Athlete mentors trained on fraud policy

The University makes tutors and mentors of athletes sign thorough and detailed policies outlining what they can and cannot do with student-athletes and their homework.

The same five examples of fraudulent academic activity are outlined by the University’s Student-Athlete Development Center in both the academic honesty policy and a testimonial, according to records obtained by The Daily Tar Heel after Chancellor Holden Thorp said some football players may have been involved in academic misconduct.

Mentors, who work in a one-on-one capacity with student-athletes, and tutors, who work with groups of student-athletes, cannot write or alter papers, complete assignments, take exams, conduct research or take part in any practice that presents the tutor’s work as the student’s.

The University has assembled a team, led by faculty athletics representative Jack Evans, to investigate academic misconduct after the NCAA investigation into improprieties between UNC football players and sports agents uncovered possible academic fraud between a mentor and student-athletes.

“We are looking into improprieties that existed outside the classroom,” athletic director Dick Baddour said at an Aug. 26 press conference.

The tutor in question was also a mentor. She was once employed by both the University and Coach Butch Davis’ family when they moved to Chapel Hill in 2007. Baddour said she is no longer employed by the University.

The female, whose identity has been withheld, would have signed both the academic honesty policy, which attests that she had “received training regarding NCAA and UNC academic assistance policies and regulations,” as well as the testimonial at the completion of the school year.

Questions in the testimonial ask if tutors ever felt pressured to provide unethical academic assistance by either the student-athlete or the athletic department.

The testimonial also asks if tutors were given adequate training on NCAA rules related to academic integrity.

“We resolve to find any misconduct and to deal with it seriously and through whatever measures are deemed appropriate by both the University and the NCAA,” Baddour said at the press conference.

Thorp said the NCAA has given the University control of the academic aspect of the investigation.

In 2007, the NCAA uncovered major academic misconduct involving 61 student-athletes at Florida State. Those players were suspended for 30 percent of their individual seasons. They were suspended by both the NCAA and Florida State.

According to UNC’s Instrument of Student Government, a possible University sanction facing the players is loss of privileges, including participation in athletic teams, attendance at UNC football games and the use of University facilities and resources.

This means players who have the potential to go to the NFL Draft would not be able to participate in UNC’s Pro Day in the spring if these sanctions are levied.

The usual academic sanction for academic dishonesty is a failing grade in the course and suspension for one full academic semester, although a “more substantial sanction may be imposed in order to do justice in a particular case.”

More substantial sanctions could include probation, suspension and expulsion. In the cases of permanent suspension and expulsion, the fate of the student-athlete at UNC would rest with the chancellor, who said at the press conference the University is treating the incident seriously.

“We will find out what happened,” Thorp said. “We will do everything we can do to keep it from happening again.”

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.