Grades-for-money scheme at Southern University

Southern implicates 541 students in scandal
Grades-for-money scheme traced to worker in registrar’s office.

http://www.theadvertiser.com/news/html/70434629-9BB9-43B2-A689-C2000ECDC0FF.shtml

Dates back to 1995 - some degrees to be revoked.

 

Could this really happen at an RA school?

 

Additional links to story

Advocate - Baton Rouge, LA
http://2theadvocate.com/stories/033104/new_southscandal001.shtml

New Orleans - Times Picayune
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-1/108089308343790.xml

 

I suspect it happens more than we know and I am surprised that this is one of the few times we hear about it.

My last semester in undergrad I took a business course with a final project that required us to interview the folks at the registrar's office for our college (basiclly the project was for a business whose clients were university registrar's offices). One of the things we found out was that the job of data entry and record keeping was basicly a low wage position (less $10.00 per hour), requiring only highschool education, and had a high job turnover rate. Keep in mind that this was at a top 25 school in the US.

I'd be willing to bet that given the low salaries, high turnover rate, and huge financial incentive that some of these students and parents of students would give, it probably has happened before at my school and at many others, at least once. Now that is just an opinion, I do not have direct knowledge of anyone tacking bribes at my alma mater.

Think about it. Your busting your butt at some job making $8.75 an hour, and a student offers you maybe $500 to change a D to an A. Just change one letter. Maybe you convince yourself that it is not a crime and even if you do get caught, the worst they will do is fire you. I know some students must make the offer to registrar workers, and at least a few must accept.

The only reason why this is news is the scale of the deception. 541 degrees revoked. GEEZE! I'm willing to bet that a bunch of them probably only had a few grades change. Now they lose their degree. Screw em, they got what they had coming.


Jon

 

This came to light a year ago when a student enrolled in a graduate program, falsely claiming that she had completed an undergraduate degree in the same department.

If it hadn't been for this amazing stupidity, the problem would presumably still be unknown to this day.

 

Unfortunatley yes...integrity, honesty, and ethics are not qualifications to be RA, nor to work for one. While I am quite sure this is not the first occurence of this type at a RA institution, this does show that some degrees have been "paid" for at a RA school and is not just anecdotal evidence given by those who have grudges against RA schools.

 

So sad...so conflicted

As a supporter of HBCU's having attended one and being a financial supporter personally, thru the family and through the churches and conventions I have been a part of this saddens me deeply. So many HBCU's struggle to continue to offer a quality academic education to many who may not have been adequetely prepared emotionally, financially, mentally, and academically for college in the first place. Many are fighting for their very survival. They fight an uphill battle against the larger public colleges and universities to attract and retain upper echelon students. So something of this magnitude, even though it was one employee in the school, will have damaging repurcussions for many a year to come.

Secondly knowing many people who have graduated from Southern, including my 11 yr old daughter's teacher I can only imagine the pain they must feel. My wife worked for Southern University of New Orleans (prior to her relocating here to marry wittle ole me!) so she was shocked and livid when I read her the story this morning from the USA today.

And yet I wonder what the thoughts are of those who insist that the RA degree is the only assurance of a quality academic degree in the US may feel at this shocking revelation. When it was inferred many posts ago that degrees could be bought at RA schools as well as UA...either by money, sex, or other means it was pooh-poohed and passed over as impossible because a RA school would never do that. ...there integrity would not let that happen. Now what?

Of course I know it was only one person who did this. At least...that is what they are saying for right now. What happens if more were involved and were paid off as well? What happens if this is discovered at another school...what happens if it is not a HBCU?

So sad...so conflicted...

 

The sad fact is

That this particular school is and has always been a political football. There have been and are VERY un-qualified people in positions of responsibility at this particular University merely because of relationships with highly-placed political office-holders.

Yes those who cheated deserve what they'll get, but now many who never cheated will have their credentials called into question, even if only in the minds of their employers and co-workers.

The sh*t runs down-hill and gets fed to the ALL students who are trying to make a better life for themselves.

This is not the only ticking time-bomb at this school.

I started out writing this sad, now I'm

 

Re: The sad fact is

I almost detest to say this, but the anecdotal evidence points to many HBCU's having these myriad of problems. The thing was there have only been limited proof of these claims because no one ever sought to find them out, or if questioned the claims were shoved under a carpet. Many of those who work at HBCU's are also alumni so they are very reluctant to "out" all the problems if by doing so it will close the schools down. It is major conudrum, so many rather than addrssing it, simply leave.

There have been several articles here about one of our local HBCU's and their problems. The President is mad because the reporter is in her sorority, so she says the reporter should have said nothing...at least nothing negative.

If SACS really knew about some of the stuff going on at the HBCU where my wife works, they just might revoke their accrediation on more than just the financial issues they have cited in their last probabtionary move. Unqualified people in all positions, people with Bachelor's degrees serving in positions that require no less than a MAsters and preferebky a PhD, insane turnover rate of qualified staff, those pursuing degrees at KW in leadership, a JD as a Vice Provost demanding to be called Dr__________, decrepeit classrooms, mold in buildings and all the President can holla about is a football stadium.

The colleges response to SACS move? SACS is harder on HBCU's than any other school, and won't work with us....they are so unfair!

Please give me a break! That is what makes me mad.

 

"Jackson said Southern University has started contacting the 541 people who were implicated. Each person will have a chance for a hearing before a panel of administrators and faculty members.

“We’re busy getting the first round of letters together, and setting up the review panels,” Jackson said."


