- What may cause issues of academic integrity to go unreported at big time sports schools?
-What can be done to deter issues like this from occurring?
- Ms. Suggs, the teacher in question, was a graduate student at the time of these events. If you were in her position, what would you have done?
-Does this damage FSU's reputation? To what degree?
- What may cause issues of academic integrity to go unreported at big time sports schools?
ReplyDeleteCertain schools care a lot for their sports teams, and teachers can be fans of these sports teams and want the school to do well so they do not report anything and treat the students better than others. Higher up people in the school may get reports from teachers but do not publicize or make anything of it as they want this to go unreported and keep their players in good shape.
-What can be done to deter issues like this from occurring?
Have assistants closely watch over the athletes work and make sure they are finishing everything they need to do. And have set rules, that if broken, punishment will be placed on the players which can help stop them from not doing work.
- Ms. Suggs, the teacher in question, was a graduate student at the time of these events. If you were in her position, what would you have done?
I think she was doing the right thing, but realistically as a young teacher I probably would have just let the players slide to get out of trouble and keep my bosses happy and save myself from losing my job.
-Does this damage FSU's reputation? To what degree?
Yes I believe this does damage their reputation as there is so obviously evidence provided of this happening and proves the school allows their players to slide. But they definitely are not the only school that do this and it is not the only place where this is going on.
Many schools in the nation, especially large FBS schools value sports at their universities because it brings recognition and passion to the school. Because of these aspects, schools spend large amounts money and energy on these sports programs, football being the most popular. Although the NCAA has academic standards for student athletes that must be met, many athletes are receiving grades they have not earned and teachers are being pressured to comply with these influences. I think the best solution to this problem is to better monitor players progressive academics instead of having simple weekly letter grade exams. If I were in her position, I personally would have given the player the grade he needed in the best interest of the university. However, I do not think that is the right thing to do in this situation, I just believed if it were me I would have trouble fighting the athletic influences. I definitely think this damages the school's academic reputation. Many students take there academics seriously and news coming out about a situation like this could only damage the academic reputation of the school. I don't however think this will damage the athletic side of the school. A similar situation to this occurred with North Carolina's basketball program a few years ago and they faced almost no repercussions for their actions.
ReplyDeletesometimes academic integrity will go unreported at big time schools like FSU. Because some of the players that are key players might have academic issues and will just expect their teachers to just change their grade or not care about their grades because they are very important to the team and school.Some ways we can help prevent this happening is to get the coaches to tell their players to work on their school work. Also to get the players teachers to help them if they need it in their classes. I think this does damage FSU reputation because they are a really good football school and when stuff like this happens usually the NCAA gets involved and big consequences can happen and hurt not only the football team but overall the whole school. I think to a degree that it will be forgotten in the future and a lesson for the football players to make sure they get their work done and get a good grade. Also to not get a teacher fired just so they don't have to do the work. Because overall they took someones job away. But FSU will learn from its mistakes and learn.
ReplyDelete- What may cause issues of academic integrity to go unreported at big time sports schools?
ReplyDeleteI think that sports are a huge part of the culture and expirience at many colleges, and teachers and other staff members do not want to take away from the success of their universities athletic programs. All staff members have a connection to the school that they work at and most likely would like to see the athletic program succeed. Also I think there is a big issue of the higher administration giving orders to make sure that teachers pass any athletes they may have in their class.
-What can be done to deter issues like this from occurring?
I think it would help if their was more involvement by the NCAA to make sure that all colleges are upholding their academic standards. It would also be helpful if their was more strict penalties laid out for students and teachers that get caught cheating, which could deter them from thinking it is a good idea.
- Ms. Suggs, the teacher in question, was a graduate student at the time of these events. If you were in her position, what would you have done?
I respect that Ms. Suggs was hesitant to help athletes and knew it was wrong. If I were in her position I would have had a hard time going against what my boss was ordering. I may have tried a little harder to convince them that what they wanted was wrong, but ultimately I may have done the same thing.
-Does this damage FSU's reputation? To what degree?
I do think this damages the reputation of FSU because it shows how much many of their staff prioritized sports over academic integrity. If I were a student attending FSU I would be very disappointed, and if I were applying I would definitely think twice about attending a school that does not take academics completely seriously.
- What may cause issues of academic integrity to go unreported at big time sports schools?
