Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

EyeOn College Basketball UNC stops research of academic whistleblower Mary Willingham
CBSsports.com ^ | January 17, 2014 | Chip Patterson

Posted on 01/18/2014 7:26:41 AM PST by gusopol3

The University of North Carolina has suspended the research of Mary Willingham, the reading specialist who turned over information on student-athletes and academic progress for a CNN report last week.

Willingham's research indicated that many football and basketball players at North Carolina are reading well below grade level -- Willingham claims 60 percent of the 183 student-athletes she worked with from 2004-12 were reading at fourth-to-eighth-grade levels -- and the reading specialist believes that the issues are not limited to UNC, but systemic across all of Division I athletics.

North Carolina and head basketball coach Roy Williams have disputed Willingham's claims, and on Thursday night the school shut down her research until the university's Institutional Review Board approves the work.

(Excerpt) Read more at cbssports.com ...


TOPICS: Education; Sports
KEYWORDS: athletics; education
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-24 next last
I have always wondered what happens to all the great college athletes that don't go pro. My hunch is that the college experience and the networking with coaches, boosters, etc., would probably be worth more to them than what they got out of the classroom , even if she were correct.
1 posted on 01/18/2014 7:26:41 AM PST by gusopol3
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: gusopol3

The flip side if that is that last year’s non-star athelete who didn’t make the pros is likely to be treated like a one night stand: lucky to get cab fare after the deed is done. There are new seniors in high school to be seduced to come to your school.


2 posted on 01/18/2014 7:31:46 AM PST by KarlInOhio (Republican amnesty supporters don't care whether their own homes are called mansions or haciendas.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gusopol3

Coach Roy: “I’d love to offer you a scholarship son, but the offer is written in cursive.”


3 posted on 01/18/2014 7:34:09 AM PST by Cletus.D.Yokel (Catastrophic Anthropogenic Climate Alterations: The acronym defines the science.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: KarlInOhio

That’s true, I’m sure there’s a lot of that; but there’s a lot of attrition among freshman whatever their background , talents, etc.


4 posted on 01/18/2014 7:34:59 AM PST by gusopol3
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Cletus.D.Yokel

She is a reading specialist who worked with 186 athletes between over 8 or 9 years; I’m sure there were thousands of athletes during that time. How many are even referred to reading specialists? Maybe she got the dregs of the dregs only?


5 posted on 01/18/2014 7:39:01 AM PST by gusopol3
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: gusopol3

I’ve always wondered about the athletes who get injured in college athletics and then need medical follow-up for the rest of their lives — like knee injuries.

Who pays for all the follow-up care???


6 posted on 01/18/2014 7:52:45 AM PST by Uncle Chip
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Uncle Chip

Yeah, and high school too.


7 posted on 01/18/2014 7:53:47 AM PST by gusopol3
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: gusopol3

Shows how much the Democrats are really about education when it comes to having any depth here. #1 goal is to crack down on the whistleblower.


8 posted on 01/18/2014 7:59:21 AM PST by Freedom of Speech Wins
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Freedom of Speech Wins

Where’s Louie Freeh when you need him —


9 posted on 01/18/2014 8:02:43 AM PST by Uncle Chip
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Freedom of Speech Wins

As much as I’d like to promote a cat fight between academia and CNN/ AP and the rest, I think she has a weak argument based on the sliver of athletes that she deals with. Maybe UNC would have been better off ignoring her.


10 posted on 01/18/2014 8:05:21 AM PST by gusopol3
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: gusopol3
I saw her interview on ESPN this week. Very impressive lady..a straight shooter..They're attempting to intimidate her...shut her up. She's not taking it..

UNC program is dirty..lots of scandals for years..make believe classes..students doing nothing..phony grades..

All colleges provide academic assistance for their athletes as they need it...look, they practice 20 hours/week...then away games... it 's hard. Her point is that many who were admitted to UNC had NO CHANCE of success in what is a difficult, competitive academic environment..but instead of trying to help them obtain some skills..they were just rubber stamped..and given passing grades at make believe courses.

11 posted on 01/18/2014 8:08:11 AM PST by ken5050 (This space available cheap...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gusopol3

Can we expect the NCAA to suspend UNC for this cover-up???


12 posted on 01/18/2014 8:08:37 AM PST by Uncle Chip
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: ken5050

Thanks, I’m glad you saw it ; I didn’t. To me she sounded like Elizabeth Warren against Wall Street, no one really to like there. Even with that, are they better or worse off for having gotten in to UNC on any grounds?


13 posted on 01/18/2014 8:12:45 AM PST by gusopol3
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: Uncle Chip

Nope; but if the “Tar Heels” were an Indian tribe, they’d get suspended for sure.


14 posted on 01/18/2014 8:13:43 AM PST by gusopol3
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: gusopol3

Shouldn’t be too hard to find some Feathers to go with that Tar after all Tar Heels is probably a derogatory reference to the original inhabitants of the area.


15 posted on 01/18/2014 8:20:34 AM PST by Uncle Chip
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Uncle Chip

Just wait until PETA gets after the Gators, the Bruins, the Lions, etc., etc. or have they already started?


16 posted on 01/18/2014 8:23:30 AM PST by gusopol3
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Uncle Chip

I taught at universities for 13 years including 7 in the UNC system. There are a lot of athletes with very poor reading and writing skills. UNC has had multiple scandals related to the academic performance of athletes. I have personal experience with at least one football player who managed to get through his junior year at Mississippi State while being functionally illiterate. Football and basketball can be big money for schools. There is a lot of pressure to pass star athletes. The few that ended up in my classes usually dropped the class once it was clear that I would not play along. It did not matter to me that the administration didn’t like it. As a conservative Christian I was never going to get tenure anyway.


17 posted on 01/18/2014 8:41:42 AM PST by FBRhawk (Pray with faith, act with courage, never surrender!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Uncle Chip

“Shouldn’t be too hard to find some Feathers to go with that Tar after all Tar Heels is probably a derogatory reference to the original inhabitants of the area.”

What are you talking about?

I’m Tar Heel born
Tar Heel bred
And when I die
I’ll be Tar Hell dead


18 posted on 01/18/2014 8:57:32 AM PST by Free America52 (The White guys are getting pissed off. We beat Hitler Hirohito and Krushchev. Obama will be easy.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: Free America52

My mistake — I thought that the term Tar Heel went all the way back to NC’s indigenous history with the original inhabitants called Tar Heels.


19 posted on 01/18/2014 9:07:31 AM PST by Uncle Chip
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Uncle Chip
Can we expect the NCAA to suspend UNC for this cover-up???

Only if you're expecting integrity from the very corruptive influence that is ruining American education.

20 posted on 01/18/2014 9:33:14 AM PST by Brass Lamp
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-24 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson