Teamsiliconvalley - Sports Blog

The Number 23 Effects Florida State Athletics in a Negative Way.

September 28th, 2007

Ever see the movie "Number 23"? It's a good decent rental or Netflex movie. However what isn't decent are student athletes cheating. What student athletes cheat? Well, apparently so at least at FSU, I'm sure others do as well just they're smart enough not to get busted.

"Two athletic department academic assistance employees have resigned and 23 Florida State University athletes were implicated in cheating on tests given over the Internet, school officials said Wednesday.

The athletes represent nine sports and 17 of the students are or have been on scholarship. Officials could not identify the students and could not say which sports are involved because of federal confidentiality restrictions.

University President T.K. Wetherell reported the findings in a letter to the NCAA. He indicated inquires are continuing although an internal investigation failed to find conclusive evidence of a more widespread pattern of cheating.

The students could face punishment from the university and NCAA including loss of eligibility. The NCAA also could sanction the university, but spokesman Erik Christianson said it would be speculative and declined comment."

What ever happened to simple way of cheating by concocting a hair brain way to break into the professors office at 3:45 AM mission impossible style, and stealing the answers to the tests? Now that's cheating though hard work. I also I seem to remember that one someone got caught cheating they were kicked out of college...oh wait they are athletes my mistake.

"Wetherell ordered an investigation by the university's Office of Audit Services in May after receiving information an athletics department learning specialist had directed one athlete to take an online quiz for another and then provided the answers.

The student who took the test was not enrolled in the class and reported what happened to his athletics academic advisor. Neither he nor the other athlete, who had been unaware someone else took the test for him, were disciplined, the report said.

The investigation then found the learning specialist also typed papers for five students who apparently didn't qualify for that service and a tutor provided answers or other unethical assistance to 23 students for online tests. The testing involved a single course, which was not identified.

"Some students from the 2007 semester indicated that it was common knowledge among the student athletes that the tutor would help with the exams in the class," the report said.

The learning specialist and tutor resigned. They are not named in the report.

The tutor confirmed in an interview with the school's auditors that he had been assisting students with answers for the online exams since the fall of 2006, according to the report."

With all this help given to the athletes one would think the FSU football team could perform better, since they didn't have the added pressure of studying they could just focus on playing. Before anyone asks of my knowledge with there were football players involved, you can visit this link to see that there were. The FSU president did comment on the scandal yesterday.

"Florida State University's president said Thursday the school doesn't know all the details of an academic cheating scandal that has already resulted in two employees being fired.

"I don't like what we saw," Wetherell said during a break at Thursday's Board of Governors quarterly meeting. "It bothers us obviously that faculty or athletic staff people would have done what they did."

"My real concern is what I don't know at this point," Wetherell said."

And there's been a ripple effect on the school's athletic department.

Wetherell notified athletic director David Hart Jr. in late May that his contract would not be renewed shortly after two assistant athletic directors announced their resignations. The No. 2 person in the academic support program, Brenda Monk, resigned in July.

Although Hart's contract runs until January 2009, he's expected to leave late this year."

Quick someone at South Carolina hire David Hart Jr. since they continue to have players be ruled ineligible due to academics.

"The NCAA has investigated similar allegations at a number of schools over the past decade that resulted in harsh penalties at Baylor, California, Fresno State, Georgia, Howard, Kentucky, Marshall, Miami, Minnesota, New Mexico State, San Diego State, Southern Cal and Texas Southern."

I'm sure Aberclay 12 of The Leaky Brain and the Gridiron Goddess aren't happy seeing their school listed there. ;)

So I profess on this day 9/28/07.

TtT

Entry Filed under: Sports