ReplyDeleteSomething that may cause issues of academic integrity to go unreported could be because the student is an elite athlete attending the school just to play in college. I am sure these academic integrity issues happen at all of the big time sports schools, but the teachers there feel like they need to give the players the good grades because they help the school out in athletics.
-What can be done to deter issues like this from occurring?
I don't think much can be done to stop issues of academic integrity from happening because unless the teachers tell on the students, nothing would happen to them. Teachers also know that if they tell the school about these integrity issues, the player might be deemed ineligible.
- Ms. Suggs, the teacher in question, was a graduate student at the time of these events. If you were in her position, what would you have done?
If I was in Ms. Suggs position, I would feel like I couldn't tell anyone because I am sure students who play D-1 football at prestige school such as FSU and Alabama, didn't do work during their entire high school careers also.
-Does this damage FSU's reputation? To what degree?
I don't think this should affect FSU's reputation because most if not all schools do this, but FSU was the one where a teacher admitted to doing so. FSU has always been known as one of the best football schools in the nation and I think that their reputation shouldn't be damaged because of some players not doing work.
- What may cause issues of academic integrity to go unreported at big time sports schools?
ReplyDeleteAt big time schools such as FSU, these athletes are everything. Especially in the sport of football the athletes and teams bring in so much money, advertizing and attention to the school. Through this, more and more high school students become interested in the school then bringing even more money into the school. It all starts with these kids and if they are not getting good enough grades to play in big games, then the school loses their good name. Along with this, these kinds more often than not are not great students and are going to schools to play football first, then go to class. So in order to play they need the grades and this is the reason for issues regarding academic integrity.
- What can be done to deter issues like this from occurring?
I believe that the biggest thing that needs to be done to deter these issues from occuring over and over again will be to stress the importance of academics from a young age. In a perfect world, you can go off to college on an athletic scholarship and make it right into the NFL or Pro leagues. But unfortunately, this is not always the case. What if you get hurt? What if you make an off-the-field mistake and lose your chance? There are endless possibilities for things to go wrong and limited chances for things to all work out. By stressing the importance of doing your school work and not relying on sports to get out of a poor situation, will lead athletes to getting good grades along with playing their sport at the highest levels. Grades won’t even have to be a question. But if these academic problems follow the student-athletes to their respective colleges, more strict procedures need to be put in place so the students prioritize their work so they can play the game they love.
- Ms. Suggs, the teacher in question, was a graduate student at the time of these events. If you were in her position, what would you have done?
To be perfectly honest, I probably would not have done anything unless I had a direct connection to the student-athletes that were going through the academic integrity violations. From the time they get to the school, they are told that they are students first, and athletes second. And, in order to be apart of the team and compete in games, you must have passing grades. For the teacher that are going through giving the athletes “fake” grades, they should be stripped of their teaching job and penalized accordingly. Yes it is not fair to the other students that are actually working for their grades, but eventually word gets around and these people will be exposed. Say the people that were taking fake grades were a friend or a teammate, I would definitely say something and make them work for their grades. Lots of high school athletes dream about the opportunity just to be at these schools and watch them play, and it is not fair to everyone else that wants to be in there position to just throw it away because you do not want to do your homework.
- Does this damage FSU's reputation? To what degree?
For FSU, I definitely agree that it puts a dent in their reputation, in many different ways. For the academic side, it makes them look like frauds that will be willing to cheat their student-athletes through classes. For the athletes, hearing about this as a recruit makes the school look possibly more appealing because they won't have to work as hard on the academic side. Now that they have been exposed in this fashion, they will not be getting away with these fake grades anymore so that positive aspect for the incoming recruits is now off the table. Although this may happen at other schools as well, just because FSU is being exposed in this nature is does put a dent in their reputation
Academic integrity at big football schools, like FSU, may go unreported because if the student athletes were not meeting NCAA academic standards, then the school could face discipline from the NCAA. Since these types of schools get a lot of their revenue from sports, the schools try to meet NCAA standards by any means necessary. If a punishment is handed down to the school, it will greatly effect the potential income. Also, it hurts the reputation of the sports teams if found that the students are not meeting academic standards. I believe that cooperation between the coaches, teacher, and the dean will resolve such future issues. Also, an investigation by the NCAA with regular check-in's should deter the school from attempting to infringe on academic integrity again. Teachers should not feel threatened nor cater to athletes when doing their job. If I were Ms Suggs, I probably would have done the same. She recognized an issue that contradicted with her moral compass and mine. She made the right choice, but unfortunately lost her job. This incident shows how athlete favoritism is a real thing. FSU has lost its credibility, but more importantly, it brought this issue to the national media, for people to become more aware of this issue.