The university can say all that they want about revoking degrees, but the only way they will be able to do so without many, many lawsuits (say, about 541) is to get this clerk in the registrar's office to turn on them. Given that the clerk is probably going to jail, this certainly could happen.

Still, even with the testimony from this clerk, there will have to be more proof than keystrokes on a computer. Keystrokes only prove that grades were changed. Making the link to grades for money will be more difficult.

Also, since it dates back to 1995, there will be some folks who have been using the degrees for a very long time. They now have a rather vested interest in keeping the degree. They will sue no matter what.

Unethical behavior? Certainly.

Is this going to go away easily? Nope.



Tom Nixon

 

Re: Re: The sad fact is

I think some of the problem is because HBCUs have had a much harder time recruiting quality students than they may have in the past. One of the things about segregation was that it forced highly qualified African-American students to go to HBCUs as opposed to top state and private school. Now, these HBCUs are competing with others schools for the same candidates. These other schools, which always had better resources than the HBCUs, are able to take the cream of the crop and leave the HBCUs with what is left.

For example, I graduated from high school in 1995. My high school prom date, who was Hatian, was this briliant girl with top grades and killer test scores (36 ACT). Now, had this been 1945 or 1955, she could have expected to go to Howard or Spellman for undergrad and Howard or Meharry for medical school. Although I am not sure even those schools took on many female medical students. More than likely she would have gone into their nursing schools or become a teacher. But since it was 1995, she went to Harvard for undergrad and Johns Hopkins for medical school. The HBCUs weren't even in the running (at least not that she told me).

Between dwindling resources, a dwindling student body, and (some say) a loss of the main reason for their existance, these schools feel attacked from all sides. At the rate things are going, I'm really begining to question how long many of these schools can last. I suspect that the HBSU scene will look much different 30 years from now than it does today.


Jon

 

Southern University at Baton Rouge and New Orleans (SUNO) does have some administrative problems, but I do not think the academic quality has suffered due to these problems. I know quite a few Southern professors and have found them to be dedicated instructors who are very committed to providing the best possible instruction to their students. I have also taught over 20 Southern graduates in an MBA program where I serve as an adjunct and have found them to be as well prepared academically as students who have graduated from schools ranked in the “top 50”.

News reporters tend to sensationalize events and the idea of over 500 students paying to change their grades makes interesting copy. However, for those of us who have attended a traditional campus with students unions, student apartments and Greek organizations – how long do you think such a practice would be “secret”? I find it hard to believe that over 500 grades could have been paid for over an extended period (remember if this was occurring, not every student would have the funds to pay, and not everyone student would accept the offer) without someone saying something.

 

Sure it can happen at an RA school, why not?? Why would anyone think that RA schools would be immune to this type of thing. Just think about all of the scholarship athletes(at RA schools) at many many schools who get special oral exams or advance copies of written exams so that they can pass classes. Is this any better or worse than buying grades?
I know of stuff like this(special treatment for athletes... not buying grades) going on at Rutgers University, which is a fairly prestigous public university.

 

Re: Re: Re: The sad fact is

I agree. I think what we may end up seeing is many of the private HBCU's shifting into public ones and aligning themselves with the dominant State University System for their economic survival. That has happened here in NC and the HBCU's that are attached to the UNC system are doing quite well. (Fayetteville State, Elizabeth City State, NC Central, Winston Salem State, N C A & T) Most of the others are struggling.

The student thing is so true. At my wife's current place of employment, last years freshman class was slightly over 700 students yet they only had space for 590. At last check trhu academic advising (my wife's former department) over 1/3 to 1/2 of the student population are freshman. Many are unprepared for even the remedial college classes that are offered. My wife comes home frustrated because she says she is teaching things that they should have learned in Junior High School. I thought she was just being sarcastic until I sat in a couple of her classes. When you can ot figure out the subject and verb of a basic sentence.....oy vey!

Yet the schools says she is the problem because she expects too much of the students....and when she was in the administration they said she expected too much out of them...She is often told to stop expecting so much and just go with the flow.

They do not know her very well...I expect her to call SACS any day now.

 

Funny thing is that crookedness knows no income level. Shoplifters are often people with ample discretionary income. When the New York PD conducts sweeps to catch subway fare beaters, they always bag with some well-paid lawyers and other professionals.

I've worked with...many dishonest people and I'll say that "need" is not the great motivator for thefts.

If Bruce is tuned in then maybe he'll give his take on this.

 

Previous grade change scandal in 1998

Turns out the recent case involving 541 students was not the only grade problem at Southern University. In 1998 a temporary student worker was changed 75 "F's" to "A's" for eight students.

http://2theadvocate.com/stories/041004/new_grades001.shtml

 

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse

Auditor: entire transcripts may have been invented

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The man accused of changing Southern University students' grades for pay apparently also made up academic careers for people who never paid tuition, a newspaper reported Friday

"In several instances, Mr. Carroll created whole transcripts for persons who did not even attend SUBR or did not register the courses or pay the required fees," the report said.

http://www.nola.com/newsflash/louisiana/index.ssf?/base/news-8/108215544283170.xml

Southern auditor finds diplomas sold
In an internal report, campus auditors say they found evidence that the prime suspect in the scandal, Assistant Registrar Cleo Carroll, allegedly sold fraudulent transcripts he created with blank transcript paper and copy machines.



http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/041604/new_southerngrades001.shtml

 

Hi Flipkid: Thanks for the trenchant posts.

 

From the Guardian (May 4): Southern discomfort