UNC-CH academic scandal update & Tar Heel police blotter roundup

Big Four Rivals UNC Scandal37

 

A WRAL story that went up this evening has some interesting details regarding the widening academic scandal in Chapel Hill.  The most important thing to me is the revelation that, according to the article, ~58% of the students in the “suspect” classes were athletes:

More than half of the students enrolled in the classes in question were athletes, according to Nancy Davis, associate vice chancellor for university relations. 246 of them were football players (36 percent of enrollments); 23 were basketball players (3 percent); and 131 (19 percent) were students who competed in Olympic sports.

I wonder if they consider baseball as an Olympic sport for the purposes of those numbers — you will excuse me if I don’t take UNC-CH’s numbers at face value.  Either way, I wonder if they will still cling to the ridiculous “athletes got no preferential treatment” mantra.  Moving on, some refreshing news!  Apparently there are some adults in Chapel Hill – History Professor Jay Smith is not amused by the whole thing:

”I was sickened by it as I think most faculty around the campus were…”

“We had all this news about a rogue tutor,” Smith explained. “There was a rogue assistant coach, a rogue agent, now, a rogue faculty member and a rogue administrative assistant. That’s a lot of rogues.”

The News and Observer has also finally gotten to the party. Their approach seems to still be a dying effort to hold up the statements about this making the University stronger. Hilarity. There is a certain Wake County Superior Court judge who likes to share a chuckle about how many people he’s helped find Jesus just before their sentencing hearing. The N&O claims that UNC Chapel Hill might take action against (insert name of one of many “Rogue” individuals here).

Now, university officials say they may seek action against Nyang’oro for not teaching a class as they had anticipated. The move comes after The News & Observer inquired about summer school payments to Nyang’oro.

We all know how lawsuits in this mess have turned out for the Heels. We can all also only hope that their arrogance and scape-goating ways have indeed allowed them to learn nothing from the McAdoo saga. We welcome lawsuits and all the clarity they typically bring with them to the show. If there is such a thing as buying a ticket to a deposition, we could make some serious dough being a broker for those. How much would you pay to watch a used and accused professor bring down the UNC Basketball house of cards?

Factually speaking, this story by the N&O brings forth a little more clarity on exactly who was in those fake classes:

Football players and basketball players accounted for 39 percent of the 686 enrollments in the 54 suspect classes. Football players alone accounted for 36 percent of the enrollments. Non-student athletes accounted for 42 percent of the enrollments; the rest are student athletes in non-revenue-producing sports.

But university officials say student athletes and non-student athletes were treated equally when it came to the no-show classes and unauthorized grade changes. Figures released Thursday show four non-student athletes received them along with three football players and three other student athletes who are not in revenue-generating sports.

The Chairman of UNC’s Board of Trustees, Wade Hargrove, was quoted in that same N&O article. His statement at least shows concern, but again it’s the party line that this is going to make UNC stronger. We are privy to at least one story regarding Wade Hargrove that gives us hope that he is indeed going to treat this mess appropriately. It can be assumed that ultimately he pulled the trigger on Butch. The question that remains is whether Butch’s firing was indeed an effort to root out the evils at UNC or whether it was a last ditch effort to salvage UNC Basketball. The latest developments in this story certainly bring that question to the forefront once again. Mr. Hargrove’s statement to the N&O:

“All of that is deeply troubling,” said Wade Hargrove, chairman of UNC-CH’s board of trustees. “My concern at this point is making sure that measures are in place to prevent these things from ever happening again at this university.”

Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/05/11/2057064/unc-chapel-hill-might-take-action.html#storylink=cpy

And so we continue to get the ridiculous party line from UNC in this latest episode of their now epic cheating scandal. To wit: as long as regular students also cheated, that makes it ok. Umm, no. Regular students aren’t dealing with eligibility requirements enforced by the NCAA. Since the starting lineup of at least one UNC Basketball National Championship team was in AAS per one UNC student, there brings a high likelihood that stripping those players of their fake AAS credits would put their eligibility at the time in jeopardy. If their GPAs or even their credit totals dipped below minimum requirements, it will be time to consider lowering a banner or two.

