Academics and Athletes at Michigan

When I was on vacation Jim Carty from the Ann Arbor news broke a 4 day series of articles on Michigan athletes taking easy classes with a high number enrolled in general studies. Enclosed is the entire US News and World Report article summarizing the Ann Arbor News story. (Since I know most of us don't have time to read the "war and peace" size article that the A2 News put out)

My take: This isn't ground breaking information and why you are seeing very little nationally on this report. For us to think, athletes in football and basketball go to college to get a degree and job outside the NFL or NBA is just plain stupid thinking. These kids go to school to play professional basketball or football not to be a CPA. I don't agree with that approach but it's the truth and we all need to live with it. Sure they are wasting a very expensive college education and many of us would do it differently, but who are we to say to a 6'8 forward from Dayton that averages 21 a game that engineering is a better fit for them then professional basketball in the NBA or Europe. Again, I wish it was different, it just isn't.

We also have to understand that these athletes have a full time job outside of taking classes. They have full time commitments to their sport whether they are in season or out. So is the information below not factual? I'm sure it is. It's just not new or ground breaking which was exactly the intent of the article. So Mr. Carty as Brian from Mgoblog put it 6 months ago, stop trying to win a Pulitzer and continue making those delicious subs at subway.

or?

Here's the article:

Michigan Under Fire Over Athletes' Academic Integrity
March 19, 2008 06:45 PM ET

The University of Michigan has come under the harsh glare of its local paper, the Ann Arbor News, whose four-day journalistic bonanza investigates the eyebrow-raising activities of the school's athletic department as they pertain to student-athletes.

According to the News:

1. A large number of student athletes have been steered toward a psychology professor's independent study courses over the years. Since the fall 2004, the professor has taught 294 independent studies and 85 percent of those courses were with athletes. According to some students, the three- to four-credit courses met as little as 15 minutes every two weeks, while others admit the courses were used to boost the GPAs of potentially academically ineligible athletes.

2. The News chronicles how tougher curriculum in Michigan's kinesiology department—a former athlete dumping ground—led to a mass exodus of student-athletes to general studies degrees. The change was largely prompted by professors' concern over the growing disparity between athlete and nonathletes. "Who do you teach to?" asks a kinesiology lecturer. "Do you teach to the kids at the top of the scale, or the kids at the bottom? There was no middle."

3. A closer look at the general studies degree: "Of 18 recruited scholarship [football] players in the 2004 freshman class who remained at Michigan long enough to decide on a degree program, the lone exception to the general studies path was defensive back Doug Dutch, a psychology major."

4. And what do academic advisers actually do? Make sure student-athletes remain academically eligible, of course. How do they do it? Encourage the general studies degree, tell athletes which classes to take, and even use the student's password to enroll in courses for them.

The university, meanwhile, has attempted to defend itself, refuting a number of the claims and assuring that "there is no higher priority of the university than the academic success of our students," according to the university provost. The president also chimed in ("We did nothing wrong"), the Michigan Daily reports, and the professor under fire conveyed a similar sentiment directed toward the newspaper: "So after several months, they have put together whatever they could find—a net full of minnows."

_____

On Monday U-M president Mary Sue Coleman, provost Teresa Sullivan and athletic director Bill Martin released a joint statement:

"When the Ann Arbor News implies, through four days of coverage, that the academic experience for University of Michigan student-athletes does not meet our standards or expectations, we must cry foul. Our job as faculty and administrators is to help these student-athletes succeed academically, just as we are committed to the academic accomplishments of all Michigan students. As with their peers, student-athletes are encouraged to pursue any major and degree program they want, depending on their interests, ambitions, and abilities."

On the allegations that athletes were directed towards easy professors or have an easier ride then other students:

"Is there room for improvement?" the statement said. "Absolutely, and working with our coaches and faculty we continually strive to see more student-athletes earn their degrees. Through our own rigorous reviews, audits and assessments, we are constantly implementing changes and improvements to ensure that all standards are met as we support the success of our student athletes."

On the A2 news coverage:

"We were deeply disappointed in both the approach and tone of the coverage of such an important issue in the Ann Arbor News," the statement read. "The overall treatment did not lead to accuracy or balance and did not fairly represent the university’s serious commitment to the academic success of our student athletes."