UNC Honor Court system to be reviewed in light of player's plagiarized paper

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UNC Honor Court system to be reviewed in light of player's plagiarized paper

Aug 4, 2011

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Chapel Hill, N.C. — Chancellor Holden Thorp has talked to some faculty members about forming a committee to review the student-run Honor Court system, which had its credibility damaged in a recent hearing with former University of North Carolina football player Michael McAdoo and the NCAA.

Many of those who teach at UNC were embarrassed by the initial accusations of cheating by football players who were subsequently suspended from the team. Then, recent media reports uncovered facts that McAdoo had plagiarized parts of a paper and it wasn't caught by the university.

“It became more clear over the course of the last two or three months that the academic mission of the university was not being fully respected in all corners,” said UNC professor of history Jay Smith. “If you discover something by accident, that means there is reason to suspect that, at least, there are other instances out there."

Smith said he thinks a review of the Honor Court system makes sense right now. So does Lloyd Kramer, the chairman of the History Department.

“I think it’s an interesting and important long tradition that goes back to the 19th century here at UNC, but I think that times have changed and it’s probably important to review again how it operates,” Kramer said. “It used to be you’d have a little cheat sheet or something, but now you just get on your phone and these kinds of things are facing technological challenges that the 19th century Honor Court never faced.”

In the week leading up to the firing of former head football coach Butch Davis, Thorp received tremendous support from faculty members. Out of about 90 emails obtained by WRAL News through a public records request, at least 10 came directly from faculty, and all were in support of the chancellor’s decision.

“You took an extremely important stand yesterday, acting in the very best interest of the University,” wrote law professor John Boger following the decision to make a coaching move. “You have my admiration and full support.”

“I just wanted to check to see that you are okay after this whole Butch Davis thing,” wrote Tara Carbonetti, who works at the Morehead Planetarium & Science Center. “Hang in there! You are doing a GREAT job and I stand by you and your decisions 100%!!!!!”

Thorp has come under harsh criticism since making a decision to dismiss Davis – a decision that Thorp said was entirely his. There are forum threads calling for UNC boycotts and Facebook pages calling for Thorp’s resignation. Faculty, however, are firmly standing by Thorp.

“Better late than never,” wrote Lawrence Gilbert, a professor in the Biology Department. “I am relieved and appreciative of this final act.”

McAdoo was denied an injunction last month that would have allowed him to play his senior season while a lawsuit seeking reinstatement of his eligibility and damages proceeds in court. In that hearing, Mcadoo's lawyer, Noah Hoffstetler, argued that his client was being deprived of the opportunity to succeed and that the NCAA violated its own procedures in ruling McAdoo ineligible.

The NCAA was more in line with Thorp’s supporters, saying that academic credibility is more important than playing a sport.

“Mr. McAdoo committed academic fraud. He is a cheater. That is what happened here,” said Raleigh-based lawyer Paul Sun, who represented the NCAA. "The NCAA takes academic fraud very seriously. The university’s facts presented to NCAA show academic fraud. Presumption is (that) there should be ineligibility."

Reporter: Erin Hartness
Web Editor: Aaron Schoonmaker

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RE: UNC Honor Court system to be reviewed in light of player's plagiarized paper

Sorry if this has already been posted, but ReeseNews has the same story up at:

http://reesenews.org/2011/08/03/honor-court-to-be-reviewed/17737/

Interestingly, their story includes these tidbits which the WRAL did not include:

But in anonymous comments, other instructors expressed concern over the special treatment the University seemed to be giving student-athletes.

"The evidence of cheating could not have been more obvious, and the excuse given was completely implausible," reads one comment. "Also, this case dealt with a student-athlete, and I found the interventions from the athletics department asking that the case not be brought before the Honor Court unethical."

One respondent suggested that high-profile student-athletes appeared to have ghost writers for their essays.

Another comment read: "(W)hen I turned in two different people on the very same day for violations committed in the very same class, the case of one was resolved fairly quickly and I was told what the sanctions were. The other case, that of a male starting basketball player, somehow - gosh I wonder how that happened? - was not resolved for months, not until after tournament season was over."

RE: UNC Honor Court system to be reviewed in light of player's plagiarized paper

The point most people are making (and tarheel fans aren't listening to) is that Carolina prides itself on academic integrity. Fans and students brag about how their school is better than State or wayyyy smarter than the dummies at ECU. But the issue now is that the public is aware of the academic short comings that is your institution. It is very sad when the colleges own professors are bashing their academic integrity, that shows a lack of leadership from the inside. I don't expect a player from ECU to make a complete sentence when he is interviewed. I do expect a college such as UNC to show better class and set a higher standard for itself than it has. As much as you "fans" of UNC trump schools in the state for their academics maybe you should look in the mirror.
- Posted by needspaintgt

Except that the Honor Code requires all students to report suspected cheating and you would expect the people who are on the Honor Court, like those in the student DA's office, to be the most diligent in those efforts. In this case they failed to notice the painfully obvious signs of plagiarism.

Your court analogy would be like a District Attorney who in the course of preparing to try a criminal uncovers additional evidence that indicated another crime had taken place and opting to do nothing about it.

RE: UNC Honor Court system to be reviewed in light of player's plagiarized paper

Talk about crickets chirping...almost as loud as the mosquitos buzzing! Some of the trolls on here are more of a pest than are the mosquitos.

RE: UNC Honor Court system to be reviewed in light of player's plagiarized paper

At least State is beating UNC at something :) Sorry Wolfpups!

www.tigerdroppings.com/rant/p/...-Most-Ever.aspx

Scroll about halfway down. Shows where NC State is in the Cheaters Hall of Fame.
- Posted by sanman

Thanks for the website that reads bad request..

I am sure some LSU forum is a great place to get a cheaters hall of fame list. Nice try though.
- Posted by bryan12

http://www.tigerdroppings.com/rant/p/22635486/NCAA-Violations---Who-Has-the-Most-Ever.aspx

Here it is Wolfpup :)

Just because we question, doesn't make us haters.

Didn't you ask who this player was? Now you are getting on tennis for providing more info on the subject.
- Posted by bglove1202

First of all-who the hell is "tennis"? Why would we believe anything from an anonymous person who obviously has an axe to grind? I graduated in "89. If "tennis was actually a TA that year( which I question), I hope I was not enrolled in whatever class they taught. Not posting this garbarge has nothing to do with covering something up. Unsubstantiated allegations from an unknown source has no credibility what-so-ever. I don't believe for a minute Dean Smith would have tolerated what "tennis" describes.
That's what drives me crazy with forums like this. People can anonymously sprew all hateful ignorance and innuendo they want without ever having to be accountable for what they say.
- Posted by Elvisisdead

yeah these forums aren't unc friendly, and I need proof that you graduated from unc in '89...
- Posted by shakennotstirred

I tell you what, if every UNC hater that has posted will agree to show up at a designated time and place with their paricular degree in hand, maybe we can work that out... Trust me, I wouldn't care as deeply as I do about UNC if I hadn't both attended and graduated from the institution.
- Posted by Elvisisdead

I will show up with my "particular" degree in hand, even though I am not a hater.

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