Ethics CasesSport

Cases · NCAA · 1993–2017

UNC "Paper Classes": The African and Afro-American Studies Scandal

From the early 1990s to 2011, UNC–Chapel Hill's Department of African and Afro-American Studies offered irregular "paper classes." These required no class attendance and little or no faculty involvement, and they were often graded generously by a department administrator. A 2014 independent investigation by Kenneth Wainstein found that about 3,100 students took these classes, with athletes making up a disproportionate share. The university's accreditor placed UNC on probation in 2015. In 2017 the NCAA said it could not conclude that academic rules were violated, mainly because the classes were open to non-athletes too.

Timeline

  1. Irregular "paper classes" operate in the department, and academic counselors for athletes steer athletes into them.
  2. An NCAA football investigation into improper benefits uncovers academic irregularities, prompting further reviews.
  3. The Wainstein report finds that about 3,100 students took irregular classes over roughly 18 years.
  4. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) places UNC on one year of probation.
  5. The NCAA Committee on Infractions says it cannot conclude that NCAA academic violations occurred and imposes no penalties on the university.

The ethical issues

  • Academic integrity: degrees and eligibility built on courses with no real instruction.
  • Exploiting athletes: steering athletes into the classes may have protected their eligibility at the expense of their education.
  • Racial dimensions: the scandal's effects on a Black studies department and on Black athletes.
  • Jurisdiction gaps: the NCAA could not sanction academic fraud that was not limited to athletes.
  • Institutional accountability: how many people knew, and why no one stopped it sooner.

Stakeholders

StakeholderInterests & obligations
Student-athletesA genuine education and degrees that hold value.
Other UNC students and alumniThe worth and reputation of their degrees.
Faculty and the AFAM departmentAcademic standards and the department's reputation.
UNC administration and athleticsAccreditation, eligibility, and reputation.
NCAA and accreditorsThe limits of their oversight roles.

Why this case matters

The UNC case is the leading example of academic integrity failures in college athletics. It exposes how hard it is to police academic fraud when athletic and academic jurisdictions overlap.

Discussion questions

  1. Who was harmed most by the paper classes, and how?
  2. Should the NCAA have authority over academic fraud that also involves non-athletes?
  3. What does this case suggest about the pressure on universities to keep athletes eligible?
  4. How should a university repair harm to former students whose education was shortchanged?

Sources

  1. Investigation of Irregular Classes in the Department of African and Afro-American Studies (Wainstein report) — Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP for UNC
  2. Wainstein's report into irregular classes released — University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  3. NCAA: No significant violations, no penalties in fraud case — Carolina Alumni
  4. University of North Carolina academic-athletic scandal — Wikipedia