And what is this yip we keep hearing about “if other students do it, that makes it okay?”. Where does this come from? Do adults really think that way? More to come on this issue in a later entry. You’ll want to check back in for that one. It seems UNC has been using this smoke-and-mirrors approach for years to hide their misdeeds, and in some cases inappropriately degrade the competition (all other ACC schools). Again, keep watching SFN for updates.

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Now, let’s check in on some Tar Heels in the news!  This WRAL story gives us the amazing news that Donte Paige-Moss was arrested this week:

Former North Carolina defensive end Donte Paige-Moss was charged with speeding, reckless driving to endanger and driving while impaired in Orange County Wednesday.

Paige-Moss is set to appear in court June 28.

The junior declared for the 2012 NFL draft on January 2 but went undrafted. He has yet to sign anywhere as a free agent.

Alert SFN readers will remember Paige-Moss’ comments about the UNC-CH football scandal explaining (paraphrased) “only the bank robbers who get caught get in trouble.”  As well as him taking a swing at Sterling Lucas after a State-UNC game.  Here he is in action in Miami:

Also, earlier this week brought word that former UNC-CH football player Chris Hawkins got arrested in Kinston.

A former UNC football player who made national headlines for an improper benefits scandal has been arrested by the Kinston Department of Public Safety for shooting into an occupied dwelling.

Again, alert readers will recall that Hawkins was involved in the football scandal.  Among other things, he was considered an agent by the NCAA and was arrested on felony cocaine trafficking charges in 2009. Hawkins apparently had free run of the football building when Butch was in charge.

 

Stay tuned.

 

Big Four Rivals UNC Scandal

37 Responses to UNC-CH academic scandal update & Tar Heel police blotter roundup

  1. newt 05/11/2012 at 12:13 PM #

    Before Afro-American Studies it was the Communications Dept.

  2. sockerne1 05/11/2012 at 12:31 PM #

    gawolf, ill be watching for your angle

  3. ADVENTUROO 05/11/2012 at 12:38 PM #

    At the risk of being a called a troll, which would be the politest, I would urge folks NOT to get too caught up in the headlines and rant and rave about imploding Kenan and the Dean Dome and turning it into a Valvano shrine (partial credit to BobLeeSays.Com for the original thought), NOW is NOT the time to be fanatical….

    There appears to be WAY more to this than is coming out and it does NOT seem to die of natural causes. The original Roy (two ringer) Williams quote, which garnered over 100 comments on the N&O was put out to placate the masses and the PR experts said that everything will be forgotten on Friday morning. Obviously, the PR guys/gals were using a Mayan calendar as today’s headlines and the WRAL interview are just fanning the flames and several websites are getting a LOT of clicks.

    We, the Fanatical Fans are also being accused of wanting punishment unheard of since good ole Gingus Khan.

    Therefore, even as my wife is reading the N&O print headlines and chuckling and doing the math, I think we need to be focused with our reactions and somewhat subdued with our call for justice.

    If we keep bringing up the comparisons to the Valvano crucifixion, we are going to sound a bit paranoid. NOW, I admit to trying to find a St. Monteith statue at the local NCSU Faculty Senate Yardsales and wanting to turn it into a VooDoo doll. I also listened last weekend to Jimmy V’s Audio book, but could not go on to the Reynold’s speech for fear of tearing up.

    So, as I vent, I am thinking that NOW would be a good time for some much needed phone calls (how archic) and maybe a few emails. Just a simple, I am concerned as a North Carolinian and also as an ACC fan that the recent stories of academic malfeasance are bringing negative press to both. I would kindly request that Fill In The Blank Entity(BOT, BOG, N&O, WRAL, Supreme Court, Gov. Purdue, Speaker of the House, Attorney General, Wake County Animal Control, or whoever) consider the appointment of a special investigator or committee to determine is these allegations have merit and to also provide accountability, as well as potential disciplanary action. As a NC Citizen, I am appalled that tuition increases reported at UNC are being considered when supposedly fraudelent classes were allowed to be reported and that certain professors received compensation for no more than writing a syllabus.

