Notice of Allegations by the NCAA against FSU

Today I received a copy of the Notice of Allegations that the NCAA presented to Florida State University. It is 66 pages so I tried to review it and summarize each of the 3 counts. I also received a copy of the response provided by Florida State University to the NCAA dated September 12, 2008. It is in excess of 200 pages. I will try to summarize that later this weekend and into next week (sorry but I want to be thorough). Please bear in mind that the names of the students have been redacted. So with that in mind here are the 3 Counts.

Count 1 – Learning specialist Brenda Monk (Monk) and an unnamed academic tutor violated the provisions of unethical conduct when they knowingly provided improper academic assistance and arranged for fraudulent academic credit for numerous student-athletes. As a result their actions, 60 student-athletes violated the provisions of ethical conduct, and several student-athletes represented FSU in intercollegiate athletics competition at a time when they were ineligible to do so.

The Notice of Allegations (NOA) gives specific instances:

a. For 3 years (2004-2005 – 2006-2007) Monk typed and edited the student-athletes’ term papers, whom she believed had learning disabilities.

b. On or about March 23, 2007 Monk provided correct answers to an online exam to at least 2 student-athletes (remember they redacted the names of the student-athletes). Monk also directed a student to enter the answers onto an online exam form on the behalf of another student. Monk directed this even though the student she directed to enter the answers wasn’t enrolled in the class and the actual student who was supposed to take the exam didn’t know she had directed someone to take the exam on his/her behalf.

c. Prior to 2005-2006 Monk created a three-ring binder with past exam questions and answers – known hereinafter as the “study guide”. She had that study guide checked by someone (name redacted) who amended the study guide and correct answers were added. Several of the questions in the study guide were current exam questions. The NOA provides a chart of 6 six students that either received the study guide or Monk as assistance during the exam despite the fact that the online exam was not to be taken using course tests or any supplemental study guides.

d. The NOA alleges that an employee of FSU fraudulently provided academic credit to 54 student-athletes during 2006-2007. The NOA provides for a chart – names redacted in my copy.

Count 2 – The NOA alleges that FSU failed to monitor certain aspects of its Athletics Academic Support Services (AASS) area and took insufficient steps to ensure that appropriate academic protocols were not breached. The NOA mentions specific areas were this failure took place, not the least of which was the failure to use the resources FSU itself had put in place to ensure that the breaches wouldn’t occur and review a report that showed student-athletes were receiving higher grades in the online course than non-student-athletes.

Count 3 – The NOA alleges that during 2006-2007 academic advisor Hilliard Goldsmith provided 6 student-athletes with the correct answers to an online exam and told them that the assistance was permissible.