NCAA urges closer look at online classes

UNC administrators say they are ahead of the curve when it comes to NCAA recommendations made last week on online courses for athletes.

An NCAA Division I Board of Directors’ press release asks universities to examine student athletes’ overenrollment in online courses.

Joy Renner, chairwoman of the Faculty Athletics Committee, said because UNC has straightforward policies limiting all students to only one online class per semester, athletes cannot overuse the option.

“There are other schools where athletes can take three or four courses a semester that are online, but Carolina doesn’t allow that,” she said. “So what the NCAA is looking at — it’s really not because of what we’re doing. It’s because of what’s happening other places.”

Michelle Brown, director of the Academic Support Program for Student Athletes, said UNC already regulates online classes more stringently than many universities.

“For example, the University has a policy where, to take more than one online course, they have to get dean’s approval,” she said.

Brown came to UNC only six months ago, but has experience with concerns about online courses through her involvement in an NCAA focus group that examined the role of nontraditional courses in athletes’ education.

“At that point, what was quite evident was that each institution seemed to be struggling with its own way to handle nontraditional or online courses in its own right — let alone bring it together and expect the NCAA to come up with a mandate that would be fair across all the institutions,” she said.

Tony Yount, an academic counselor for the athletic department, said athletes primarily utilize online courses during summer school.

“The golf team is in tournaments all over the country, and some of our soccer and field hockey athletes who play at the national team level spend the summer traveling with the national team — so it’s not possible for them to be physically present for five weeks of summer school,” he said.

Yount said online courses can be useful in certain cases, giving athletes the opportunity to travel for athletics while still meeting requirements and getting credit hours. But he added they should not replace a classroom education.

“I am a retired teacher of 30 years, of AP American history,” Yount said. “I really value interaction in the classroom setting and obviously some of that will be lost in an online setting.”

Tyler Ritter, associate director for communication and instructional design at the Friday Center, pointed out that online courses typically provide opportunities for students unable to continue attending class on campus.

“For example, for an athlete that gets an offer from somewhere and can’t be a full-time student anymore, then we can be a great option,” she said.

Brown expressed concern that NCAA regulations could result in athletes having fewer academic opportunities than non-athletes.

“Why, if other students on campus are able to choose those (online) courses, why would it then be the NCAA … to limit student athletes from being able to have those same choices that other students have, that they can take.”

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