N&O: UNC professor back home, still unavailable on McAdoo plagiarism

UNC Scandal43

Chancellor Holden Thorp, in an interview last week, said he is not going to dig into Nyang’oro’s handling of the paper.

“It’s very unfortunate what happened here, but I don’t get into grading for faculty members,” he said.

Could you imagine if the NC State Administration had openly proclaimed they weren’t going to look into academic fraud issues when Jim Valvano was coaching and there were six different independent investigations into our basketball program for SIGNIFICANTLY LESS egregious violations?

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UNC Scandal

43 Responses to N&O: UNC professor back home, still unavailable on McAdoo plagiarism

  1. graywolf 07/25/2011 at 1:34 PM #

    He’s not going to look because it would in essence be the same as digging his own grave. To say that Carolina is an academic mess right now is a true understatement.

    This is really fun to watch!

  2. packhammer 07/25/2011 at 2:06 PM #

    Thorp’s response to the question: “We’ve done a very thorough investigation on the academic side.”

    Did he break some news there? Maybe they release a report from that investigation and I missed it.

  3. WolfpackerClass83 07/25/2011 at 2:33 PM #

    I made a joke last week to my Carolina educated dentist- “you guys better get things straightened out over there – its so bad now at Chapel Hill that it is starting to affect the value of my diploma” – he is well aware I am a NCS grad….

    I was initially kidding around, but after thinking about it I realized there might be a little truth in the joke (devaluation by association with the “Flagship”).

    The media and BOG double standard in the way they are handling this scandal vs. the NCS/Valvano situation in the late 80’s is becoming more apparent each week. All are too concerned over losing their sideline passes and/or midcourt seats to the next UNC/Duke b-ball game if they were to actually grow some stones and really investigate and/or probe the issues.

    Similar reasonings keep the elected officials from voicing any disdain (loss of favored status with the “Flagship” when attending athletic events, and/or misguided desire to not drag UNC-Ch further into the muck for fear of damaging the reputation even further with an independent investigation).

    As 2-faced as it is, we NCS alumni/fans are not going to get satisfaction of equal treatment of UNC by media, BOG and NC government officials as we were treated in late 80’s – the wagons are now tightly circled, and there are not any more rogue lawsuits to allow a further glimpse inside the “self-investigation”. The McAdoo gem was our one glimpse, and it provided further proof of what has been allowed to transpire since the “Flagship” sold itself out to try to buy a football program.

    I am beginning to believe that unless the NCAA probes any further (media and BOG won’t) then the embarrassing revelations are about done. Later this fall UNC will relent and “self-impose” several limits on the football program (will beat NCAA to the punch; will cut a few scholly’s for a few years, vacate some wins), the NCAA will rubber stamp it and move on. BMFD will still have his job and likely a 0 & 5 records vs. NCS.

    And maybe that is the best result for all of us who hold a UNC system degree to hope for – maybe more preferable to the “scorched earth” scenario we all dreamed of 10 to 12 months ago. NCS fans now have permanent rights to the expressions “UNCheat” and “University of Non Compliance” (among others), and I intend to use them freely.

  4. wolfpacker 07/25/2011 at 2:34 PM #

    I don’t think they know what an investigation is. They look at a stack of papers and nothing jumps out at them…that’s the carowhina way.

    Isn’t it funny how pathetic they are looking.

  5. projectwentynine 07/25/2011 at 2:39 PM #

    “Any Chancellor in any credible university would fire the guy. So why isn’t Thorp?”

    The threat of a politically correct PR nightmare? Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson would likely mobilize hundreds of demonstrators within hours of that happening.

    Commentator at the end of an interview with Butch on ESPN’s College Football Media Days just now:

    “Butch Davis, got a smile on his face when he talks about next season for North Carolina, and why not?!” hahaha

  6. ncsuallday 07/25/2011 at 2:55 PM #

    I disagree that he should be fired. The guy is a lifelong academic and a scholar in his field. I think the bigger issue here is that professors have been INSTRUCTED by the AD or otherwise higher authority to ignore these kinds of cases when they come from athletes. The poor guy probably wants to be left alone to his research and has a family in Chapel Hill. Yes, it was unethical but he probably just didn’t want to bother with the hassle and ultimate rejection of any complaint he filed on an athlete.

  7. TheAliasTroll 07/25/2011 at 3:37 PM #

    He was probably appointed to be the “EASY” professor. Of course they don’t want this looked into.

  8. Hungwolf 07/25/2011 at 4:07 PM #

    Why does this surprise anyone. One of our country’s greatest producers of liberal minded graduates. They take no responsibility and look for others to shoulder the burden.

    I would think at some point parents and players will have to have take a hard look at UNC-Chapel Hill’s lack of leadership and resposibilty.

    Thorpe as taken no responsibility for what has happened on his watch. He only expresses his sadness.

    Baddour has taken no responsbility for the problems. According to him the systems in place are working . The few individual players, one tutor, and a paid off asst. coach are to blame. Everything is fine, business as usual.

    Davis has taken no responsibilty. He claims the players are to blame. He can’t be keep up with a 100 kids. That was his assit. coach’s job who is regrets trusting.

    Would you send your kid to a play for a school where the head coach admits he can’t be responsible for your son. The athletic director says the systems are working when the school faces 9 major NCAA violations and a lawsuit from one of his players. And the Chancelor says he don’t monitor how professors grade, so he admits the school has no system of checks and balances over your son’s education. and the governing body of the entire university system which is over the school your son is in, just wants to know how recruiting is going? Then if there’s any trouble at the school, you already know it will all be your son’s fault not UNC.

    You would have to be an idiot to sent your son to Chapel Hill!

