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UNC Defended Paper Classes To NCAA, Contradicting Previous Statements To Accreditor

WUNC News | By Laura Pellicer,
Frank Stasio
Published November 13, 2017 at 3:43 PM EST
In this Oct. 22, 2014, file photo, Kenneth Wainstein, lead investigator into academic irregularities at UNC Chapel Hill, holds a copy of his findings following a special joint meeting of the UNC Board of Governors.
Gerry Broome
/
AP Photo
In this Oct. 22, 2014, file photo, Kenneth Wainstein, lead investigator into academic irregularities at UNC Chapel Hill, holds a copy of his findings following a special joint meeting of the UNC Board of Governors.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s accreditor is looking into recently disclosed statements made by the university to the NCAA. 

Host Frank Stasio speaks with News & Observer reporter Dan Kane about continuing controversy over academic fraud at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The school previously told the accreditor that “paper classes,” those that had little to no classwork or instruction, would not count toward graduation. However, recent reporting by the News & Observer shows the school supported the classes in front of an NCAA panel.

Host Frank Stasio speaks with News & Observer reporter Dan Kane about the implications of this flip-flopping. They also discuss the impact of the NCAA’s decision regarding the academic scandal at UNC-CH on the collegiate sport system at large.

Kane is a panelist at the News & Observer’s next Community Voices event titled: “How to fix what’s broken in big-time college sports.” The forum is at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 15 at the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh. It is free and open to the public but registration is encouraged through Community Voices at eventbrite.com. 

Copyright 2017 North Carolina Public Radio
Laura Pellicer
Laura Pellicer is a producer with The State of Things (hyperlink), a show that explores North Carolina through conversation. Laura was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, a city she considers arrestingly beautiful, if not a little dysfunctional. She worked as a researcher for CBC Montreal and also contributed to their programming as an investigative journalist, social media reporter, and special projects planner. Her work has been nominated for two Canadian RTDNA Awards. Laura loves looking into how cities work, pursuing stories about indigenous rights, and finding fresh voices to share with listeners. Laura is enamored with her new home in North Carolina—notably the lush forests, and the waves where she plans on moonlighting as a mediocre surfer.
See stories by Laura Pellicer
Frank Stasio
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.
See stories by Frank Stasio