For USC, Salt in the Wounds 032619.Pub
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For USC, Salt in the Wounds Students, alumni and faculty worry University of Southern California's aempts to move past scandals have been sidetracked by the recent admissions fraud and brib- ery case. Some wonder if the university's image will be permanently sullied. By Marjorie Valbrun // March 26, 2019 After a series of embarrass- ing scandals and divisive controversies [1] at the University of Southern California [2] over the past two years, students, alumni and faculty hoped 2019 would be different. USC campus It's not. Although the hiring of a new headlines, the university has The university is deeply en- president was an- only drawn more critical scru- meshed in a national college nounced [6] last week, raising tiny. admissions scan- hopes that a change in lead- dal [3] involving various pay- Many USC students, alumni ership might help steer the to-play schemes in which rich and influential benefactors campus onto a path of posi- parents paid hefty bribes to are deeply disappointed and tive change, the university's get their children into some of angry about the latest turn of critics are debating the long- the nation’s top colleges. events and are highly critical term implications of the col- USC students were implicat- of the administration under lective scandals. They're also ed in the fraud and bribery whose watch the bribery ap- wondering whether the image scheme more than were stu- parently occurred undetect- of the institution will be per- dents at any of the other col- ed. They are particularly an- manently sullied along with leges. And one of the USC noyed that USC administra- the standing of current stu- students was among those tors are again scrambling to dents, the graduating Class most widely mocked for an contain a public relations de- of 2019, and alumni. apparent lack of interest in bacle instead of focusing on “I was totally embarrassed,” studying [4]. restoring the reputational lus- said Calvin Carmichael, a ter already lost as a result of Instead of turning the tide of freshman at USC. “I know bad publicity and banner the past incidents [5]. laughing matter. When the “We have planned significant charges and arrests related remedial efforts,” she said in to the admissions buying a statement issued on were announced earlier this March 12, hours after the month after a yearlong inves- Justice Department an- tigation by the U.S. Depart- nouncement. “We will take all ment of Justice, he was im- appropriate employment ac- mediately dismayed. He tions. We will review admis- dreaded the thought of more sions decisions. We are iden- unseemly headlines about tifying all funds received that USC after widespread media may be connected to the gov- coverage of revelations of ernment’s allegations. And sexual assault allegations we will be implementing sig- how hard I worked to get into [7] against a campus gyne- nificant process and training the school. Before people cologist and charges [8] of enhancements to prevent an- would say, ‘Wow, you go to drug abuse by the medical ything like this from ever hap- USC -- you must be so school’s now former dean. pening again.” smart.’ Now I’m not sure what they’ll say.” “I thought, oh no, not again,” Austin also announced the he said. firing of two employees, in- They might say something cluding Donna Heinel, the along the lines of: How much The admissions investigation senior associate athletic di- did you pay to get in? led to the arrests of 50 peo- rector who was among five ple, including athletics coach- current or former USC coach- Greg Autry said he was es at USC and five other se- es charged with racketeering asked that very question at a lective institutions who alleg- conspiracy as part of the Jus- recent conference, even edly took bribes in exchange tice Department probe. She though he’s not a USC stu- for granting spots on various also said a tenured faculty dent. He’s an assistant pro- sports teams to students who member named in the federal fessor of clinical entrepre- did not play those particular indictment as a parent would neurship in USC’s business sports. The students’ parents be placed on leave while the school but was nonetheless and several college entrance university takes "a required the subject “of a constant exam administrators were procedural step in the pro- barrage of admission jokes” also arrested and charged. cess for terminating tenured during the conference. The university’s top adminis- faculty." The faculty member He said variations of jokes trators have not responded to is Homayoun Zadeh, an as- about bribing one’s way into requests for comment, but sociate professor of dentistry USC were “the second thing Wanda Austin, USC’s interim who received his doctorate of out of people’s mouths after president, has issued sever- dental surgery from USC in they said hello and saw the al written state- 1987. According to name of my institution. They ments [9] outlining the Justice Department's affi- questioned the quality of fac- the university’s cooperation davit [13], Zadeh and his wife ulty along with that of stu- with law enforcement authori- refinanced their home in or- dents.” ties [10] and actions tak- der to pay a $100,000 bribe en [11] in the wake of the to the athletic director to have Autry took the ribbing in Justice Department an- their daughter designated as stride, but he believes what’s nouncement [12] of the indict- a recruit for USC's lacrosse happening at USC is no ments and arrests. team, "despite the fact that she did not play lacrosse ly 20,000 undergraduates en- cation’s College Scorecard competitively -- thereby facili- rolled [14] that the impact on [16].) tating her admission to USC." campus and on the larger student body is almost negli- It’s obviously impossible for “More employment actions gible. anyone to predict what will may be possible as new facts happen over time, especially come to light,” Austin said in There’s also the notion that given the fast pace of news another statement. even bad publicity can some- cycles and the short attention times result in positive atten- span of the general public. Autry said the culmination of tion. various scandals within a rel- “Reputational damage is not atively short time period -- “It “I actually hear more about forever anymore,” said Mar- seems like a scandal du jour, the scandal from people who garet Dunning, managing or one every six months,” he aren’t at USC,” Kaster said. partner at Finn Partners, a said. -- contributed to an “It’s kind of good to know that global marketing and commu- overall unflattering perception someone is willing to pay a nications firm. “There are a of USC. million dollars to attend USC. few exceptions, but it’s hard I’ve actually been offered to predict what they are.” “There’s a sense of institu- money to take the ACT test tional corruption, and that’s for others, but I declined. I Still, some USC alumni re- not wrong,” he said. “There’s feel honored to be in the member the university’s less a severe cultural problem go- company of Yale and Stan- heady days, when it was ing on that you can’t deny.” ford, and being among that known for being “a party caliber of school can also im- school” with a great football He’s worried the perceptions team and less than rigorous may become reality and hurt prove USC’s reputa- tion.” (Although USC has be- academics. USC was not faculty recruiting, “which had nearly as selective back then, been on the upswing.” come increasingly competi- tive and selective in recent and the competition to get in Paul Kaster, a sophomore at decades, it is still not as se- was not so intense. People USC, agrees. lective as Yale or Stanford joked that USC actually stood Universities, other institutions for “University for Spoiled “It impacts USC’s reputation where parents tried to rig the Children.” for sure,” Kaster said. “Its admissions process. Accord- reputation is important for re- No one wants a return of that ing to federal data on College image, but the involvement of cruiting faculty and students Navigator, a database of the and for the value of your de- the children of wealthy movie National Center for Education stars and hedge fund manag- gree later, especially when Statistics, USC accepted you’re looking for a job.” ers [17] in the admissions 16 percent of 56,676 appli- scandal only reinforces that Students who were consider- cants for its fall 2017 fresh- impression. These students ing applying “might see the man class [15], while Yale have become the focal point university as less prestig- and Stanford accepted just 7 of public ire and are seen as ious,” he said. and 5 percent respectively. the embodiment of spoiled Yale and Stanford students and entitled young people Still, as disappointing as it also scored higher on college who gained entrée to USC by was for Kaster to learn that entrance exams such as the dint of their parents’ money 12 students were accepted at SAT and ACT, and they grad- and influence. USC through admission uated from those institutions fraud, he said it was such a at higher rates, according to The students and their par- small portion of the near- the U.S. Department of Edu- ents are the source of intense social media attention and institution’s 10th president. He’s not alone in wanting derision because they are USC grew fast, amassed lots change.