TO THE EDITOR:
Let me get this straight: Whistleblowers (Mary) Willingham, (Rashad) McCants and (Michael) McAdoo are joining with trial lawyers across the nation to sue UNC for guiding students into diplomas of dubious value. Possible plaintiffs not only include women’s lacrosse, soccer and field hockey athletes, but also Freddy Fratty and anybody else who ever graduated from this venerable institution who may have taken “Rocks for Jocks,” AFAM studies or independent studies in a variety of majors including communications, foreign languages, geology or philosophy, among others.
The profit motive is probably mankind’s most transparent endeavor. For those of us who gave up promising careers in brain surgery to pursue journalism or political science because organic chemistry conflicted with Saturday football games, our ship has come in!
Besides the UNC faculty, the McClatchy news conglomerate and the envious ABC crowd, it is not transparent who profits from setting aside or minimizing the considerable achievements of student-athletes during the past 18 years.
Furthermore, none of the investigations conducted over the last five years mention the Catch-22 posed by compliance with federal affirmative action and Title IX directives. Perhaps it is time to turn the microscope on fellow institutions to learn just how these demands should have been met. Alternatively, opening all independent studies in the UNC system to all students would not only optimize the value of each diploma but shed a little sunlight on faculty oversight.
Joe Exum
Snow Hill