ReplyDelete- What may cause issues of academic integrity to go unreported at big time sports schools?
ReplyDeleteBig time college football schools like FSU may try to hide certain issues to keep their star players on the field. They do this because they consider the success of the football team to be one of the most important traits of the school. They're are many other incidents like this because most professors want to see their schools athletic teams succeed. Big college football teams are also capable of generating money for their schools so the school officials will do what they can to keep a player eligible.
-What can be done to deter issues like this from occurring?
Players grades should be checked constantly by someone who is trustworthy enough to report an issue if they see one. Coaches need to keep a certain standard for their players and not help them cheat just so they can continue to play. I personally don't think their is a good enough solution at the moment, due to the fact that the schools care more about athletic success and not academic integrity.
- Ms. Suggs, the teacher in question, was a graduate student at the time of these events. If you were in her position, what would you have done?
I don't think I could have done what she did because i would be afraid of losing my job. Also knowing myself I would be a huge fan of the schools team and want to see them succeeding.
-Does this damage FSU's reputation? To what degree?
Yes this makes FSU look like they don't care for academic equality. They also fired Ms. Suggs who seemed to be a good teacher. She was only trying to be fair to her other students and do the right thing. It proves that FSU cares more about their athletes than other students and that they are willing to let people off the hook if they are talented enough.
- What may cause issues of academic integrity to go unreported at big time sports schools?
ReplyDeleteWhat may cause academic integrity to go unreported is the pressure on the teachers. If the teachers were to give bad grades to these students, they would start to become ineligible to play, which would cause the team to have a worse record and lose their athletic power. It's all connected because once a school loses athletic power, they will start to lose commits and their sports teams will not be as good anymore.
-What can be done to deter issues like this from occurring?
I think what can be done to stop issues like this from happening all has to come from the coach of the team. He has to put his foot down and set guidelines and say these players can't play if they don't get a certain grade/GPA. If the teacher does his/her job correctly, the coaches do their part, and the players do their part, this issue would be a lot more controlled than it has been.
- Ms. Suggs, the teacher in question, was a graduate student at the time of these events. If you were in her position, what would you have done?
If I was in Ms. Suggs position, I think that I wouldn't of said anything and given the students a pass. Although it would be tough to live with, it's what I would of done because it wasn't worth my job, and ultimately my life. Most of these athletes didn't go to amazing high schools, and football or whatever sport they play may be there only chance in life, and I don't think that I would mess it up for them. If the school got caught cheating with the grading system with the athletes, her boss would have been fired and maybe she would have been able to keep her job.
-Does this damage FSU's reputation? To what degree?
I don't think it damages FSU's reputation. Yes they got caught in doing this, but everyone knows that every college does this with their athletes to a certain extent. Before this article, if someone brought up FSU, I wouldn't just think about scandals, I would think about the success that they have in sports. The only degree it hurts them is that the NCAA is probably watching them a lot closer, insuring that something like this never happens again.
What may cause issues of academic integrity to go unreported at big time sports schools?
ReplyDeleteSchools are heavily invested in the success of sports teams, most staff want to see their school athletic programs to succeed. This builds up a lot of peer pressure on the teachers, if a star athlete is ineligible due to a teacher failing a student, other staff and people will be aware and may not treat them in a nice manner. A Lot of these student athletes are not use to the rigor of a college education and thus will not be able to keep up. That puts the teachers in a very hard position to give students bad grades or to give them a grade they didn't earn. I personally believe if a student is admitted to a school with sports they should not be held to the same academic standard, as lots of these players come with the intention of going pro and not interested in furthering their education. For lots of sports the NCAA is the only viable feeder lead to the professionals.
What can be done to deter issues like this from occurring?
