Defying Critics in a Shrunken Department
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SEE PAGE 12 FOR THE 2015 VOTER GUIDE Volume 123, Issue 98 Serving UNC students and the University community since 1893 Thursday, October 22, 2015 WHAT WE KNEW WHAT WE KNOW OCT. 22, 2014 OCT. 22, 2015 $990 dailytarheel.com 3 per hour lawsuits hourly rate for by former Kenneth Wainstein student-athletes 136 $3.1 pages million in the Oct. 22 Wainstein report total spent on 9 Wainstein report employees 1 facing disciplinary action year probation by UNC’s 4 of 9 accrediting agency employees Folt said would be fired 5 UNRESOLVED. level-one 3,100 violations students of NCAA bylaws took paper classes in the former department of African and Afro- American Studies 5 of 9 identities 47.4 of employees facing percent of 3,100 disciplinary review were student-athletes DTH/TYLER VAHAN, BRADLEY SAACKS known to public A year after the Wainstein report, the NCAA and discipline decisions loom By Bradley Saacks and Liz Bell letic issue? Clearly it was an issue in University would face disciplin- fessor Alphonse Mutima declined to have been doing,” she said. Senior Writers both areas. It was a university issue,” ary review — including four whose comment on the report but did con- This protection of information is Chancellor Carol Folt said a year ago. employment would be terminated. firm that he is under review. supported by several at the University, The final investigation. Now, after 365 days, three lawsuits That day, responding to questions “The University hasn’t made a like Faculty Athletics Chairperson Joy That was what the 136-page report from former student-athletes and from the crowd, Folt declined to definitive decision regarding my Renner, who commended the school on UNC’s academic-athletic scan- countless questions from all sides share the identities of these indi- situation,” he said. for not making to rash decisions. dal by former federal investigator of the University community, Folt viduals until they received their due Many other employees chose not “You’re wanting to know because Kenneth Wainstein and his team rep- believes UNC is stronger than ever. process through the University’s to comment or could not comment you need to know or because you’re resented to a University in the midst “We faced the biggest issue in human resources processes. due to the NCAA investigation. curious, or you can also look at it of a seemingly never-ending scandal. University history,” she said on Two firings, of former athletic Mutima, according to the report, like if that were me, would I want Released a year ago today, the Wednesday. “We had brought forward tutors Jaimie Lee and Beth Bridger, pushed back against attempts by the University to protect my rights?” report was billed as doing what details that had not ever been seen. and two resignations, by former former administrative assistant and Renner said. the other investigations could not: We pushed forward more than 70 professors Jan Boxill and Timothy director of the paper class scheme “Do I need to know right now? I finally determining the extent reforms and initiatives, which have led McMillan, are all that have been Deborah Crowder to change grades don’t need to know right now. Am I of academic fraud in the former to major changes at the institution. made public by the University after and place students in his Swahili happy to know the University pro- Department of African and Afro- “I think it is stronger, more pro- a settlement among UNC and 10 courses that Mutima said misbehaved. tects my rights? Yes, I am.” American Studies — and who was ductive than it’s ever been.” media organizations, including The Despite his frustration, the report says ultimately responsible for it. Daily Tar Heel. Mutima ultimately took advantage of A reformed UNC And the results could not be Still waiting The Daily Tar Heel attempted the paper classes by directing distract- ignored, even for the most passion- to contact all current University ing students out of his classroom. Music professor James Moeser ate UNC die-hards. After moving past the initial employees who were specifically When asked about the time said the situation went undetected For nearly two decades, fake class- shock of the report’s findings, the named in the Wainstein report, not frame for the remaining employees for so long because of two main fal- es were used to artificially inflate ath- University community looked to the including the “witness account sum- assumedly still under review, Folt lacies: the fact that the academic letes’ grades thanks to an empowered names in the report to determine maries” section which summarized also declined to comment. support system for student athletes secretary, a lack of administrative who should be held accountable. the more than 100 interviews the “As soon as we are completed with was, in reality, a part of the athletics oversight and desperate tutors. At the press conference last year, Wainstein team did. African, African it, we will let you know. But it is only “Was this an academic or an ath- Folt said nine employees at the American and diaspora studies pro- a tiny part of the amount of work we SEE WAINSTEIN, PAGE 11 1 1 reopened NCAA investigation ongoing NCAA investigation Defying critics in a UNC graduate ‘really feels shrunken department the sting’ of his AFAM minor Andrew Dykers wants UNC to make difficult and they had more to lose than I did, Students pursuing people from her hometown did not respond to requests and I immediately knew something was up.” questioned her. for comment. Director of amends to AFAM degree holders. But the evidence of his hard work on his African-American “It would just be like, ‘So, Undergraduate Studies resume — the listing of his minor — is over- are you going to class? So, Kenneth Janken declined to By Kiana Cole shadowed by the scandal that is now synony- studies are proud. I heard all your classes are comment. Senior Writer mous with the former department. easy,’” she said. Since 2010, the depart- Dykers said once he removed his minor By Jane Wester “Like, no. I work my ass off ment’s curriculum and lead- To “make whole” is a legal term, explains from his resume, he felt his job search pro- University Editor in all my classes. I go to class, ership have changed com- Carrboro resident Andrew Dykers. cess become easier, prompting his decision to I do my work, they don’t give pletely, Provost Jim Dean said “It means to make amends, to right your appeal. He said UNC should let degree hold- In fall 2010, 104 students me easy grades.” — but he isn’t surprised by wrong. It’s an attempt to put the person back ers take new classes if they choose. were majoring in the former She said she believes her the decline in enrollment. into the condition they would have been if the “The school acknowledges wrongdoing and Department of African and degree will have equal value “A couple of faculty mem- wrong had not occurred,” said Dykers, who disrepute. The school has fired people, and Afro-American Studies. to any other social science bers, out of a large number graduated from UNC in 1995. it has changed the name of the program. You That number would fall degree. of faculty members, really Dykers wants the University to make him don’t change the name of a program unless it precipitously in the next five “Just because people pass off unfortunately created a bad whole; as he says, UNC has wronged him has suffered disrepute,” he said. years, as news of a paper my department as something reputation for all of them, — and he wants it righted. The Wainstein The more than 70 reforms UNC lists as class scheme in the depart- not very valuable or something and it’s really a shame,” he report, released a year ago today, detailed proof of progress from the scandal ignore the ment cast UNC in a national that’s easy to be manipulated, said. extensive academic fraud in the former people most affected by the scandal, he said. scandal. that doesn’t determine its That reputation sticks Department of African and Afro-American “Of course we need things in place to make By spring 2013, there were worth,” she said. “’Cause, I around, he said, because of a Studies, which Dykers minored in. sure professors aren’t giving 300 independent 66 majors, according to data mean, it’s priceless to me, and I concept known in public rela- Dykers, a Carrboro-based lawyer, made the study classes a year. You want a pat on the from the registrar’s office. The love it. I wouldn’t have my edu- tions as the lag effect. decision to remove his minor from his resume back for that?” Dykers said. next semester, that number cation any other way.” “If you have a really good after the release of the Wainstein report. Provost Jim Dean said UNC has been was cut in half. In spring 2015, one reputation and you start to Wainstein’s report concluded that from focused on specific students who were in the Now there are 23 students semester after the Wainstein do some things that aren’t so 1993 to 2011, the University offered fraudu- irregular classes. He said no offer has been majoring in the renamed report was released, Parlier good, the reputation holds up lent classes within the AFAM department. made toward degree holders like Dykers who Department of African, had a Swahili class taught for a pretty good while before Though he never took an illegitimate never took an irregular class.