Waaaar Eagle, "A"!

[30A Skunkape]

Things just have not been the same since Auburn dropped that infamous horticulture class
AU Investigates Complaints That Athletes Got Preferential Treatment


Mitch Sneed and Amy Weaver / Opelika-Auburn News
July 13, 2006

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Auburn University's Samford Hall
Auburn University is investigating a complaint that some athletes may have been given preferential grading by a single professor.

According to Auburn University officials, an anonymous complaint came in through a system called Ethicspoint in May, alleging that a single professor gave grades to student athletes for courses that required little or no work.

AU officials declined to name the professor or give his current status while the investigation is ongoing. The names of the athletes alleged to be getting preferential treament were not released. Officials denied a request for a copy of the complaint and would not supply names of those people assigned to the investigation committee.

?Academic integrity is at the foundation of every university,? AU Provost John Heilman said in a released statement. ?At Auburn, we expect concerns related to academics to be reported through deans and department heads, but we also maintain an anonymous on-line system called Ethicspoint.

?The Office of the Provost takes any concern related to academic processes at the University seriously. As a result, on June 5, I appointed a committee to investigate the anonymous claim. The work of the committee is not complete given the number of personal interviews that must be conducted.

?The Committee will issue a report upon the completion of its work, and that report will be made public. Until that time, our office will have no comment on the investigation. I can assure you as Provost that academic misconduct will not be tolerated at Auburn University.?

No timeline was provided for completion of the investigation.

Auburn University Interim President Ed Richardson said the investigation will be complete.

?Over the past two years, Auburn has shown a willingness to address serious issues in a very open and direct manner,? Richardson said in a released statement. ?The Provost has made me aware of a complaint and related investigation concerning grades assigned to student athletes.

?I am confident that the Provost will perform a thorough investigation, and upon completion of that work we will make the results of that investigation public. I also want to make clear that in the event that any academic misconduct is confirmed, we will take appropriate action to insure that Auburn University's strong academic reputation is not damaged. Auburn has been, and is, fortunate to have many dedicated instructors who, like us, will not tolerate academic misconduct.

?I want to assure everyone associated with Auburn that upon completion of the investigation we will deal with this issue as we have dealt with other challenges ?- directly and openly.

 

[Beach Runner]

This happens more often than you'd think. I know that at one university, many professors routinely give out an "engineering" version of a test and a "management" version of a test. The management version is easier. I heard a story about one student who is a management major and not an athlete and was given the engineering version. He asked the professor for the management version and was denied. And BTW at that school athletes get to register before anyone else, so they get first choice of athlete-friendly professors and of professors and courses that are the easiest.

Even way back when we were at Tulane, athletes got special privileges from the athletic department. My husband and I fell in love my freshman year and got married my junior year. He got enough "laundry money" and money from reselling his free season tickets to the athletic department that it paid for our apartment, food, and all other living expenses.

However, he never got a break from his professors. Tulane was pretty anti-athletics where we were there, to the point that there was actually a vote to get rid of intercollegiate athletics. When my husband had away games and would miss class for days, many of his professors wouldn't even give him a makeup exam. I mean, he couldn't afford to be at Tulane without his basketball scholarship, yet because he had to be gone for games to keep his scholarship, he risked his GPA and possible graduation. Now he has a Ph.D. in engineering, so thankly he overcame the anti-athletic sentiment of most of his professors.

 

[Teresa]

what's new?

 

[bamabeachbum]

Here is the next coloum to come out on monday in the NYT.

VICTORY WITH NO EFFORT FOR AUBURN PLAYERS
By PETE THAMEL
New York Times News Service