More academic support and help from teachers will make sure students athletes can keep up. Obviously laziness should not be valid excuse for a teacher to give you a higher grade but full effort and a lack of results, should have teachers helping the athletes. The core problem of this issue is that athletes that aren't admitted due to their academic are forced to maintain good academic standing with less time (practices and team meeting). I think there should a system based on effort and behavior to evaluate student's eligibility because how can a professor expect students that produce work stating “Brazilian coffee is one of few places that has a carnival and the coffee place a major role just as much as the dancing and the food” to be able to keep up
Ms. Suggs, the teacher in question, was a graduate student at the time of these events. If you were in her position, what would you have done?
I would have not told because these athletes produce more for the college than they are getting, I feel like they are being taken advantage of, so personally I would have let the issue slide.
Does this damage FSU's reputation? To what degree?
Yes I think it damages FSU’s reputation because now we know they are willing to bend the rules, but I think deep down most people are aware that basically all major colleges athletic powerhouses do this because athletic ability has no correlation to academic ability. People will now view FSU as an institution that doesn’t fully value education.
With big schools that are huge about sports comes a lot of pride and fame for athletes. These schools known for their athletics want to continue doing well which means having all their athletes play. If a student is not eligible to play it could result in a loss which no one wants. Teachers can feel pressure from students, fans, and even the schools environment to give good grades to athletes so they're eligible. In order for this to not happen teammates and coaches should be watching over each other with academics in order for everyone to get good grades. This way teammates can work on schoolwork with each other which will motivate the athletes struggling in school and it will even create a bigger bond with their team because they will be doing so much more together. If I was in Ms. Suggs position, I wouldn't of said anything because there is so much on the line. Ms. Suggs had her job , the football teams success, and the school's reputation on the line. This is all so much to deal with if she said anything which is why I would not have done anything if I was in her place. I don't think this damages FSU's reputation because it has happened at so many colleges and it is heard often that teachers are easier on athletes. I do think this should stop all throughout colleges. Therefore, I do not think FSU's reputation was damaged from this.
ReplyDelete- What may cause issues of academic integrity to go unreported at big time sports schools?
ReplyDeleteThe majority of universities around America care very much about their sports teams. Sports teams aren’t just something to cheer about, they also can show or highlight strengths or weaknesses at a school. Anyone can be a fan, even the teachers, which would make sense if a teacher is accused of making an athlete’s grades better than they really were just for the team to benefit. So if a teacher does this to help the athlete academically, the school would not want to put their school and their image in jeopardy, so they will not say anything. If no one says nothing, nothing will happen, which most sports teams at colleges would want it.
-What can be done to deter issues like this from occurring?
Not a lot can really happen to stop these issues from popping up because if teachers don’t start standing up to what is right, this will not stop quick. Also, if the teachers told the school about issues like these, the athlete in question would be deemed ineligible, which would send a negative message from the school to the media. When the media is publicizing any negativity surrounding the university, it will make the school very mad and sometimes will deal with the original source of the negative news very seriously.
- Ms. Suggs, the teacher in question, was a graduate student at the time of these events. If you were in her position, what would you have done?
If I was in Ms. Sugg’s position, I would have done the right thing and keep the athlete’s grades the way they were. For as much I love sports and want the best players to play, I have been taught from an early age that work always comes first. And if I got a lot of hate and maybe kicked out of the university for it, I would know deep down I made the right decision.
-Does this damage FSU's reputation? To what degree?
I don’t think in the big picture that FSU’s reputation is damaged in a major way. Most universities, especially the ones with huge sporting brands (i.e Alabama, Ohio State, FSU) most likely do this alot too, it’s just that this was the first time that a teacher has admitted to have done this. This will not really drive recruits away, and due to the huge amounts of money the university makes, this will eventually go away everything will be back to normal.
- What may cause issues of academic integrity to go unreported at big time sports schools?
ReplyDeleteI think that the teachers give more leeway to these athletes because for many of them, their sport is their life. If they don't get the passing grade, they are ineligible to play and thus lose exposure needed to make it pro. Knowing that many of these players come from rough backgrounds, teachers may feel inclined to give the extra assistance. Also these kids help out the school so much with sports making teachers not want to be the professor to fail the school's star.
-What can be done to deter issues like this from occurring?
I think that if student-athletes get even more assistance, they will be better off. For these Florida State football players, football basically became their job, so additional help to manage their busy schedules would be key. I think the punishments should be much stricter, so that the coaches make sure all students are getting their work done.
