University of North Carolina Athletics
Letter From SAAC Executive Board On The Wainstein Report
October 29, 2014 | General
While the media coverage of the Wainstein Report has been rightfully critical of the University and our Department of Athletics, there are some details upon which we would like to elaborate.
Between 1993 and 2011, there were roughly 3,100 enrollments in the reported "paper classes." Of these 3,100 enrollments, 47.6 percent were student-athletes. While this is still a sizeable portion and absolutely unacceptable statistic, it is important to note that academic irregularities were not isolated to any particular subset of the student body.
As described in the report, some counselors in the Academic Support Program for Student-Athletes and advisors in the College of Arts and Sciences directed students, both athletes and others, to take these fraudulent classes. Students must accept full responsibility for ensuring the integrity of their own education. While we have no doubt that some athletes understood the egregious nature of the "paper class" scheme, it is unjust to fault all UNC students - athlete or not - for a system that was created and administered by University personnel and placed students in an environment that made them vulnerable to academic misconduct.
The academic fraud that took place is not representative of who we are as students or as an institution. We remain dedicated to the Carolina Way of excellence, honor, and integrity. While the vast majority of these academic transgressions occurred before our matriculation at Carolina, we commit ourselves to ensuring that scholastic integrity is promoted and maintained on our campus. We would also like to take the next step and move the conversation in a positive, constructive space that emphasizes the noteworthy successes of Carolina student-athletes. Please join us on Thursday, October 30th at 6pm in Carroll Hall, room 111 with Student-Body President Andrew Powell and many other student leaders from across campus in an open forum. We welcome all students to this event and look forward to addressing any outstanding concerns as we help our university move forward.
Whether you are a student, athlete, faculty member, staff, alumna or alumnus, let us never forget that we all are bound by our unwavering love for our University, our community, and the Tar Heel nation. As the current stewards of our institution, we are committed now more than ever to the principles upon which the University was founded, and we will continue to honor the integrity, reputation, and name of the University of North Carolina both in sport and in the classroom.
In Carolina spirit,
Mike Jacobs
Co-Chair
SAAC
Co-Chair
SAAC
Policies & Procedures Sub-Committee, SAAC
Players Mentioned
