Views on the News: UNC scandal
Three years ago, the University of North Carolina faced a scandal when it was revealed that students had been taking so-called “paper classes,” which almost never met in person and required only one paper submission, often plagiarized, to pass. On Wednesday, a new report detailed that the classes were mostly devised to keep up the grade point averages of struggling UNC athletes. UNC has admitted that athletes were steered toward the classes by advisors, and have set up new checks to ensure that classes are meeting regularly. Four employees have been terminated at UNC as a result of the scandal, and disciplinary proceedings are beginning against five more. How do you react to the UNC scandal, and what can be done to prevent a similar situation at other schools?
Director Erika Lamarre
What happened at UNC, and what happens at institutions around the world, is what happens when achievement is placed above learning. Often when students are academically dishonest it’s not because they are morally flawed or trying to get away with something, but because they believe they can't perform up to expectations. Students and faculty need to know that academic dishonesty goes beyond not keeping your eyes on your own exam in class. When a student submits work that is not his/her own, it not only puts their integrity in doubt, but it has a ripple effect on their entire student experience and that of their peers. At Brandeis we create an atmosphere where students are set up to succeed amid an atmosphere of excellence. We’ve clarified our academic integrity expectations, and when faculty suspect a problem with a student’s work, they work with the student and/or my office to make sure we combine accountability with learning. I’m glad this issue is getting the attention it deserves.
Erika Lamarre is the Director of Academic Integrity.
Coach William Shipman
As an alumnus and supporter of athletics of UNC at Chapel Hill I am especially cognizant of and sad about the recent academic issues involving UNC athletics and academics. But the system existing now in major college football encourages these types of actions. Alumni and students of state and some private universities place high pressure on university administrators and coaches to present a winning team. Literally tens of millions of dollars of personal, university and local business money can be at stake, some of which fund academic programs in the university. This pressure to produce wins results in the admission of some athletes who are not near the academic level of the predominant university population. Undoubtedly UNC must raise its accountability of academic preparation and performance for its athletes, to prevent this type of incident. But let’s look at the deeper influence of a Division 1 college athletics system that places too much pressure on underprepared young men and those that lead them to win and make money on the field while they minimize the primary mission of universities.
Coach William Shipman is the head coach of the men’s and women’s fencing teams.
Coach Michael Kotch
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