UNC-Chapel Hill Gets Probation From Its Accrediting Agency

[JavaMan]

PORTSMOUTH, VA - The commission that accredits UNC-Chapel Hill has given the university 12 months probation for failing to meet seven standards, including academic integrity and a failure to monitor college sports.

“It’s the most serious sanction we have,” said Belle Wheelan, president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

The sanction was handed down at a board meeting of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges in Portsmouth, Va., after a review of the university’s academic and athletic scandal, in which 3,100 students took sham classes during a period of nearly two decades.

[LINK]

Elementary school, High school, College, or University, all need to be accredited. Most will do anything to keep from losing their accreditation. Even if UNC loosing accreditation isn't a probability, it's at least a possibility.

 

[msf22b]

The accredation folks have placed the U on 12-months probation (the most severe sanction in their quiver), citing a large laundry list of transgressions that require on-going responses.

It would not surprise me if there is yet more to this mess and if so and it was kept from the Association,
they might have to consider the unthinkable.

Players who left might be on to a good thing.

 

[j66kicker]

"It's a big deal," said Belle Whelan, SACS president. "This issue was bigger than anything with which we’ve ever dealt, and it went on for longer than anything else. This is the first one I can recall in the 10 years I’ve been here that we put an institution on probation for academic fraud or academic integrity."

The group said UNC-CH violated seven principles, including integrity, program content, control of intercollegiate athletics, academic support services, academic freedom, faculty role in governance and Title IV program responsibilities.

http://www.wral.com/accrediting-organization-puts-unc-ch-on-12-month-probation/14704731/

 

[CL82]

PORTSMOUTH, VA -

“It’s the most serious sanction we have,” said Belle Wheelan, president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

If probation is the most serious sanction that they have, why have any sanctions at all. What happens if they violate probation, more probation? ...or is it double secret probation?

 

[Kibitzer]

This action actually threatens the accreditation of UNC as a university. It will surely give donors and applicants (especially athletes) pause for (negative) thought. It is potentially worse than any punitive action that the NCAA could take.

And they earned it!

 

[JavaMan]

If probation is the most serious sanction that they have, why have any sanctions at all. What happens if they violate probation, more probation? ...or is it double secret probation?

I believe they rescind, revoke, or decide not to renew their school accreditation. This is where the term in employment postings "a degree from an accredited college or university" will become really important for UNC grads, or those considering UNC for college education.

 

[CL82]

I believe they rescind, revoke, or decide not to renew their school accreditation. This is where the term in employment postings "a degree from an accredited college or university" gets really important for UNC grads.

Not if probation is the only tool in their quiver. [/end sarcasm]

Java, my point is after two decades of systematic institutional academic fraud UNC got a very stern, "don't do it again." Calling it their "most severe punishment" doesn't change the fact that essentially got a warning. Yes losing accreditation would be devastating, but if two decades of no show classes and fraudulent transcripts doesn't cause you to lose accreditation I'm at a loss as to what would do it.

 

[HGN]

This scandal may be the reason for a few transfers (DD) ; and may even deter some recruits away from UNC for the next recruiting year.

 

[msf22b]

Not if probation is the only tool in their quiver. [/end sarcasm]

Java, my point is after two decades of systematic institutional academic fraud UNC got a very stern, "don't do it again." Calling it their "most severe punishment" doesn't change the fact that essentially got a warning. Yes losing accreditation would be devastating, but if two decades of no show classes and fraudulent transcripts doesn't cause you to lose accreditation I'm at a loss as to what would do it.

As I noted above, the dropping of additional shoes, which might indicate a continuation of non-cooperation with the governing body might (just might) compel the Association to consider the loss of accreditation.

And I'm sure that more folks at the U were involved…including higher ups
I wouldn't be surprised by a huge mea culpa in the next few weeks to head this off and finally get the complete story out.

 

[Zorro]

Any solid basis for the suspicion, Michael? (I do hope that there is!)

 

[Zorro]

Here is a very interesting article from the Daily Tarheel.
http://www.dailytarheel.com/article/2015/06/ncaa-raises-questions-about-future-of-unc-athletics

 

[msf22b]

No, Zorro, no solid basis, just a strong feeling and much experience with this type of scandal
There's usually more dirt under the carpet

 

[msf22b]

Hatchell defended her program and said University officials have learned from their mistakes.

“I’ve always run my program with integrity,” Hatchell said. “That’s why reading some of the allegations is (sic) so disappointing.”

Williams, …said in a statement that he was disappointed with the NCAA’s findings.

“Everyone who loves Carolina is truly saddened by these allegations,” Williams said. “We aspire to and work toward meeting higher standards than the actions that warranted this notice.”

