A friend of mine who lives in Charlotte told me about a radio call in show where Monroe was interviewed. Monroe was asked if a cash machine spit out money by mistake should the money be returned. Monroe said of course. Then he was asked “what about a bachelor’s degree.” Monroe was silent.

I don’t think this announcement will satisfy. At least it won’t satisfy me. What does that mean? Was someone slapped on the wrist or fired? This is a public school. Personnel matter or not, the taxpayers have a right to know. There are poeple on the inside who know the whole story - faculty, staff, please come forward and tell the public. Otherwise we have to assume that you’re circling the wagons to protect one of your own. I’m sorry, but in my opinion, that’s not right. This isn’t a privately held company - this is VCU, the largest public school in the state. We deserve to know and decide if we think VCU did the right thing.

(1) Monroe’s transfer credits - the U of P credits are less than desirable, the FBI credits are not from an “appropriate” institution of higher ed, and what other credits were approved? We have been focused on the 6 he “earned” at VCU but the other 121 should be scrutinized. If they are all legit, then why not disclose this? Monroe, Wilder School, someone? There must be something to hide.

(2) How did he “earn” the 6 credit hours? What classes, if any, did he take? Were these independent study classes - which some of us know are bogus “social” interactions with certain faculty in their offices in off hours - which is a whole other issue that the Wilder School needs to address. Come clean. What were the “classes”?

(3) The person(s) involved in approving this degree should have been named from the start. If they were willing to jeapordize the most scared duty of a university, then they should have the guts to stand up and be held accountable. This is a public school - these are PUBLIC servants - they cannot be afforded a veil of secrecy. The taxpayers pay their salaries. You and I pay their salaries. If they worked at a private school, then perhaps they could be assured privacy - but they CHOSE to work for a public school. There are consequences to that. Even tenured professors are not protected if they violate strict school policy - they can be fired for cause. Certainly sufficient cause can be found - this was a flagrant violation of policy and was the only one in 15,000 degrees. And what’s even more sickening, these arrogant rule breakers have been on the public dole since they first committed this infraction in May 2007. Look at happened at the Dept of Game and Inland Fisheries with the Big Game Hunt fiasco. Look at Michelle Mitchell. All public humiliations - and deserved because they violated the trust afforded them as public servants.

(4) The sanctions should be made public. The provost and BOV do not have the priviledge of the public’s trust anymore - that was violated with the “spin” that was first published when this story broke in May. Among other things the public was told that Monroe earned his degree and we were told that this was not the only incident of its kind. We should demand better from a PUBLIC school. All lies and spin - the university knew that there were issues here. If they didn’t then they should be fired just because they didn’t know their own “residency requirement” for earning a degree - again the most sacred duty of a university.

(5) The faculty as a whole at VCU have some explaining to do. This details of Monore’s degree were published prominently in the TD in May 2007. The article was very clear - Monroe took 6 credit hours at VCU. Anyone at that school with any responsibility for degrees would have seen that and would have known that it was a blatant violation of the residency requirement. They’re all culpable. Those who are on the inside and know something can still come forward and redeem the academy.

(6) There is no way that VCU can now turn down other students who request similar waivers unless they revoke Monroe’s degree. His degree is not legit. This calls into question all of our degrees unless VCU acts. This degree is the property of the Commonwealth of Virginia in some ways. It proclaims to all who see it that the holder earned it - it is an endorsement of the holders abilities and credentials (and can help their secure better employment as we’ve seen). This isn’t just an honorary piece of parchment - it is a ticket to higher pay, promotion, etc. Hell, Monroe didn’t even pay the requisite amount for his degree - let’s see 24 credit hours he still needs from VCU at a cost of $300 per credit hour. Does that mean he owes the taxpayers about $7,200? As a grad, I know I wrote my check each semester. Where is his?

Tom, do the right thing. Your parents are two of the most highly respected members of the Richmond community. Your father was a long-time leader at the University of Richmond. Do the right thing here - do what do many of us know your dad would have done. Stand up for the tens of thousands of VCU students and grads who worked tirelessly to really earn their degrees. Who have sacrificed so much. Don’t let the good ole boy network rule the day here.

-I couldn’t agree more. Why is the BOV not issuing any information or apologies to students? More to hide?

The silence gives a poor impression.

