| | ESPN.com staff and wire services
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The University of Tennessee's tutoring program for athletes needs more academic oversight and better systems in place to prevent plagiarism, according to a faculty panel that reviewed the system after allegations that tutors wrote papers for athletes.
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Timeline: Tennessee
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For a timeline of the events and allegations related to academic fraud involving University of Tennessee football players, with links to some of the key memos acquired by ESPN.com, click here
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The recommendations of the five-member committee will be considered May 1 by the Tennessee faculty senate, which had been asked by Provost John Peters to evaluate the tutoring system after the school suspended four football players in September for one game because of possible plagiarism.
"We felt that there is a potential for problems to occur in the program, so we are recommending more supervision of tutors," said Burt English, chairman of the subcommittee.
The university's internal investigation found that no NCAA rules had been violated, and the players' eligibility was reinstated. The NCAA closed the case last month, satisfied that "there appears to be no need to conduct any further inquiry" into the matter, which came to public light in an ESPN.com report last September that cited a series of internal memos by officials who suspected or said they witnessed plagiarism.
But the faculty subcommittee found several areas needing change.
Among its recommendations:
Barring tutors from typing papers for athletes.
Stating more clearly to tutors that they may not write any portion of any assigment for athletes.
More monitoring, more faculty oversight and an audit of services, such as note-taking for athletes.
Separating tutoring programs for athletes who qualify for learning-disabled services and those who are simply considered academically "at risk," to prevent improper accomodations from being given to athletes who don't deserve them.
Prohibiting tutors from contacting faculty members about the progress of an athlete in a class.
English said the recommendations will be shared with athletic
director Doug Dickey, the school's compliance officers and the
athletic department's faculty representatives. Together, he said,
"we'll work on a better system for tomorrow." | |
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