- Ms. Suggs, the teacher in question, was a graduate student at the time of these events. If you were in her position, what would you have done?
She was put in a really tough position, but I would have tried to approach Jimbo Fisher and let him know what was happening, and the repercussion that would follow. Ms. Suggs gave these kids lots of opportunities, but you can only have so many second chances. There was so much pressure on her, making it so hard to do the right thing with her job on the line.
-Does this damage FSU's reputation? To what degree?
It does to some extent, but at the same time, it is assumed that the majority of the major college programs do this. Regular students may be hesitant to apply there, knowing that there is a sketchy education program. All of these top athletic programs have this reputation of putting sports in front of academics, so I don't think much changed after this story was dropped, rather FSU was put in more of the spotlight.
-What may cause issues of academic integrity to go unreported at big time sports schools?
ReplyDeleteTeachers may feel like they are obligated to pass athletes in order to continue an athletic legacy at a certain school. They may also feel that athletes are at a disadvantage because they have a major part of their life consumed by athletics.
-What can be done to deter issues like this from occurring?
In order to prevent something like this from happening there are many options. For one, the teachers could be rewarded for reporting cases such as this one. Also, athletes could have access to more tutoring or extensions to make up for the time taken up by sports.
- Ms. Suggs, the teacher in question, was a graduate student at the time of these events. If you were in her position, what would you have done?
I would have done the same thing. What these schools are doing is not ok. The classroom needs to stay fair, small extentions are acceptable, but a whole semester late is not ok. She did the right thing.
-Does this damage FSU's reputation? To what degree?
This does damage FSU's reputation, but not severely. It is popular belief that many athletically superior schools do this a lot. This was however made public, so some backlash is expected.
- What may cause issues of academic integrity to go unreported at big time sports schools?
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the students who play college sports for big time programs get more treatment or better treatment from teachers is true. Some teachers like the athletes because they are fans of the college’s football team and the athlete. Although, these college athletes may deserve this treatment because they have less time to work on stuff than the average college student because the sport they play is so time consuming.
-What can be done to deter issues like this from occurring?
A solution to this problem is to still give help to student athletes like the ones who got more treatment because of their tight and tiresome schedules. Yet, it can be stopped by not having teachers be biased towards students because it starts with them. Yet, regardless of a student playing a sport, some teachers will always be biased towards students.
- Ms. Suggs, the teacher in question, was a graduate student at the time of these events. If you were in her position, what would you have done?
I would personally not have said anything and leaked things that are ultimately private and make the school look bad especially since the topic is not extremely serious.
-Does this damage FSU's reputation? To what degree?
Yes of course it damages FSU’s reputation but, personally, I do not think by much. FSU is such a powerhouse and notable big school that these allegations do not yield them from being a big time successful school especially when it comes to football.
Issues of academic integrity likely goes largely unreported at big time sports schools because many of the athletes who are brought there on athletic scholarships are not capable of performing at a college level academically, and because of regulations, they need to pass their classes while also devoting most of their time to sports. These schools place so much weight on athletic success that student athletes are sometimes given extra assistance and opportunities that aren’t offered to the students who are actually capable of performing at the level necessary to pass a college class. To deter things like this from occurring, policies regarding equal treatment for all students in regards to due dates need to be implemented if this has not been done already, or they need to be enforced if they are. Had I been in the same position as Ms.Suggs, I would have done the same thing. This likely damages the school’s reputation, though not enough to make much difference either way.
ReplyDelete-What may cause issues of academic integrity to go unreported at big time sports schools?
ReplyDeleteSome of the big sports schools that value sports greatly, have some teachers that could be fans of the athlete or the college team. With them being fans of the team/athlete, they wouldn't want to hurt their team and see them lose or play poorly, so when the athletes need a better grade to meet the NCAA requirements, the teachers will just give them the grade and move on. Another cause of this issue is that the big sports programs are apart of the school's culture, and tarnishing that would not be good for the school, so they'll give some athletes a better grade.
-What can be done to deter issues like this from occurring?
Coaches can help their athletes with their academics by monitoring their homework. They can also regulate their studying and can create a study plan to help students find time to play their sport and to study and do homework. The university could try to help their students better prepare for their exams by hiring tutors. They can also enforce the rules for equal treatment of all students by giving punishments to athletes for not meeting a certain academic requirement, and bench them or ask them to sit out for a semester.