Everyone should write the BOV, write Dr. Trani and ask them to rescind Monroe’s degree until he fulfills the appropriate requirements at VCU or resign.

I don’t think the FBI program is accredited whatsoever.

So, did he ‘graduate’ with only 6 very questionable but perhaps legitimate credits?

Mr. Thomas G. Rosenthal, Rector (Richmond)
Dr. Michele A. Romano, Vice Rector
The Honorable Anne “Panny” J.G. Rhodes, Secretary (Richmond - home address)
Mr. David G. Baldacci
Dr. Edward H. Bersoff
Dr. J. Alfred Broaddus, Jr. (Richmond - Federal Reserve - retired??)
Dr. John C. Doswell II
Mr. Arthur D. Hurtado
Mr. Brian K. Jackson (Richmond - Ukrops)
Mr. Maurice A. Jones (Norfolk Virginian Pilot)
Mrs. Lillian L. Lambert (Richmond)
Mr. Richard T. Robertson
Dr. Carol S. Shapiro
Mr. John Sherman, Jr. (Scott & Stringfellow)
Mr. Stuart C. Siegel (Richmond - S&K)
Mr. Thomas G. Snead, Jr. (Richmond)

Mailing address:
Office of the Board of Visitors
P.O. Box 842512
Richmond, Virginia 23284

Of course, that address is the President’s Office. I suggest looking up any of them through Google and getting their work addresses.

Thursday, August 21, 2008
8 a.m. Board Meeting

Wednesday, November 19, 2008
11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Committee Meetings

Thursday, November 20, 2008
8 a.m. Board Meeting

All meetings will be held at the University Student Commons, Richmond Salons, located at 907 Floyd Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23284.
In accordance with the Board’s operating procedures and in compliance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, there shall be no opportunity for public comment at these meetings.

1. Someone has already been fired…for all intents and purposes! Check out WTVR, you’ll see who it is. Although they were allowed to resign, it can only be interpreted as a firing. VCU dropped the ball only insofar as they have been tight-lipped. They haven’t been spinning much at all; I’ve read and watched almost all the accounts and their statements and it’s pretty accurate, if under-whelmingly illuminating. By the way, the person who is out, was by all accounts, a stellar employee. It’s a real shame when we lose this caliber a person.

2. Others have received punishment, though that information is not public yet. However, I imagine it will be quite soon but one needs to be sharp to identify it.

3. The credits from UP and the FBI academy– contrary to Zack’s interpretation of his discussion with admission–simply means that while they are accepted for admission to VCU (and thus graduation), they were not and cannot be counted toward any course requirements of the BIS. So yes, they count in the number total.

This point is really only tangentially related to the incident and is really a matter for a different discussion, though one that is a faculty-admin decision, not a political one. And contrary to the “tone” of some comments, it’s not scandalous.

4. While awarding the degree to the chief was wrong because he should have met the residency requirement and he was excepted from the rule as a result of political pressure, this “scandal” is more smoke than fire. He met all the other requirements for graduation and had the necessary number of credits, just not enough at VCU. While extreme in terms of exceptions, such exceptions to rules are made all the time. This is not only true for VCU but assuredly for every university and college in the country. Compared to another recent case at WVU, this is much smaller potatoes.

5. Yes, VCU can continue to turn down other students who request an exception to some rule. This also happens all the time. While consistency and integrity in decision-making are paramount in the process and should be aspired to at all times, faculty and administrators must have the flexibility and authority to deal with cases that don’t fit so neatly into the regulations. By and large, such decisions are not made off the cuff, but are carefully considered and often, approval is first sought by those in administration.

6. No, LDP06, the faculty as a whole do not have any duty whatsoever to explain anything about this case. This occurred at a high administrative level, thus it is they that should be held accountable. I am all for having faculty speak out if they are displeased, but they cannot be compelled nor are they are under any obligation to do so, particularly when all the facts are not known.

This isn’t just smoke as you casually claimed - the awarding of a degree is the most important thing that a university does. It’s really telling that “notthefaculty” and others are making excuses and saying that “faculty and administrators must have the flexibility and authority to deal with cases that don’t fit so neatly into the regulations”. Hmmmmm….. wouldn’t that very statement indicate that the faculty involved in this matter had some flexibility and authority. Interesting. And they sought this exception and got a good guy fired. Shame, shame, shame. Yes, we can thank the faculty and others who spoke to WTVR - at least some of you have the sense that the public deserves to know. Thanks to you - and ONLY you.

