UNC fake-classes whistleblower resigns after meeting with Carol Folt

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Power Line:

Paul Mirengoff

April 26, 2014

 

Two years ago, I wrote about academic fraud involving the department of African and Afro-American Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The fraud extended to more than 50 different classes. It ranged from no-show professors to unauthorized grade changes for students.

 

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The main brow-beater is none other than University chancellor Carol Folt who, as provost of Dartmouth College, oversaw years of academic drift with an iron hand. In fact, Willingham’s resignation followed an hour long meeting with Folt which Willingham described as acrimonious. Willingham concluded from the meeting that “this chancellor has totally sold out.”

 

Our friend Joe Asch testifies, based on his experience unsuccessfully trying to preserve a successful writing program he funded at Dartmouth, that an hour long meeting with Folt can induce, at a minimum, a sense of resignation. Other sources tell me that attempts to raise with Folt the issue of grade inflation at Dartmouth were similarly unpleasant.

 

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[Valin]

Athletics and academics at UNC a different view

Paul Mirengoff

April 27, 2014

 

 

A UNC graduate (08 undergrad and 12 masters) responds to my post about the resignation of Mary Willingham. Ms. Willingham, an academic counselor at the University, blew the whistle on fake classes in the African and Afro-American Studies Department. She also alleges that many of the Universitys football and basketball players cannot read at even close to a college level. Here is our readers response to my post:

 

 

 

I have followed the UNC story very closely and with admittedly blue-tinted glasses; however, I have seen enough evidence to justify my skepticism about how the national media has reported the issue. There are several key facts that, as I read your story, I had to assume you were not aware of.

The no-show classes constantly discussed often get lumped in with paper classes when people talk about it. There are some legitimate classes that are nothing but preparing a paper. As a history and political science double major, I took one in each area. The class met but had no real assignments except an extensive research paper.

 

There were, however, no-show classes in the African-American studies department where a professor realized he could make a lot of money and do little (to no) work. Athletes of course took the classes as word spread about their ease (students appeared to have often turned in papers but they were never actually graded) but so did other groups such as specific fraternities. Just like on any college campus, social groups identified easy courses to take and told their friends about them. Yes it was wrong but it was not an athletic issue it was an issue of a rogue department (small department lacking oversight). [Editor's note: This analysis is similar to mine]

 

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We will keep an eye on the story including any resolution of the statistical dispute and any further involvement by Carol Folt. Based on her time f her time at Dartmouth convinces us that skepticism is warranted as to Folts good faith.

 

Meanwhile, I thank our reader for his valuable comments.