- Ms. Suggs, the teacher in question, was a graduate student at the time of these events. If you were in her position, what would you have done?
I think that what Ms. Suggs did was right, however I also do feel that if I were in her position, that I would have just given the athletes a higher grade. First, I wouldn't have been able to go against the pressure put on me by the people to not give the athletes a higher grade. But second, I would also like to keep my job, rather than losing it because I did something that some people view is fine and could get away with it easily with no consequences, as this has happened many times before, yet nobody gets punished for it.
-Does this damage FSU's reputation? To what degree?
I think that this does damage FSU's reputation, but I think it barely hurts it at all. Nobody really views FSU as any less than before this arising issue because this is not a new situation and it doesn't bother many people. Also, lots of other schools have this happening within their athletic programs where athletes need a teacher to raise his/her grade in order to play, and it goes unreported. So why would it affect FSU's reputation if this happens at other places and isn't really a new issue?
- What may cause issues of academic integrity to go unreported at big time sports schools?
ReplyDeleteI think respect for the teams and the influence they have on the school causes staff and students to look the other way. Sports teams bring in press and revenue for the school and provide a more exciting environment for the school. This creates a greater sense of school pride which many people would rather preserve than break down with a scandal about academic integrity.
-What can be done to deter issues like this from occurring?
I think more strict guidelines on due dates and making up missed work would help to prevent athletes from getting an unfair advantage. With those rules though there would need to be some sort of check to make sure they are enforced and are not ignored by staff looking the other way.
- Ms. Suggs, the teacher in question, was a graduate student at the time of these events. If you were in her position, what would you have done?
In the same position as Ms. Suggs I would probably take the same course of action. I would bring the academic integrity problem to the attention of my superiors and if they didn't act I would give the story to the press. This will make sure that the FSU education would change due to the pressure from the press.
-Does this damage FSU's reputation? To what degree?
I think this hurts FSU's reputation a lot. The news that many players on the NCAA Title Championship team cheated or were given advantages over other students really challenges the integrity of the team and the school. Even though, I wouldn't be surprised if other division one teams do something like this, the fact that FSU is confirmed of having bad academic integrity will only hurt the school and its image.
- What may cause issues of academic integrity to go unreported at big time sports schools?
ReplyDeleteBig time sports schools would want to divert any unwanted attention due to potential academic integrity. This attention has the potential to divert any top level athlete, or even teacher or perspective student from potentially choosing to attend that school. Since sports are such a massive financial advantage for the highest level schools, academic issues could hinder a school’s ability to have continued support and interest from donors and players.
-What can be done to deter issues like this from occurring?
Coaches and administrators alike can set higher standards that athletes must meet in order to compete on the playing field. Also, additional support should be given to athletes with extreme time constraints due to their unremitting practice and games schedules. After all, since big time division one athletes (specifically football players) bring in money to the school by the boatload, schools should feel inclined to spend money on additional resources, assistants, and tutors for their athletes.
- Ms. Suggs, the teacher in question, was a graduate student at the time of these events. If you were in her position, what would you have done?
In her position, I also would have reported the infractions. Since it was Ms. Suggs responsibility to grade and view the students’ work, she also had the responsibility of reporting any plagiarism or other problems. Considering that she felt pressured to do things that were unethical and not allowed under written NCAA or FSU rules, maybe she was lucky to get out of the situation. Unfortunately, since it did leave her just short of a Master’s degree, she had to leave the school before completing the credits necessary. However, as a graduate student/assistant, she would be committing a transgression for not reporting or doing anything about the academic integrity.
-Does this damage FSU's reputation? To what degree?
This is a minor scuff on FSU’s reputation. They already have a large group of people who are extremely dedicated to the success of their football and other sports teams that most minor transgressions would not burn the bridge between them and FSU teams. However, it does damage the academic reputation at FSU, showing that they accept lackluster work and have different expectations for athletes than their other students.
- What may cause issues of academic integrity to go unreported at big time sports schools?