  9. highstick 07/25/2011 at 4:14 PM #

    I meant to say it a couple of weeks ago, but you guys are missing what they are saying about “out of the country”..

    Watch one of them and see if you can detect the word “in” slipped into the response very discretely.

    Where is the professor and Roy Williams? They are both “out ‘n the country”. Meaning both of them are hiding in a motel in Chatham County, “out IN the Country”!

  10. ncsu1987 07/25/2011 at 4:16 PM #

    Interesting turn for this thread. I’ve been fine tuning my email to the BOG, and it reads a lot like Hungwolf’s post. My wife and I have discussed allowing my daughter to attend UNC-CH, but I have to consider now the impact of this scandal on the perceived value of a UNC-CH degree, etc….

    On that note, has anybody actually sent an email or letter to the BOG? Is there any interest in sharing them in a separate thread?

  11. gotohe11carolina 07/25/2011 at 6:37 PM #

    just out of curiosity but would the paper have been brought to the honor courts attention if the professor had not taken some issue with it. i assume it was brought for the formatting issue since that was what the charge that was proved to be true, but given the other stories from the other profs. about the honor court not being able to see plagiarism from a hole in the ground it wouldn’t surprise me if we might be burying the poor prof. a little prematurely. that said for the chancellor to not be looking into it is a little suspect at best…

  12. MBS 07/25/2011 at 10:32 PM #

    I emailed each member of the BOG this afternoon (separately). I will be happy to share my letter, if it would be helpful for anyone to see it. The gist: As a gradute of the UNC system and a resident of the state, we should be zealous for the integrity of the University system. But it seems like the leaders in Chapel Hill are more interested in their self-preservation than in the best interest of the system. At this point, we need the BOG to step in and order and independent investigation. If they don’t act, no one will.

    I have heard back from three of the members.

    I think it is important that we all make our voices heard. Be succient, professional, and respectful.

  13. runwiththepack 07/25/2011 at 11:56 PM #

    This seems like something that would catch the eye of Rush Limbaugh.

    Liberal arts school, (one of THE MOST unabashed liberal, in fact, of all over the entire fruited plains), gives all students nearly all A’s and B’s, including the dumbest of jocks. A prof gives a student-athlete, McAdoo, an A for an absurdly written and plagiarized paper.

    All levels of said U. miss the plagiarism, only to be discovered by a poster on a chat room in minutes.

    University brags about their graduation rates and how elite they are. Town declares itself nuclear free.

    Are there any regular callers to the EIB network posting here? I haven’t listened to him in several years. Wouldn’t it be great if he mentions this dozens of times to all his millions of followers?

  14. TruthBKnown Returns 07/26/2011 at 9:46 AM #

    MBS, I’d be curious to know the gist of their responses to you. Was it a standard “I have received your email and will respond shortly” kind of response? Or did they share their thoughts on the subject?

    For the record, I wouldn’t hold my breath on that independent investigation. But one is needed. I think the time for that came and went a long time ago. The longer they wait, the easier it will be to sweep stuff under the rug anyway.

  15. MP 07/26/2011 at 12:31 PM #

    Hungwolf: Excellent post.

    To be clear I would be a hypocrite if I were to ‘lump em all together’ because there are some UNC graduates I know that are also some of the hardest working people I know. That was demonstrated during their time at the school and has been demonstrated in their careers.

    However as far as perception goes… some of our favorite phrases like “To seem rather than to be” and “All hat and no cattle” come to mind when there is a perception of grade inflation, rubber stamping, etc. by the administration. I am sure it is not exclusive to UNC – But they have indeed earned the right to be scrutinized in this way due to actual events and subsequent bungling coupled with arrogance.

    You have to be a real special organization to continually demonstrate arrogance while also continually demonstrating that you don’t know what you’re doing.

  16. MBS 07/26/2011 at 5:35 PM #

    Here is one to give a flavor:

    Thank you for your email and I appreciate and share your concerns regarding the UNC-CH football investigation. As I will not take my place on the Board until the August meeting, I cannot comment on the internals of the investigation to this point but I am confident that the Board, the Chair and the UNC President also share your concerns. We are expecting a full report at the August meeting and I am sure that more information will be available at that time.

    Thanks again for your email,

    Raiford Trask

  17. TruthBKnown Returns 07/26/2011 at 6:03 PM #

    MBS, I’m not sure if that’s a “blow-off” or not.

    But it’s enough for now, I suppose. I guess he/she can’t exactly announce to you in an email that they intend to call for an independent investigation. 🙂

  18. Gene 07/27/2011 at 8:09 AM #

    I’m not sure why people are mixing their political views with how UNC-Ch is run but anyway…

    The angst that this won’t turn UNC-Ch’s football program into Duke is a bit overdone.

    I think with UNC-Ch’s name recognition in the state, they will always be a bit better than Duke and they will occasionally be able to muster a bowl bound season (Tire Bowl here they come).

    Whatever the NCAA hands out will set them back in their bid to be a football powerhouse. If Butch can’t get top talent without cheating, it’s only a matter of time until his results are so mediocre that the Rams club tires of paying top dollar for half-assed results and/or Butch gets caught cheating again.

    If they have to get a new coach, the odds are they won’t ferret out the second coming of Mack Brown. Their AD’s have rarely had to make hires in any of the team sports and they botch those as often as they get them right.

    Men’s basketball, with Dougherty could’ve gone better and Bunting was a bust. They did a good job hiring a men’s baseball coach years ago, but that doesn’t seem to be the norm with revenue sports.

    So just chill out guys.

    UNC-Ch isn’t going to become the next great football powerhouse anytime soon. They’ll at best bounce around in mediocrity, because of Butch’s cheating and the subsequent penalties that will come.

    I can live with that.

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