While I appreciate that VCU did something, I will be eager to know who else is punished for this. It would be unfortunate in my opinion if those whom Monroe named were not held accountable - those persons who were directly involved and on the front lines. As you mentioned not the faculty, word will leak out but if that word is any less than dismissal for ALL involved, I know I won’t be satisfied nor will many others.

A university can’t operate fast and loose with degree qualifications and the mere appearance of impropriety in any setting or situation can be enough to ruin a reputation, a career, or an institution. Or at least cause a setback. Where there is smoke, there is usually fire.

I’ll keep my eyes open for the other sanctions but I have a pretty good idea what they are already - and if I’m right, I’m not impressed. A lot of smoke and mirrors this time - making it look like people are being sanctioned but they’ll get the same salary and have the same responsibilities. Maybe a change in title or two in the Wilder School?

This poor guy Steingrass probably was pressed from below and above. Not a good spot in which to find oneself in this context wouldn’t you say? I would hope he would spill the beans on the others but I would guess he was given a nice parting gift combined with a tightly worded confidentiality agreement. More taxpayer money wasted on this mess.

I am not dismissing this incident at all. Just trying to put it in context. People were punished and the university dropped the ball mainly because it was tightlipped where candor was necessary.

The pressure for this to occur came from some very high ranks and yes, one of the fall guys was, unfortunately, a stellar employee. I won’t comment more about this since I don’t know all the facts but I’ve heard more (though it can be just rumor that I’ve heard).

LDP06, with all due respect, you couldn’t be more wrong about what the faculty are required to do or what “unnamed” have done. Teaching is only one facet of a professor’s professional responsibility, albeit an important one. Nonetheless it’s only one. Many Wilder faculty teach extremely large classes and are fortunate even to have a TA to help. There are many who do not get one, which makes managing such courses incredibly difficult. As such, the students are the one who suffer.

Also, most TA’s or any other graduate student for that matter have only a limited idea of what the faculty are required to do for advancement. And an even smaller idea about the individual relationships between faculty and administration regarding accomplishment.

As someone who’s been on both sides of the isle, I can say with a great deal of certainty that this is a fact. So whatever information your grad buddies are telling you, I highly doubt that it truly resembles the reality.

Also, given that this is a research university, research is extremely important to advancement (individually and for the institution). Faculty measure up, not just by their colleagues at the university, but by others in the field regarding the quality of research and venues of publication And unless you’ve walked in those shoes on any consistent basis, it’s doubtful to me that you have much of a clue as to what it takes to conduct research and then to get it published. Mind you, this is not a complaint, just the reality of the situation.

And let us not forget service, which is a major component although the benefits from increased service are met with diminishing returns.

I would like to ask what evidence you have of the Wilder faculty “circling the wagons?” Actually, I can answer it. Zero. There isn’t any because it has not occurred. because this was the responsibility of University College, not the faculty in the Wilder School.

But as I said before you are free to believe what you want, but you’d still be wrong.

Ram Fan, I am pretty much in agreement with you, at least on all the important points and on the principles. I suppose I just don’t see this incident as having a long term effect and I while I admire those who speak out for justice, I am not altogether comfortable with mob-like thinking and the fanning of rumors and unsubstantiated smears by some.

Although I do think the university has dropped the ball in its response. (and I haven’t been on vacation, I just post when I have the time and inclination).

I’m at yahoo

Bottom line - no one came out of this any better. Yes, it will die down as all controversies do. I just hope that those who were involved, whether or not they get the punishment (some of us think) they deserve, are sufficiently ashamed of their role. Doing a special favor for a student, even a hard-working well-connected one, is never ever a good thing. There has to be a line between faculty and student - they’re not “friends” and they shouldn’t act like members of the good ol’ boy network. We must remember that trust is a precious thing and the community’s trust has been violated by people who should have known better. Could the involved persons stand up and show some courage and class and say “I’m sorry.” I guess I’m an idealist. and foolish to think that this would happen. Very foolish.