ReplyDeleteThe lack of academic integrity can go unreported at many big time sports schools because, sports are their biggest money maker. Much like professional teams, colleges look to profit off of merchandise sales, ticket sales, advertisements, media payouts and the obvious bonuses for winning big games. The difference is that college teams and players have added pressures such as grades and limited time. The suburb athletes with an unimpressive academic record are more likely to be "pushed" through classes so the colleges can still receive the athletic benefits the student athlete provides.
-What can be done to deter issues like this from occurring?
Having a general rule across all college sports teams setting a minimum requirement that all student athletes need to be meeting. The NCAA board could implement a system where student athletes send work directly to the NCAA in order to accurately check the student's work.
- Ms. Suggs, the teacher in question, was a graduate student at the time of these events. If you were in her position, what would you have done?
Depending on how much of a curve the athlete in particular was receiving I would do the same as her. If a failing student athlete needed a major curve in order to pass a course then I would defiantly let the student slide. But, if a student is looking to be crowned top of the class unrightfully then I would do what she did.
-Does this damage FSU's reputation? To what degree?
I do not believe that FSU's reputation has been damaged because comparatively, the other schools FSU competes with are undoubtably doing the same types of things. However, as a collective group, all big time sport colleges have been damaged because it exposes them as more of a farm for possible professional athletes then an educational school.
- What may cause issues of academic integrity to go unreported at big time sports schools?
ReplyDeleteDivision I college athletes generate money for their respective schools, and those athletes getting in trouble for academic dishonesty could result in their suspension, or dismissal from the school. Given that the athletes play a big part in the success of the sports teams and how much revenue they bring in, it's easy to see the conflict of interest when it comes to disciplining them.
-What can be done to deter issues like this from occurring?
A solution to the problem could be having rules with punishments that do not discipline the athlete in a way that keeps them off the field. An example of these kinds of punishments could be a fine, or maybe attending study halls in the athletes free time.
- Ms. Suggs, the teacher in question, was a graduate student at the time of these events. If you were in her position, what would you have done?
I think the easy answer is to say I would not have spoken up because if I did speak up, I would have lost my job. However, I think that is a hard decision to live with because it would not be fair to my other students if I favored athletes.
-Does this damage FSU's reputation? To what degree?
It definitely damages FSU’s reputation. With that being said, I don’t think that FSU is necessarily singled out. I think that FSU is an example of one of many colleges that favor athletes. So, although I think FSU’s reputation will be damaged, I think it’s more damaging on all of college football.
What may cause issues of academic integrity to go unreported at big time sports schools?
ReplyDeleteIts no secret that college athletes at big time sports schools often get preferential treatment in the classroom yet this issue often goes unreported. There are multiple reasons that a teacher may not report such a thing the first being that the teacher may feel that they are betraying their university. Secondly they may fear the backlash from the students and fellow teachers as these athletes are often celebrated on campus. Lastly some may not want to take away from the success of the program by reporting a player.
-What can be done to deter issues like this from occurring?
The best way to deter such an issue would be to get a neutral party not associated with the university to monitor the athletes schedules. These monitors can make sure that these athletes are both attending their class and at very least passing.
- Ms. Suggs, the teacher in question, was a graduate student at the time of these events. If you were in her position, what would you have done?
If I were Ms. Suggs I would have sought out some sort of athletic counselor the team works with and told them the situation. I would give them the option of talking to the players about improving their effort in classes or I would go public with the scandal.
-Does this damage FSU's reputation? To what degree?
This will certainly damage the reputation of FSU in the eyes of some but in the grand scheme of things it changes very little. It is no secret that other teams are doing the same thing with their athletes. This scandal will certainly not change anything to the athletes their or potential recruits as they go their for the athletics anyway.
The man who scored the game winning touchdown for Florida State University should not of even of been playing in that game. His teacher felt that she had to pass him. Teachers feel pressured into giving big name athletes grades that are good enough for them to be eligible to play the sport. This is because the athletes are seen as beloved celebrities on campus, because of how they perform while representing their school. The reason teachers may give athletes special treatment is because of their lack of time for academics, and because they give their school a bigger name in sports. What could be done to prevent conflict like this from happening is to treat each student in the classroom equally, and to offer academic support for athletes who don’t have much time to study. Ms. Suggs should have graded the athletes in her class the same way she graded any student. If she really was worried about them failing, she should've reached out for academic support. Unfortunately, I believe that this does indeed damage her university’s reputation. It seems like an average student will not be valued enough compared to the athletes.
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