UNC might offer chance to re-take fake classes

Collaboration will be key in deciding whether the University will provide makeup classes for students who took fraudulent classes offered between 1993 and 2011 that were exposed by the Wainstein report in October.

Rick White, associate vice chancellor for communications and public affairs, said no decision has been made yet as to whether or not students will be allowed to re-take the classes. He said the University will work with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, UNC’s accreditation agency, to reach a decision.

“Really, the answer is we don’t have a decision on that. That’s a decision that the University would not make unilaterally,” he said. “It’s something we’ll mutually agree on the best course of action.”

The 136-page report found that more than 3,100 students received irregular instruction in paper classes offered in the former Department of Afro and African-American Studies and that these classes boosted the grade point average of 81 students to the 2.0 necessary to graduate.

Earlier this month, the University replied to its accrediting body, which questioned UNC’s integrity and asked what actions the school was taking to prove compliance with accreditation standards. A decision will be made on UNC’s accreditation standing at the association’s regularly scheduled board meeting in June.

Some students interviewed said UNC should not allow students to re-take the classes to earn credit. Sophomore Hannah Duchardt said some students knowingly took paper classes, and therefore UNC should not let former students make these classes up.

“If they didn’t know what they were getting into, then that’s still on them,” she said. “If they felt like they wanted to come back, they would have to provide it for themselves.”

Pamela Cravey, coordinator of communications and external affairs for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, said she is unaware of the actions other institutions have taken to remedy fraudulent classes.

“We don’t have a policy on fraudulent classes per se,” she said. “We don’t have information at this time other than UNC is accredited, and it’s under review.”

On the other hand, some UNC students, like junior Bre’ Chambers, think the University should offer make-up classes to students who unknowingly took fraudulent classes.

“For people that want to retake their classes, they should be able to for free because it’s more the University’s fault than the student’s fault for the classes being fake, especially for a school like Carolina that has so much prestige,” Chambers said.

In 2013, UNC offered a free make-up class to 46 students after the report by former N.C. Gov. Jim Martin found a class to have met irregularly. At the time, only one person decided to re-take the class.

Anthony Martin, a senior global studies major, said UNC should step up and take responsibility.

“It’s the University’s responsibility to provide legitimate classes and they failed to do that,” he said. “It’s their responsibility to make provisions.”

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