A graphic popped up on Gene Stallings' TV during the Iron Bowl in the fall of 2005, and he could not believe his eyes. One of the nation's prominent football teams was being honored for beating its rival for the fourth year in a row. Stallings, the ex-coach of the Alabama football team, had never beat his rival four times in a row. He asked two other Bama ex-coaches, and they could not recall beating Auburn four in a row either.
Fifteen members on the 2005 Auburn football team, never lost to the Crimson Tide during their careers. One of those players, Stanley McClover, had 3.5 sacks vs. Bama, but averaged less than a sack a game vs. other opponents. At one point, McClover was sacking at the rate of three and half defensive ends, a rate that his colleagues said no one could legitimately handle. "It was a lot of sacks," McClover said. "And I basically wore myself out." A number of Auburn athletes had sacks in the 2005 Iron Bowl: two athletes took two sacks, two athletes took 1.5 and two got one each. Auburn was averaging only 2.5 sacks per game going into the Iron Bowl.
The 15 football players won 100% of the Iron Bowls, but in all other games, their average was only 74%.
The journey of Auburn running back Kenny Irons illustrates how Auburn routinely defeats Alabama. When Irons arrived at Auburn in 2005 after transferring from South Carolina, he wanted to beat Alabama. Irons asked for advice from Williams, who claimed that the Iron Bowl was "easy if you practiced."
In the fall of 2003, Williams found himself in a competitive bind. More than two months into the season, he realized that Auburn had won only six games. Williams went to Coach Tuberville with a plea: "I need a victory, and I'll take any victory right now. I want to win this year's Iron Bowl game." He said Tuberville told him about a "one-play victory" that he would enjoy. So Auburn and Williams won the 2003 Iron Bowl after only one play and 15 seconds. Football games typically run 60 minutes.
As for Alabama, they have left Mike Shula in charge of the football team, something that stunned many around college football. "Things have reached a point where we're getting ready to produce more Bill Curry incidents," Stallings said. "It's embarrassing."

 

[whiteyfunn]

Blah blah blah blah blah blah.

Why are you attacking Alabama? If anybody turned you in it was Fat Phil Fulmer.

Not to boast on 'Bama but we're doing ok.

 

[bamabeachbum]

NYT owns the T Town news, Warren St. John who wrote a book on alabama football and huge tide fan, who also works for the NYT has posted information on the tider insider boards way before this came out.

Not saying that Alabama had anything to do with it, but kind of makes you wonder. Kind of like when all the Bama fans thought that Phat Phil was hiding in every corner and taking notes.

I think this is more of a case of one Prof. having a beef with another Prof.

Just thought I would have a little fun with it.

Anyway War Eagle, and Fear the thumb!

 

[Kimmifunn]

So working for a large entity now, as opposed to a small agency, I learned the power of the Times. We used to work to get in the Sunday/Thursday Style Section and the Magazine. Etc. Now we have to really watch it with them. They're sneaky. They're really sneaky. They seriously buddy up to you and then boom...a story about the wind and the parade, a really nasty story about our buyers and how they have no style and just strive to sell sell sell- duh. Everyone follows what the Times says- press wise. We have one guy that you just KNOW is working on huge merger story. I could go on and on. It's just really interesting how the writers over there work. And I never noticed it until we really had to watch it with them.

 

[JB]

NYT owns the T Town news, Warren St. John who wrote a book on alabama football and huge tide fan, who also works for the NYT has posted information on the tider insider boards way before this came out.

Not saying that Alabama had anything to do with it, but kind of makes you wonder. Kind of like when all the Bama fans thought that Phat Phil was hiding in every corner and taking notes.

I think this is more of a case of one Prof. having a beef with another Prof.

Just thought I would have a little fun with it.

Anyway War Eagle, and Fear the thumb!

You typify just about every Auburn fan I know. A story comes out in in the NYT about widespread academic fraud at Auburn, and in turn, you post that tripe above. Which, BTW, is not even a real story. You made it up, then attached a real writer's byline to it. Now tell us what that has to do with the issue at hand?

If you think UA had anything to do with this story, then you need some serious couch time, bud. Paranoia will destroy ya.

Y'all are just pathetic.

Carry on, little brother.

 

[30A Skunkape]

I love it when you neighbors just can't get along :funn:

 

[JB]

I love it when you neighbors just can't get along :funn:

I couldn't care less about Auburn. But when they point fingers our way due to an issue that is completely of their own doing, and manufacture fake articles to deflect attention from their own corruption, then it needs to be pointed out.

Oh, and a little video link for you. Home cooking at its finest



EDIT: Seriously, I like LSU. They are a rival, but the two fanbases seem to keep things in the proper perspective. I LOVE going to games in BR. I have always managed to get along with LSU fans and really like partying with them. We never lost down there between 1969 and 2000. Of course, the playing field, as least as far as we are concerned, hasn't exactly been level the last 5-6 years. But we're coming back, baby!