Colleges

FSU: Athletes given test answers

The school reports itself to the NCAA, says two university employees were involved.

By BRIAN LANDMAN, Times Staff Writer
Published September 27, 2007

TALLAHASSEE - Florida State has notified the NCAA of violations involving 23 student-athletes in nine sports after a six-month investigation into academic improprieties.

Two university employees in the Office of Athletic and Academic Support Services "perpetrated academic dishonesty" and the nearly two dozen student-athletes, 17 of whom were on scholarship two have since transferred, "were involved in varying levels of conduct related to online exams that may have violated the University's Academic Honor Policy," FSU chief audit officer David P. Coury wrote in a preliminary report obtained by the St. Petersburg Times on Wednesday.

Along with the report, President T.K. Wetherell sent a letter to NCAA vice president for Enforcement Services David Price, dated Tuesday, expressing his "regret that the University is acknowledging that violations have occurred in an area that is at the core of the University's primary function - academic preparation of its students."

The internal investigation found "no conclusive evidence of a more widespread pattern of similar behavior among the employees" in the Office of Athletic and Academic Support Services. The two employees in question have resigned.

Confidentiality prohibits FSU from disclosing the names of the student-athletes, but two football players, senior receiver Joslin Shaw of Plant City and sophomore defensive end Kevin McNeil of Georgia, have been withheld from all games for an unspecified violation of team rules. Their status continues to be uncertain.

Apparently, no athletes from men's basketball, baseball or the NCAA champion men's outdoor track and field team were implicated in the probe that saw 129 student-athletes and 14 university employees interviewed.

Wetherell told the NCAA that FSU has forwarded petitions seeking the restoration of eligibility for the student-athletes involved. He added his regret is somewhat "tempered" by the fact that it was a student-athlete who came forward in March with concerns of possible misconduct.

The investigation revealed that, without the knowledge of one student-athlete, the learning specialist provided answers to an online quiz to a second student-athlete and told him to submit those answers on behalf of the first.

The second student-athlete told investigators he wouldn't have felt comfortable refusing the learning specialist because of "who she was," his "great relationship" with her and his trust in her. Five days after the incident, on March28, he reported to his academic adviser what had happened. In short order, Wetherell was told and he ordered an investigation.

The first student-athlete doesn't appear to have violated school policy but did receive an incomplete in the course pending the outcome of the investigation. The Dean of Students ruled the second student-athlete wouldn't be charged with a violation.

While the report doesn't name the learning specialist, who was placed on administrative leave on April3 and resigned her position effective July5, school personnel records show that Brenda H. Monk, Ph.D., sent a one-sentence note to director of academic support Mark Meleney that she was "leaving my position" on that date.

Monk, 58, who came to FSU in January, 2001, had been praised for work in her lone performance evaluation. She could not be reached for comment.

The investigation also indicated that the learning specialist typed papers for five student-athletes who didn't appear to need that kind of help. The student-athletes all said the papers were "their words."

But during interviews with students who worked with the learning specialist, investigators learned that a tutor assisted 23 student-athletes in an online class by "providing or pointing out the source for answers" for exams. The exams weren't "administered in a structured environment under the supervision of a proctor and did not change from semester to semester," which helped provide easy "misconduct."

That's one of several areas the report points out needs to be strengthened.

As it braces for the NCAA investigation that is sure to come, FSU will continue looking into the issue, coordinated by a four-person committee: Provost and executive vice president of academic affairs Lawrence G. Abele; athletic director Dave Hart; faculty athletics representative Joseph Beckham; and general counsel and special counsel to the president Betty Steffens. Compliance director Brian Battle and senior associate athletic director Bob Minnix will assist the group. Wetherell said the compliance group has been retained to "ensure that a thorough and impartial review of the information occurs."

Brian Landman can be reached at landman@sptimes.com or(813) 226-3347.

[Last modified September 27, 2007, 00:28:34]