$399 correspondence high school diploma helped college players qualify

Correspondence School Helped College Players Qualify

• MODERATOR NOTE: People keep starting new threads about this same story... four threads, in all, as of 12/1/2005, in fact! Several folks emailed moderators and asked that the duplications be either deleted or moved or merged or something. Since this thread is the oldest one on the subject, it seemed only fair that the others should be merged into this one... which has now been done.
  
  If some posts seem out-of-sync or nonsequitur, they're probably from the other threads that have now been merged into this one. Our readers here are smart, though... we're sure they'll be able to follow.
  
  

Correspondence School Helped College Players Qualify

By PETE THAMEL and DUFF WILSON
Published: November 27, 2005

By the end of his junior year at Miami Killian High School, Demetrice Morley flashed the speed, size and talent of a top college football prospect. His classroom performance, however, failed to match his athletic skills.

Chris Livingston for The New York Times

University of Tennessee's Demetrice Morley graduated from University High with a grade point average of 2.75, precisely what he wound up needing to qualify for a scholarship.

He received three F's that year and had a 2.09 grade point average in his core courses, giving him little hope of qualifying for a scholarship under National Collegiate Athletic Association guidelines.

In December of his senior year, Morley led Killian to the 2004 state title while taking a full course load. He also took seven courses at University High School, a local correspondence school, scoring all A's and B's. He graduated that December, not from Killian but from University High. His grade point average in his core courses was 2.75, precisely what he wound up needing to qualify for a scholarship.

Morley, now a freshman...

Read the full story: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/27/sports/ncaafootball/27school.html

 

This was one of those situations where the reporter came to us hoping for just a comment, and was thrilled to discover that the man behind the phony high school in Florida had also been arrested and imprisoned for major diploma mill activity during the FBI's DipScam operation, and is described in our book.

 

it figures

Dr John, I've learned that someone on this list is going to be quoted just about anytime an article is done..ha ha..congrats...Dean

 

University High School

Article in today's NYT on University High School, which makes it sound, at least, like a HS mill. Anyone familiar with it?

Peace,

Matt

 

http://forums.degreeinfo.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22476

 

Poor Grades Aside, Athletes Get Into College on a $399 Diploma

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/27/sports/ncaafootball/27school.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1133268191-mCFT0KcWcuPDflChDFF1cg

 

Not to get too picky, but I believe this is the third thread on the topic.

If the linked article contains new information, it may be better to add it to an existing thread instead of creating a new one.

 

It's an interesting article that essentially indicates that there is increasing amounts of scrutiny being applied to degree/diploma mills. That's a good thing.
Jack
(note to James: Everyone does not read every thread. Some people disappear from the forum for weeks at a time. They can not be expected to backtrack and be aware of everything. If you stick around long enough you'll see the same topics coming up over and over. Cut people a bit of slack, OK?)

 

This should not really be a surprise. College athletics have for decades engaged in questionable practices in order to get good players that were poor students.

 

Understood.

 

Diploma Mill High Schools, NCAA and Florida

Seems like Florida and the NCAA are looking into this issue. This article was printed in todays Miami Herald.

www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/13288266.htm

 

NY Times story, "Poor Grades Aside, Athletes Get Into College on a $399 Diploma"

By PETE THAMEL and DUFF WILSON

By the end of his junior year at Miami Killian High School, Demetrice Morley flashed the speed, size and talent of a top college football prospect. His classroom performance, however, failed to match his athletic skills.

He received three F's that year and had a 2.09 grade point average in his core courses, giving him little hope of qualifying for a scholarship under National Collegiate Athletic Association guidelines.

In December of his senior year, Morley led Killian to the 2004 state title while taking a full course load. He also took seven courses at University High School, a local correspondence school, scoring all A's and B's. He graduated that December, not from Killian but from University High. His grade point average in his core courses was 2.75, precisely what he wound up needing to qualify for a scholarship.

Morley, now a freshman...

...click here to read the rest of the story.

 

This article, based on six months of research and investigation by the reporters, certainly seems to be having fallout. Lead editorial in the Tampa newspaper yesterday headlined "USF Should Say no to Athletes with Diploma-Mill Credentials," calling for the University of South Florida to deal harshly with athletes (and others) with these fake high school credits.

 

This is not direct at Dr Bear:

Why do some people get off, even feel happy, when people get dropped in the mire like this?

 

Please clarify what you mean by this (and, by the way, I don't mean that in any sort of confrontational way... I'm simply asking for clarification so that I, or others, can respond appropriately).

Are you suggesting that those having posted in this thread are delighting in the "misfortune" of the athletes... and, as long as they're at it, any others who might happen to hold bogus high school diplomas and then try to use them to get into college? And, if so, you're wondering why? Do I have it right?

 

The misfortune of the athletes.

 

Okay, fair enough. So it seems you see the athletes in this story as victims (and if that's an overstatement, please don't hesitate to say so).

If so, this could actually turn into a halfway decent discussion regarding just how culpable -- if at all -- is the holder of a bogus credential... that is, if you'll let it become a good discussion by your debating in good faith and really putting your heart into it. Are you up for it?

(I wonder if we should do it in this thread, or start a new one. Hmm.)

 

Some people see it as an example. Some as a warning. Others seem to enjoy human misfortune that doesn't happen to reflect on themselves.

Maybe if society just treated good athletes as good athletes and didn't expect them to also be scholars (at all, let alone good ones) -- sports and academics would be better off for it. We can admire those who are good at both -- but that should be when it happens, rather than by some form of off-kilter expectations that lead to trying to work the system in such ways.

If they're no good in class -- so what? Don't expect them to be.

 

Agree with you there. Some of our best footballers in the UK are slated by the UK Media because they don't have perfect manners and complete command of the English language.

Their job and what they are paid for, is to put balls in the back of the net.

 

If someone is a good scholar and a great sportsman (in the generic rather than male sense) -- great. This is one great way to get an education.

But to expect people to get high marks when they are not always capable of doing so is an unfortunate byproduct of our credentialist age. Jerryrigging it so that they can get in under false pretenses helps no one. It lowers the bar and perhaps diminishes the achievement of those who are genuinely good at both.

Perhaps the solution to this is to focus on these people's education early -- before it's too late and such things happen and require band-aids. There's no reason on earth that anyone can't get decent grades in high school if they are given adequate attention and socio-economic factors are somehow addressed. That may be somewhat of an idealistic view, but if what the world really wants is scholar-athletes -- it won't happen suddenly at high school graduation. It would have to happen sooner.

Many problems can be identified early -- dealt with early -- and mitigated before it's an issue. Coaches in high schools ought to have degrees in education first, maybe? And if that's an issue -- perhaps the universities that want the athletes could have their coach-scholars do pro bono coaching of such teams. They should have enough scholars to draw from.