Show I Credit Brokers and Watergate Basketball Coaches f by Steve Palmer CPS As investigators I sift through the allegations allegations allegations allega allega- that a number of collegiate collegiate collegiate col col- athletes have bogus academic credits on their transcripts public attention keeps turning toward the extension courses that have granted some of those questionable credits But as the investigation investigation investigation gation illuminates the dark side of the booming extension course industry administrators maintain the courses are an important important important tant part of college finances fi finances finances fi- fi nances and curricula The scandal of course revolves around the ways coaches at New Mexico Oregon State Oregon Utah and other universities universities universities uni uni- allegedly helped some of their athletes meet academic eligibility requirements Investigators are accusing accusing accusing ing coaches of improperly arranging credit from junior college and extension extension extension exten exten- sion courses Sometimes the athletes get credit without ever attending class Sometimes the athletes dont don't even know they've been enrolled in inthe inthe the class Nevertheless a number of athletes' athletes transcripts transcripts transcripts tran tran- scripts are studded studded- occasionally occasionally occa occa- t fraudulently with credits from extension extension extension exten exten- sion courses from places like Mercer County Community Community Community Com Com- College of Trenton Trenton Trenton Tren Tren- ton NJ Los Angeles Valley Valley Valley Val Val- ley College Rocky Mountain Mountain Mountain Moun Moun- tain College of Billings MT and Ottawa University University University sity of Ottawa KS Keith Shumway Ot Ot- tawas tawa's continuing education education education tion director says the improper improper improper im im- proper awarding of credit was just a fluke uke An HAn instructor proposed to instructor instructor instructor in in- a program us an who came to us with two masters and excellent excellent excellent ex ex- credentials We tried it for 28 days and it just didn't work out That instructor was Earle Durley and his course was called Principles Principles ples pIes of Coaching Shumway Shumway Shumway Shum Shum- way is unsure of the exact title It turned out that Durley a former New Mexico coach had told some coaches that he was according to Shumway willing to plug in a few athletes to the course Among the 49 who got credit credi t were four University U University Uni Uni- ni- ni of Oregon football and basketball players some of whom reportedly never attended the course which Durley taught under Ottawa's auspices in Van Nuys CA There arent aren't many ways to try to regulate these programs admits Carol Katski of the National N National Na Na- a- a University Extension Extension Extension Exten Exten- sion Association in Washington Washington Wash Wash- Washington ington DC D.C. These programs programs programs pro pro- grams come under the jurisdiction of regional accrediting accrediting accrediting ac ac- crediting boards but there is a lot of competition between between between be be- tween institutions and people have abused programs programs programs pro pro- grams that are quite legitimate Theres There's competition in inthe inthe inthe the industry because it is a profitable venture for col col- leges To conduct an ex ex- tension course a college is relieved of the costs of providing providing providing pro pro- viding physical facilities some courses are held in living rooms and extension extension extension exten exten- sion course instructors are usually paid less than instructors instructors instructors in in- who work on campus In other words the costs are low while the student fees are close to what they might be for an on-campus on course Extension courses have been big business for institutions institutions institutions in in- for decades observes observes observes ob ob- serves Shumway of Ottawa Ottawa Ottawa Ot Ot- tawa which not only coordinates coordinates coordinates coor coor- living room courses all over the country country country coun coun- try but maintains a branch office in Phoenix AZ He contends the extension extension extension exten exten- sion courses serve a valuable valuable valuable able education function as aswell aswell aswell well by providing courses that schools ordinarily cant can't afford to offer Take California for example Here you have a state with a huge education education education tion system Those institutions institutions institutions tend to ignore a number of education programs programs programs pro pro- grams that people need But those programs as the current scandal shows can be manipulated because because because be be- cause of the ever-changing ever faculty and the sheer physical distance between classroom and adminis adminis- Weeding out the bad guys according to Katzki easy In the wake of the recent revelations revelations revelations all Rocky Mountain College and Ottawa could do was discontinue their physical education extension extension extension exten exten- sion courses They've even spawned a minor extension course credit arranging credi industry complete with course brokers One ex-broker ex a former high school football football football foot foot- ball coach named Emerson Wilson says the blame I should be on year four-year universities that accept the extension course cred cred- its Whenever a coach called me and asked about putting a kid in one of these classes Wilson recalled recalled recalled re re- called during a pre- pre Christmas interview in Boulder CO I HI would say Well eWell the university may not accept this credit because these are supposed supposed supposed sup sup- posed to be level graduate-level classes The coach would say Dont Don't worry just put him in the class Wilson though still believes believes believes be be- in the value of extension extension extension ex ex- tension courses even those arranged for coaches I HI always thought our courses were outstanding outstanding ing he told the Dallas Times Herald You HYou always al always always al- al ways used to get pot shots from other schools saying that its it's cheap credit I think we offered students students students stu stu- dents a good deal Yet these days Wilson is isa I Ia a little Ii wary of getting mixed up with coaches for any reason I HI have a friend at Arizona State who said ey You ou know Emerson Emerson Emerson Em Em- i I erson when this Watergate Watergate Watergate Water Water- gate situation finally gets figured out they're going to find out that some basketball coach was behind behind behind be be- hind it |