Balancing student and athlete

A University of North Carolina student athlete received an A- on one of the most terrible final papers I have ever read.

He received special treatment so he could continue doing what he came to one of the nation’s top academic institutions to do — play ball.

An essay about Rosa Parks deserves more than a single paragraph of made-up dialogue and factual errors. I wasn’t surprised to hear of a student athlete receiving special treatment. Luckily, IU has not been exposed to such blatant accusations of special treatment for athletes.

But it’s not that much of a stretch.

Last October, Athletic Director Fred Glass said the average student athlete GPA is 3.15, and 57 percent of student athletes have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.  At IU, if a student has a GPA below 2.0, they are put on academic probation.

I can only hope that the 57 percent of student athletes who have a 3.0 or higher genuinely earned these grades because they deserved them. Keep in mind that the overall culture of Big Ten schools places a high importance on athletics.

In the case of IU, sports are an integral part of school spirit and identity. A crowded Assembly Hall can bring students together like almost nothing else can. Some believe that a successful sports team increases alumni donations, although studies have shown that this connection is not always strong throughout the nation.

But I can’t ignore the clear unfairness that comes with giving only certain students a grade boost.

It’s important to examine our own habits and actions at IU. We should not hero-worship student athletes and turn a blind eye to academic indiscretions that hurt both athletes and the credibility of the institution.

You could make a case for a million different circumstances that require a teacher to boost a student’s grade besides athletic involvement. If UNC or any school boosts athletes’ grades, they must also consider the needs of other students.

Although I think academics are extremely important, I know that not everyone wants to take that path.  It’s not an issue of academic snobbery or a clear-cut sports versus academics debate.

Student athletes must be both students and athletes.
 
If the UNC student is too busy to write a decent paper on Rosa Parks, he shouldn’t be taking classes at all. The university is failing him by failing to provide a proper education.

The reason this paper stood out, and that someone decided to expose the student and school via Twitter, is partly because it is so disrespectful to an important American historical figure.

If this student was too involved with sports practice and games to write a “final paper” longer than a single paragraph, we should consider how to better the balance between sport and study.

cjellert@indiana.edu