JUCO scandal: "Creative accounting" with LOIs

[HuskyNan]

Don't want to violate the NJCAA's rules on scholarship limits? Why, no need to let it know how many kids signed LOIs.

Monroe College Athletics Sanctioned by NJCAA Resulting in Loss of 52 Scholarships Over Two Years Across Six Sports

The Monroe College Athletics Department was heavily sanctioned in 2011 by the National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) due to violations of the NJCAA Letter of Intent program. As a result of the sanctions, the NJCAA took away a total of 52 scholarships in six sports over a two year period. The sanctions will end in 2013.

An NJCAA Letter of Intent is a legally binding agreement that a student-athlete is bound to a particular institution for a period of one year. A signee of an NJCAA Letter of Intent counts towards the overall maximum number of individuals in that sport regardless of the amount of athletic scholarship. Failing to file LOIs with the NJCAA would allow a member institution to circumvent scholarship limits.

 

[diggerfoot]

Don't want to violate the NJCAA's rules on scholarship limits? Why, no need to let it know how many kids signed LOIs.

Monroe College Athletics Sanctioned by NJCAA Resulting in Loss of 52 Scholarships Over Two Years Across Six Sports

The Monroe College Athletics Department was heavily sanctioned in 2011 by the National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) due to violations of the NJCAA Letter of Intent program. As a result of the sanctions, the NJCAA took away a total of 52 scholarships in six sports over a two year period. The sanctions will end in 2013.

An NJCAA Letter of Intent is a legally binding agreement that a student-athlete is bound to a particular institution for a period of one year. A signee of an NJCAA Letter of Intent counts towards the overall maximum number of individuals in that sport regardless of the amount of athletic scholarship. Failing to file LOIs with the NJCAA would allow a member institution to circumvent scholarship limits.

This it the type of creativity one might find at North Carolina.

 

[Phil]

This it the type of creativity one might find at North Carolina.

I don't think comments like that should be posted, unless there is a reference to an actual case. We are the victim of cheap shots, let's not engage in it.

 

[ochoopsfan]

What exactly does a student get for a scholarship at a JUCO? Most are commuter schools by me with very little housing that I know of. The overall costs cant be too expensive, although I suppose every cent counts nowadays.

On a side note, from the article that Nan linked:

Shortly after the sanctions began, New Rochelle Police confiscated a loaded .9mm semi-automatic carbine from a player on the Monroe College women's basketball team. As the result of the incident the player was kicked off the team and expelled, another player was suspended and Seth Goodman, the team's head coach, was fired.

The article didnt say she was arrested so did she have a license to carry that weapon?

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

This was no ordinary coach or team, and I read the attached article. Two players got in a fight over thefts in the dorm, and the first was threatening the 2nd by text from ICU. The gun in question was one of the type used in Columbine, FWIW. She threatened to kill the other player and her mother.

NO ORDINARY COACH:

Goodman, the head coach of the Lady Mustangs since the 2001-02 season, is a former Women's Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year and the winningest sports coach in the school’s history. During his tenure, Goodman led the Monroe College women to a 180-35 (.837) record. He won three National Championships, five regional championships and was named WBCA coach of the Year for the 2005-06 season. The 2011-12 team he put together won what would have been his fourth National Championship in April, 2012.

Definite shame. http://www.newrochelletalk.com/cont...automatic-carbine-monroe-college-basketball-p

 

[diggerfoot]

I don't think comments like that should be posted, unless there is a reference to an actual case. We are the victim of cheap shots, let's not engage in it.

I'm not sure if your comment was serious or not. I was hinting at UNC's fake courses in the African American Studies program which created a firestorm and was verified to have occurred. I thought everyone would automatically call that to mind because of its huge play in the press. That was pretty "creative accounting" for their "student" athletes meeting academic requirements. I guess I feel sheepish if you were being facetious and I didn't pick up the tone; I feel puzzled if you were serious by your comment.

If you were serious we'll just have to disagree. If an institution pulls the stunt that UNC did, and even gets away with it with the NCAA for that matter, they precisely deserve the kind of comment I made, without the slightest regret.

 

[Phil]

I'm not sure if your comment was serious or not. I was hinting at UNC's fake courses in the African American Studies program which created a firestorm and was verified to have occurred. I thought everyone would automatically call that to mind because of its huge play in the press. That was pretty "creative accounting" for their "student" athletes meeting academic requirements. I guess I feel sheepish if you were being facetious and I didn't pick up the tone; I feel puzzled if you were serious by your comment.

If you were serious we'll just have to disagree. If an institution pulls the stunt that UNC did, and even gets away with it with the NCAA for that matter, they precisely deserve the kind of comment I made, without the slightest regret.

Didn't know about that situation. I do know that UNC had managed to have offers out in wbb to more people than they could accommodate, so it sounded like you were assuming they might pull something like this. I thought it sounded like a cheap shot at Hatchell, whom I don't think would do any such thing.

 

[HuskyNan]

Didn't know about that situation. I do know that UNC had managed to have offers out in wbb to more people than they could accommodate, so it sounded like you were assuming they might pull something like this. I thought it sounded like a cheap shot at Hatchell, whom I don't think would do any such thing.

http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/09/02/2312659/the-ncaas-clean-bill-for-unc-brings.html

This is what Phil was referring to.

 

[Phil]

That's pretty sad.

