New Pete Thamel Article

[KunzelTiger 0]

July 18, 2006

N.C.A.A. and SEC Await Auburn’s Inquiry on Suspect Courses

By PETE THAMEL

The National Collegiate Athletic Association and the Southeastern Conference are awaiting the findings of Auburn University’s investigation into allegations of academic fraud before determining what action, if any, to take.

The New York Times reported last week that Auburn athletes took advantage of so-called directed-readings courses to help boost their grades and remain eligible for their sports, according to a professor who disclosed the matter. In some cases, the courses in sociology and criminology involved no class time and little work.

“If there was abuse in the case, and I’m not sure that there is, if there was abuse, we would be sure to act,” Myles Brand, the N.C.A.A. president, said in a telephone interview yesterday.

Brand commended James Gundlach, the whistleblower and the director of Auburn’s sociology department, for risking damage to his career by publicly revealing what he had learned. Gundlach told The Times that one of his superiors, Thomas Petee, a criminology professor and the sociology department’s chairman, had provided an inordinate number of directed-reading classes for easy grades to athletes and nonathletes.

Brand, a former president of Indiana University, said he was dumbfounded that Petee had been allowed to teach so many directed-reading courses; Petee led 152 such courses in one semester before Gundlach reported him.

“That’s an institutional problem of some magnitude,” Brand said. “It’s not an athletics problem. It needs to be addressed on an institutional level.”

Mike Slive, who has been the commissioner of the SEC for about four years, said that he and his staff work hard in making sure athletes receive quality educations. He declined to comment specifically on the Auburn case until the investigation was complete.

“We can see the other side of the shore of this body of water,” Slive said. “A boat blows here or there, but we never lose sight of where we’re going. To the extent that anything is out there, our goal is to be on course at all times.”

Gordon Gee, the chancellor of Vanderbilt, which is also in the SEC, did not share Slive’s optimism. Gee said the issues raised at Auburn were “very serious” and showed why there needed to be more academic oversight in athletics.

“What is shown is that when there’s an athletic culture that allows athletes to migrate toward that kind of approach, that it undermines the academic and athletic integrity of the program,” he said.

Since going public, Gundlach has been flooded with telephone calls and e-mail messages expressing support and condemnation. He said he had received 69 positive messages and 66 negative ones. As he walked into the main academic building on campus yesterday morning, he said, 10 to 12 faculty members applauded him.

“It was a very pleasant experience,” he said.

He did, however, say he was no longer cooperating with a three-member committee investigating the matter because of an inaccurate leak to the local news media about his motivation for going public. The report said that Gundlach came forward because he was passed over for the job that Petee landed as department chairman. Gundlach said that suggestion was untrue because he never sought the position.

Gundlach met once with two members of the investigating committee weeks ago — Sharon Gaber, an associate provost, and Constance Relihan, an associate dean. The third member, Marcia Boosinger, Auburn’s faculty athletics representative, was not at the meeting. (Gundlach said he reached out to Boosinger twice to talk about the issue last year, and she did not respond to his e-mail messages. Boosinger is one of a number of Auburn officials who have declined to comment until the investigation is complete.)

David Cicci, the chairman-elect of the faculty senate at Auburn, said the investigation had to determine whether athletes were steered to Petee.

“I guess the thing to find out in this is: has this guy been recommended?” Cicci said. “Who did and how often? Were all the athletes who took these courses guided to this guy?”

Linky

Pete Thamel is a real

[quietfan 233]

“We can see the other side of the shore of this body of water,” Slive said. “A boat blows here or there, but we never lose sight of where we’re going. To the extent that anything is out there, our goal is to be on course at all times.”

What the hell is Mike Slive trying to say here? I don't know if I've ever seen such a jumbled attempt at metaphor.

[GalensGhost 0]

Thamel is trying to dig out of the morass he created for himself. He's taken a ton of abuse over the last few days and is arrogant enough to think that the battering he's absorbing reinforces the 'rightness' of his position.

The SEC and NCAA are awaiting nothing. This guy is an assclown.

You ask me, the biggest tool in this toolbox is that jackass at Vanderbilt. I've heard about enough from him. He'll be getting a very polite email tomorrow. It will be in words even he can understand. "Check out the big brain on Gee..."

Thamel. What an idiot. Does he even read what he writes?

“That’s an institutional problem of some magnitude,†Brand said. “It’s not an athletics problem. It needs to be addressed on an institutional level.â€Â

And somebody needs to explain to professor Gundlach that a raised middle finger does not constitute applause:

As he walked into the main academic building on campus yesterday morning, he said, 10 to 12 faculty members applauded him

[freebody 0]

What's with the Gordon Gee quotes? Doesn't he have an intramural department to administer? I understand his academic ego was bruised by the implications of Auburn having a higher APR (which is silly), but he really should just cash his $10M welfare check from the SEC and keep his comments to himself.

[cadillacattack 0]

Brand commended James Gundlach, the whistleblower and the director of Auburn’s sociology department, for risking damage to his career by publicly revealing what he had learned.

What risk? He's tenured, nearing retirement, and cannot be fired....what risk???

What's with the Gordon Gee quotes?

Gordon Gee is associated with The Drake Group. He's part of a well-orchestrated effort to drive TDG's agenda.