PF,
No you wouldn't get fired because of that. If it's true, it's true. LSU is going through some stuff know where the media is killing them on some NCAA investigation about LSU football players getting grades in Kinesiolgy. A friend of mine, an associate AD, said that the media is looking for all kinds of stuff, even pulling e-mail and getting memorandom. If you are wrong, deal with it properly and not cause this kind of trouble. If the papers hated the Black schools as much as you guys say, then this wouldn't have been front page news about a White school, but it was.
LSU memo cites possible NCAA violations to help athletes
By SCOTT RABALAIS
Advocate sportswriter
A memorandum from the director of LSU's Academic Center for Student-Athletes to the athletic department's NCAA compliance officer listed incidents that he described as "direct violation of NCAA student-athlete extra benefits, rules and University academic integrity policies."
On Jan. 22, Academic Center for Student-Athletes Executive Director Roger Grooters wrote to LSU Associate Athletic Director David "Bo" Bahnsen, citing seven incidents that occurred during the 2000-01 academic year.
Four of those incidents violate four NCAA bylaws, according to another LSU memo listing the incidents.
Grooters also informed Bahnsen of an eighth incident in which there was an "intention to violate rules."
In his memo to Bahnsen, Grooters said a former worker in the Academic Center for Student-Athletes came to him Jan. 16.
That person, Grooters said, "informed me of several incidents that have occurred in the ACSA ?"
Names and other identifying characteristics of persons involved in the incidents were blacked out of the memorandums by LSU to conceal their identities.
Grooters wrote that during their meeting, the former worker "disclosed several incidents wherein (name blacked out) had asked student tutors to type papers for student-athletes, without arranging for payment."
In addition, Grooters wrote, the former worker was asked "to assist student-athletes with their academic work, far beyond what is permissible under NCAA and University rules."
On Jan. 17 and 18, Grooters interviewed the former ACSA worker and learned of the following incidents:
? In late November or early December, a student-athlete asked the former worker to type a paper for him. The worker refused. Several minutes later the worker was asked again to type the paper and complied. Grooters wrote the worker "felt pressured to type the paper and no payment was ever discussed or made."
According to the memo listing the incidents, this is a violation of NCAA Bylaw 16.3.3. It states: "Services that may not be financed by the institution include, but are not limited to, the following: (a) Typing costs, even if typed reports and other papers are a requirement of a course in which a student-athlete is enrolled. Typing costs are not considered an institutional fee under NCAA legislation."
The incident also violated NCAA Bylaw 10.1 titled "Unethical Conduct." Part B of that bylaw includes: "Knowing involvement in arranging for fraudulent academic credit or false transcripts for a prospective or enrolled student-athlete."
? In the fall of 2001, Grooters wrote, the worker observed an unnamed person writing a paper for a student-athlete from notes, then typed the paper.
According to the LSU memo listing the incidents, this is also a violation of NCAA Bylaw 16.3.3.
? In the summer of 2001, the former ACSA worker was asked by an unnamed person to summarize five articles for a student-athlete. The worker refused. The next day the worker was given a summary of the five articles and asked to rewrite them in the final format.
According to the LSU memo, this is also a violation of NCAA bylaws 16.3.3 and 10.1.
During the 2000-01 academic year, student-athletes were observed taking tests at the ACSA that were not proctored, or supervised. "On at least one occasion," Grooters wrote, "a student-athlete took his book bag with him into the testing area."
During the 2000-01 academic year, the worker was told a student-athlete needed to read a book for class and didn't have enough time. The worker was told that the book was read for the student-athlete.
In the fall of 2001 the worker was asked to meet a potential student-athlete and find answers for a test. According to the LSU memo listing the incidents, this is a violation of NCAA bylaws 13.2.1, 13.2.2 and 10.1.
NCAA Bylaw 13.2.1, entitled "Offers and Inducements," states an institution "shall not be involved ? in making arrangements for or giving or offering to give any financial aid or other benefits to the prospect or the prospect's relatives or friends, other than expressly permitted by NCAA regulations."
Specific prohibitions in Bylaw 13.2.2 include part G, "Free or reduced-cost services."
? In the summer of 2001, the worker was asked to read material, find answers to questions and highlight answers in a book for a student-athlete enrolled in a course called Kinesiology 4900.
An unnamed kinesiology instructor met with LSU officials on March 8 and alleged improper academic support for student-athletes.
? Grooters also wrote Bahnsen that a conversation with an ACSA staff member in the fall of 2001 led Grooters to believe there was an intention to violate NCAA rules. The staff member told Grooters that an ACSA worker had been up late typing a paper for a student-athlete.
The action would be a violation of NCAA bylaws 16.3.3 and 10.1, according to the LSU memo listing the incidents.
LSU Athletic Director Skip Bertman has said the investigation centers on five to 10 student-athletes, including football players.
LSU has notified the NCAA of its continuing investigation, Bahnsen said recently. Bahnsen could not be reached for comment Friday.
NCAA assistant director for public relations Jane Jankowski said Friday the NCAA would not comment on the investigation or the seriousness of the possible infractions.
Grooters' allegations set into motion an LSU athletic department investigation that went on to include LSU's human resources department and office of academic affairs.
Grooters, in his letter to Bahnsen, said he had not attempted to conduct a formal investigation but, "I was obligated to pursue the information that was given to me. From what I have learned through my informal visits with (name blacked out) I have become very concerned that (name blacked out) has violated rules and instructed others to do so."
The investigation led to a strongly worded letter on March 15 from LSU Faculty Senate President Neil Kestner to LSU Chancellor Mark Emmert.
"The Faculty Senate Executive Committee is extremely distressed by recent news coverage concerning academic violations involving the Athletic Department and the Academic Center for Athletes," Kestner wrote.
Kestner wrote, "Right now it looks like the athletic department and maybe Marian Callier (and sometimes Greg Vincent) are deciding if the student code-of-conduct was violated."
Callier is LSU's human resource management director. Vincent is LSU's vice-provost for academic affairs.
Kestner said Friday some of his concerns had since been addressed by the LSU administration.
"I told them my two main concerns were the involvement of the faculty in the investigation and concerns about -- rumors, I guess -- that faculty were being retaliated against," Kestner said.
"I have been assured that the latter is not happening. But it (the investigation) is something that concerns us a great deal," he said.
LSU officials have not said when their investigation will be completed.
"Hopefully soon," Kestner said. "I would like to really look at this situation to see if there is something inherently in need of change in terms of oversight or if everything functioned as it was supposed to. That's hard to do in the middle of an investigation."
