EDITORIAL: Betrayal of Ivy academic ideals

If Princeton couldn't beat Penn on the gridiron, the gripes went, it was because of lower admissions standards. If Columbia or Cornell couldn't beat Penn in men's basketball, it was because of some impropriety or another. The Quakers' response was always the same: "They can't beat us on the field, so they'll try to beat us in the papers." But the events of the past few weeks make one wonder if, behind closed doors, Penn's real response was: "They can't prove anything." One must now wonder exactly how seriously the Penn Athletic Department -- and indeed the University as a whole -- takes the Ivy League philosophy of developing true scholar-athletes. The controversy began when, half-way through the football season, the Penn Athletic Department realized that its star football player -- senior defensive tackle Mitch Marrow -- had been ineligible to compete since he dropped a class early in the semester. Because he was then taking only two credits, he was officially a part-time student and therefore ineligible to compete under NCAA rules. Instead of coming clean with what may have been an honest -- though still inexcusable -- oversight, the Athletic Department decided to cover the mistake by setting Marrow up with an independent study with Legal Studies Professor Ken Shropshire, after the History Department refused to grant one to the senior History major. The request for the course was submitted just two weeks ago, with less than a month remaining in the semester. Officially, students are allowed to add new courses only through September 19. However, Shropshire -- who is also the University's NCAA faculty representative -- agreed to oversee Marrow's independent study. Diane Frey, the College's director of advising, approved the late request. The cover-up has not only embarrassed the University, but also calls into question Penn's commitment to the very ideals upon which the Ivy League was founded. Shropshire, a tenured professor in the Wharton School, made a conscious decision to neglect his professional duties as an educator by placing athletic success above the Ivy League's academic mission. As a result, the University should immediately release him from his duties as the school's NCAA representative. Frey merely served as a rubber stamp for the athletic department, and, in doing so, ignored her responsibilities as an academic advisor. The role of other administrators in the cover-up is still unclear. For example, did Athletic Director Steve Bilsky know about or authorize the plan? How involved were Associate Athletic Director Denis Elton Cochran-Fikes and Athletic Department Academic Coordinator Rob Koonce? Once the University's internal investigation is completed, any and all administrators and professors who sacrificed Penn's academic integrity for athletic success must be disciplined to the greatest degree possible -- including, if called for, termination. Not only does this incident call into question the University's true priorities, it also contradicts the Athletic Department's insistence that athletes receive no special treatment. Clearly, a non-athlete would never have had an independent study approved just weeks before the end of a semester in order to obtain full-time-student status. If there is a silver lining to be found in this mess, it is the noble actions of History professors Lynn Lees, Bruce Kuklick and Beth Wenger. Before Shropshire was approached, Wenger was asked to oversee Marrow's independent study. She immediately went to Lees, the chairperson of the History Department, and Kuklick, undergraduate History chairperson, for advice. They properly recommended that the request be denied. It is encouraging to know that not everyone in the University can be swayed by the Athletic Department's influence. There are still some who remain true to the Ivy League's ideals. Whether Penn is forced to forfeit all of its games that Marrow participated in or is subjected to further sanctions is no longer the primary concern. The more significant issue is: What value does Penn place on its academic integrity, and at what price can those principles be bought?