its
oversight and management formally shifted to the College, and specifically to the Center for Student
Success and Academic Counseling in the Office of Undergraduate Education.
These responsibilities may have shifted as a matter of the organizational chart, but they did
not fully shift as a matter of practice. For all intents and purposes, the ASPSA managers and staff
still believed that they reported to a large degree to Senior Associate Athletics Director John
Blanchard and the coaches.
This belief was understandable, given the circumstances under which they operated. First,
they were physically located with the Athletics Department near Kenan Stadium (and eventually in
the Loudermilk Center), nearly a half-mile away from the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate
Studies. Second, they continued to be funded by the Athletics Department and had to get its
approval for any new staff. Third, it was clear to all that the coaches had the power over the
counselors’ employment. It was not lost on anybody that Roy Williams was able to bring Walden in
from Kansas, install him in ASPSA and have him supplant long-time counselor McSwain. Nor was
it lost on the counselors that Reynolds was out of her job once Davis lost patience with her. It was
quite clear to the counselors – at least those in the revenue sports – that they were being evaluated
by the coaches and judged by their success in keeping players eligible to play ball.