And Bubba disagrees with some of the findings

_____________

This is in regard the NCAA report, now the even more serious accreditation letter lists yet more misdemeanors (high crimes and…).
These folks just don't get it.
The U should fire all three…that would impress the NCAA.
Anyone who makes the above statements can't be trusted to run a mjor college program.

Now if they said: we messed up big time, got away with it for decades, thought we were invulnerable; really sorry, we'll accept whatever punishment you deem fair… "and I'll never, never do it again" (I didn't know the gun was loaded)… that would be more like it.

 

[Kibitzer]

For starters, you should know you are in deep doo-doo when you are not only in serious trouble but your athletic director is named Bubba.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

For starters, you should know you are in deep doo-doo when you are not only in serious trouble but your athletic director is named Bubba.

Can't be that bad. After all, we had a president (nick)named Bubba!

 

[tomcat]

Not if probation is the only tool in their quiver. [/end sarcasm]

Java, my point is after two decades of systematic institutional academic fraud UNC got a very stern, "don't do it again." Calling it their "most severe punishment" doesn't change the fact that essentially got a warning. Yes losing accreditation would be devastating, but if two decades of no show classes and fraudulent transcripts doesn't cause you to lose accreditation I'm at a loss as to what would do it.

CL82 is right. Colleges can receive probation for all sorts of things, so the idea that this is something special is just not true. I would love o see a list of probation sanctions imposed by this group. I'm willing to bet that probation covers everything but the kitchen sink. Being on probation does not mean a whole lot unless the institution actually fails to heed the warning,and that almost never happens. This was a huge gift to an institution that should have had its accreditation removed for at least six months.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Didn't Penn State get the same thing for the Sandusky mess? They seemed to come out of it OK.

 

[RegisteredUconn]

Hatchell defended her program and said University officials have learned from their mistakes.

“I’ve always run my program with integrity,” Hatchell said. “That’s why reading some of the allegations is (sic) so disappointing.”

Williams, …said in a statement that he was disappointed with the NCAA’s findings.

“Everyone who loves Carolina is truly saddened by these allegations,” Williams said. “We aspire to and work toward meeting higher standards than the actions that warranted this notice.”

Grammar cops ahoy! Is the "sic" in the bolded sentence appropriate? Isn't it, in the structural context of the sentence anyway, the "reading" that's disappointing rather than the "allegations" and therefore the "(sic)" that's in error?

 

[JS]

Grammar cops ahoy! Is the "sic" in the bolded sentence appropriate?

“That’s why reading some of the allegations is (sic) [sic]so disappointing.”

 

[calpedaler]

“That’s why reading some of the allegations is (sic) [sic]so disappointing.”

The editor probably went to UNC.

 

[CocoHusky]

Didn't Penn State get the same thing for the Sandusky mess? They seemed to come out of it OK.

Different objective for the accrediting agency acting in the PSU-Sandusky mess. The accrediting agency acted there because there was a concern about the PSU liability not having any bottom. Without a bottom to the liability current and future tuition dollars could have potentially gone to pay some of the liability. The accreditation agency has a role to ensure that if you pay tuition those dollars go towards your education and nothing else. Once assured of this the accrediting agency were satisfied with PSU. There was legislation introduced in the PA legislature to do the exact same thing and even the NCAA fine of PSU specified that the fines come only from "private"- non tuition- funds.

 

[msf22b]

“That’s why reading some of the allegations is (sic) [sic]so disappointing.”

I actually tried to remove it when I realized that Sylvia's grammar while a bit convoluted was correct.
Couldn't get my editing mechanism to work
Was going to delete and start agin but…hey….

 

[ndmb]

CL82 is right. Colleges can receive probation for all sorts of things, so the idea that this is something special is just not true. I would love o see a list of probation sanctions imposed by this group. I'm willing to bet that probation covers everything but the kitchen sink. Being on probation does not mean a whole lot unless the institution actually fails to heed the warning,and that almost never happens. This was a huge gift to an institution that should have had its accreditation removed for at least six months.

You think that forcing all of the many students at UNC, the vast majority of whom had nothing to do with the athletic department and have taken their (real) classes with integrity, to radically change their plans for getting their education is the reasonable response?

 

[CocoHusky]

You think that forcing all of the many students at UNC, the vast majority of whom had nothing to do with the athletic department and have taken their (real) classes with integrity, to radically change their plans for getting their education is the reasonable response?

I don't find this response unreasonable. There is simply no way to punish UNC-the institution- without some innocents- people who had nothing to do with the academic/athletic fraud getting hurt. This happens every time the NCAA hands out punishment for "past" violations. The frauds goes back to 1997 incoming UNC Freshmen for 2015 were just learning to walk when this fraud started.

 

[meyers7]

The editor probably went to UNC.

Took that Friday afternoon call-in Editing 101 class.