 

[quedash]

Let me start by saying I am a Tarheel fan, and I admit that the allegations against the African Studies Department smell like fish left in the sun for three days; however these allegations and insinuations are being played out in the media because of the smell. Apparently, the university has a major problem with the way the department was being run, but the NCAA has no rules that were violated based on their findings.

As many of you who went to college know, there were always courses and professors who were extremely liberal in their views of what demonstrated mastery of their course requirements. Whether it be a paper, a project, a video presentation,etc. as long as it showed knowledge of the subject matter it was accepted. This applied to all students -athletes or not.

I also know that there are many professors, at many universities, who are "sympathetic" to the "perceived injustices" that African-Americans/minorities face in this country and they will often find ways(their views not necessarily mine) to try to help these students as long as they feel the students are doing their part to stay in school(i.e. striving to overcome their academic shortcomings). Again this is done for all of these students not just athletes. These students are usually not majoring in engineering, mathematics, business, sciences, or any of the rigorous majors; but usually have majors like religious studies, philosophy, African studies, art, or any of the less academically rigorous majors. I am not stating that this is the same program of study at every university, but every university has majors that don't require the same rigor as majors that are heavy in math and/or science.

Fortunately, the African Studies department at my alma mater did not share this view of less rigorous work. They demanded your best work, much to displeasure of all those freshmen who thought they were going to get an "A" just for showing up to class. They also also let you know that if you went into any course at the university giving less than your best- you would not be there long. The bottom line, however, is practically all universities have professors who will do what they can to keep athletes eligible and they have professors who will do what they can to keep(perceived) disadvantaged students on track to obtain their degrees.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

I have no idea of the truth, but the forgoing is certainly potentially possible. Does not really make the lack of punishment any more palatable, nor necessarily "right", but perhaps explains it.

On a much less significant level, I certainly had some professors that weren't failing anyone, although the classes where this was a "thing" weren't easy and didn't have any athletes in them. I also took a couple of courses (interesting, but not challenging) known as "guts" in the day, but I don't have any vibe about how the teachers actually graded.

 

[diggerfoot]

Let me start by saying I am a Tarheel fan, and I admit that the allegations against the African Studies Department smell like fish left in the sun for three days; however these allegations and insinuations are being played out in the media because of the smell. Apparently, the university has a major problem with the way the department was being run, but the NCAA has no rules that were violated based on their findings. ......

The bottom line, however, is practically all universities have professors who will do what they can to keep athletes eligible and they have professors who will do what they can to keep(perceived) disadvantaged students on track to obtain their degrees.

Let me address two things in reply to this one post. Phil called me out for criticizing North Carolina, thinking I was pointing a finger to Hatchell and the abundance of LOIs. Even if I had been referring to that incident I did not criticize Hatchell but referred to the university. In general I refrain from criticizing people, but institutions are fair game in my book if the evidence strongly indicates wrongdoing on their part.

So here we have not a professor being "liberal" in his grading, but a program at fault. That program may be the brainchild of a professor, but it is a program nevertheless that needs institutional backing and oversight. Using the excuse that professors help athletes pass as "students" everywhere does not cut it in my book in regards to this. Sorry. Not at all. No sympathies mate. The evidence is overwhelming that there were fake courses, whether it breaks an NCAA rule or not, or whether a tar heel fan wants to believe it or not, and it exemplifies one approach to "creative accounting" by an INSTITUTION.

Geesh. And here I was thinking I only made an offhand good-natured quip that even a tar heel fan (uncomfortably) might find humor in.

 

[Phil]

Let me address two things in reply to this one post. Phil called me out for criticizing North Carolina, thinking I was pointing a finger to Hatchell and the abundance of LOIs.

Yes, I did, and I'm happy to find I was wrong.

I've seen many examples of institutions where one segment of the school is doing some pretty crappy stuff (often football), but other segments of the school conduct themselves in an exemplary manner, so I don't think it is good practice to assume that the shortcomings of one group apply to the others. Sometimes, the fish rots from the head, and an entire institution earns and deserves a poor reputation, but more often, that's not the case.

 

[quedash]

Diggerfoot

I have no problem with what you are saying, the NCAA has a problem when athletes are given preferential treatment. I suspect, but I don't know for a fact, that other students were given the same independent studies, alternate assignments,etc. so the NCAA has no basis to hand out sanctions. UNC is considered an prestigious university academically, and they are concerned about their academic reputation -not the NCAA. I'm sure what went on was against school policy and it was handled.

My post was simply about what really happens on college campuses; since the media choose to paint the picture of: there goes that Tarheel football/athletic department again breaking the rules for their athletes.

BTW, I completely understand your stance, but I'm just tired of the everybody's cheating they just haven't been caught yet stance of the media.

 

[diggerfoot]

Yes, I did, and I'm happy to find I was wrong.

I've seen many examples of institutions where one segment of the school is doing some pretty crappy stuff (often football), but other segments of the school conduct themselves in an exemplary manner, so I don't think it is good practice to assume that the shortcomings of one group apply to the others. Sometimes, the fish rots from the head, and an entire institution earns and deserves a poor reputation, but more often, that's not the case.

Not sure if we're now agreeing or not. I agree that what happens in one program doesn't degrade another. UNC's accreditation need not be revoked over this incident. However, this is a case where the "head" is culpable and deserves to be the target of humorous quips. Except that, as my kids often tell me, I'm often the only one that thinks I'm being funny.

 

[Phil]

Except that, as my kids often tell me, I'm often the only one that thinks I'm being funny.

Been there done that.