Sol Gittleman, a former provost at Tufts University, wrote to me with reference to Brad Wolverton’s article, “Rise in Fancy Academic Centers for Athletes Raises Questions of Fairness,” saying: “This would be a joke, if it weren’t for articles that state how public universities are losing out in hiring to the well-heeled privates. So, while … Read more
Corruption is driven by big money and is enabled by cozy relationships that have been cultivated over the years by the NCAA and its member institutions with people and organizations that would normally have been expected to reign in corruption and the out-of-control commercialization of college athletics. The Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics, the print … Read more
Almost all untenured faculty members are too busy working to get tenure and are not in a position to challenge administrative policy on intercollegiate athletics. In either case, faculty members who defend academic integrity can be considered subversive25—inviting intimidation and career-threatening retaliation by school administrations. Also, the fear of being ostracized looms large. »Read the … Read more
Those tied to the financial fortunes of the elite level sport colluded for years in the fiction that super-sized bodies are the natural result of good habits, healthy living, and hard training. Sadly, the same could be said of the NCAA and its member institutions about academic corruption and the likely widespread use of PEDs … Read more
One need only look at big-time (NCAA Div IA) college and university campuses where the building and expansion of football stadiums, basketball arenas, and other athletic facilities reflects the extant values and priorities at these institutions of higher education. This building frenzy is not only symptomatic of the American public’s sports culture, but also of … Read more
Without transparency, accountability, and independent oversight, there is no way of knowing what really goes on at these centers. Reported improved academic performance is problematic. Put another way, there is no basis for knowing how much of the reported improvement in academic performance of college athletes is verifiable – in the sense that quality degrees … Read more
The formidable task of getting priorities right at Rutgers, and other schools supporting big-time football and men’s basketball programs, must be taken on by others. Reform-minded faculty members in the Rutgers 1000 will likely feel the really heavy weight of their reform lances — risking burnout when they face the defensive efforts of those opposing … Read more
Aside from federal intervention, there is no way that university and college presidents, governing boards, and/or faculty members can be motivated to do whatever is necessary to eliminate academic corruption in college sports. Put another way, these parties cannot be educated and/or embarrassed to do the right thing, no matter how logical it seems to … Read more
Valuable insights applicable to subsequent reform campaigns and the faculty role in college sports oversight were obtained via experience in the 1990s with projects related to environmental and national information infrastructure initiatives. For example, the campaign for systemic engineering education reform was the first to build on this experience. In turn, this campaign helped guide … Read more
The context within which college athletics functions is compromised academic integrity that enables out-of-control commercialization with its distracting influence on school officials, on America’s youth, and on the nation’s diminishing prospects as a leader in the 21st century’s global economy. All too often, secrecy, deceit, and deception, are hallmarks of the business of college-sports entertainment … Read more