    I think that a more measured, but persisent approach, will be more efficient.

    Having said that, I also notice that when I send articles from the N&O or BobLeeSays.com to my the more moderate UNC fans that their reaction is being a bit MORE vocal and they are concerned.

    As this plays out, it will be interesting to see the FLAGSHIP handles this. I try NOT to gloat, but this current little chapter in UNC’s athletic endeavors will probably be remembered and discussed for at least two generations. By my count, the Jimmy V. “situation” is about 22 years old…..and the UNC folks that used to wax poetically about that are NO WHERE to be found. Maybe Deputy Huckleberry ought to form a possee and find them….or at LEAST get out his Red Ryder BB gun and start target practice again.

    In today’s society, CLICKS sell advertising and CLICKS is what this is getting….

    This comment is partly serious, as I hope you all understand, and primarily TONGUE-IN-CHEEK….

  4. TopTenPack 05/11/2012 at 1:19 PM #

    Will we in the future look back and point to this as the cause of the downfall of the ACC?

  5. Hungwolf 05/11/2012 at 1:26 PM #

    I keep hearing and reading why isn’t the UNC academic community in an uproar. It is becuase they just as guilty. Professors claiming their names were forged, didn’t teach the classes, and didn’t know. Well that cannot be true cause they got PAID for teaching the classes. You can’t claim 1-3 years after getting paid to teach a class that you didn’t know about it and your name was forged.

    Taking tax payer dollars to teach a class that didn’t exist, all the professors should be looking criminal charges and be made to pay the money back.

  6. GooPaaack 05/11/2012 at 1:48 PM #

    Chancellor Holden Thorp trying to keep the calm in Blue Heaven—kinda looks like Franklin St. to me…

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDAmPIq29ro

  7. GAWolf 05/11/2012 at 3:11 PM #

    Hmm… bring out the forensic handwriting specialist next, please.

  8. Gene 05/11/2012 at 3:58 PM #

    “Similar to rocks for jocks (geology) at ncsu, although the percent of athletes is probably more like 15% in a class like that.”

    As a former Geology undergrad at NCSU, you offend me sir.

    Intro geology is no less rigorous than most any other intro science class, with probably the exception of physics (all that math).

    I know some schools have a ‘physical sciences’ course for non-science majors to satisfy a science requirement, but that isn’t actually a geology course per se.

  9. highstick 05/11/2012 at 5:32 PM #

    Beth Woods, the State Auditor, has been indicating that she needed some work for her staff..Have at it, Beth…just make sure the staff you assign aren’t Tarhole grads!

  10. oceanman 05/11/2012 at 5:41 PM #

    One of he best parts of this scandal will be the signs that the state and Duke students make for football and basketball games. I especially look forward to the Cameron Crazies and their humiliation of the UNX baskeball team when they visit CIS.

    We have to ask ourselves why are we enjoying this so much. The answer for me is that, for 40 yerars I have been told that my engineering degrees from NCSU were somehow inferior to degrees from UNX. I knew it was bull but now the proof is public.

  11. sockerne1 05/11/2012 at 9:46 PM #

    Gene the geology class I took was most definitely an intro class for non majors. I don’t think any other class in the dept would be called rocks for jocks. I could have just as easily said intro to parks rec and tourism. Those were my two “athlete electives” and I do think they were fairly easy. I do remember attendance being strict for both of them though which certainly strays from the Swahili template. Well that and having to do the work yourself.

  12. blpack 05/12/2012 at 9:35 PM #

    No telling how long this has been going on. Waiting and waiting for the academics to step up and put a stop to this mess. It is so imbedded into their culture however, the wait continues. The culture of corruption = UNC-CH.

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