Since degree granting is the centerpiece of what a university does, anyone involved in this mess (and you know who you are) should try their best, in the future, to respect the integrity of the degree that so very many of us worked our tails off to get - the right way. You let us all down in a big way. If you see the academy as no more than a job and paycheck, then move on to the private sector – public service entails serving the public – and the public was failed here. The participants in this situation didn’t measure up to the high expectations and standards we set for our public servants, in my humble opinion.

This is why I doubt the repercussions to the schools reputation will be short lived. Had this been found to be widespread, than that is a different story altogether. Let’s not lose sight of the fact that even the evidence uncovered by the journalists found great consistency. As such, this blot, however wrong, is not going to have long term damage.

If people want to be constructive and direct their anger at the school, perhaps the exceptional research contracts signed by VCU should be their target. While I loathe to pit one vs. the other, I find that to be more bothersome because it really seems to sell out the university to corporate interests. But that’s apples and oranges b/c the truth is they both suck for VCU.

Also, I predict SACS will punish very little if any. Probably an unscheduled audit of some sort to ensure the integrity of the degree granting process (which should occur anyway in my opinion). If this was a systematic thing, then one should expect more punishment, but unlike the NCAA re: college sports, non-systematic mistakes or even deliberate wrong doing will not necessarily bring a wrath of punitive measures.

I think people should realize that while no individual faculty can speak for the entire professoriate at VCU, I’d bet the ranch that most strive to do their job with integrity. That is not to say there aren’t some pretty bad professors, or one’s that don’t care or are just “dead wood”, or one’s that cut corners or are conning the system. This can be found in every large bureaucratic institution (public and private) particularly ones as large as VCU. Often these people are marginalized or are let go or forced out. Less often they are not.

Ditto on Monroe. Even if he decides to keep the degree and doesn’t have a change of heart, he won’t be able to view it in the same way. Unfortunately there are people who go to college and look to just use it to get ahead and cut corners at every turn but these people, however ’successful’ miss the whole point of a liberal arts education. It is not to simply feed the machine but rather to learn about the magnificent components that make up this crazy world. In other words, achieving knowledge simply for the sake of knowing and understanding more about the world we live in.

I share your idealism, really. It’s what drew me into my profession in the first place. And I am a real traditionalist when it comes to these types of things so it is disappointing and disturbing when such incidents occur.

However, the realism that sets in is that at the administrative level, politics, if not guarded, can rule the day, as it did here.

I’ll close for now on this. It is my belief based on some things I’ve been told is that this was confined to an administrative level and some heavy hitters might be taken out of the lineup.

This makes sense though because only some big wigs at the university can sign off on degrees.

I hope that the stories about the “goings on” in the academy aren’t true or at least they are isolated. As an eternal optimist, I will continue to try to find a reason to believe.

For some reason the Philip Morris deal doesn’t bother me as much and maybe it should. The Monroe thing was so personal, so easy to relate to as a fellow alum who has worked hard for eveything I have. No special passes here I’m proud to say (well, at least none as big as this one!). Thomas Jefferson felt that way (not that I consider myself in that league - I just like his sentiments.) He felt that one shouldn’t be rewarded because of position or wealth - that one should be rewarded because of their personal achievements, hard won. Monroe should give back the degree and in doing so would show a lot of character and class. Earn it the right way. His stock would go up immensely. Oh well, it is what it is . . . .

Notthefaculty, keep us posted on what you hear about changes related to this matter -if you feel comfortable doing so. Even a crumb that the rest of us can follow. I imagine that many others will be keeping their eyes open as well.

And I am moved by your personal feelings about the degree. Your sentiments speak loudly to me why exactly why it was so wrong to make that exception. It would be good for faculty and administration to hear how it affects you and other alum very personally so go to the next “town hall” which I believe is sometime in late Aug or Sep.

Students and alum are the lifeblood of any university and those privileged enough to work at one need to bear that in mind, always! And yes, Monroe should return the degree, on principle alone. I don’t see it happening but it would be a classy and very symbolic thing to do.

It’s kind of funny though, based on our relative position to these incidents, why I might be more bothered by the PM thing. Though I’ll restate here, I am greatly disturbed by the Monroe degree as all faculty and alum and the community should be.

I couldn’t agree more with yours and Sir Jefferson’s sentiments. Part of the “American Dream” is this belief that hard work, skill and fortitude determines success.

Unfortunately, the reality is not so ideal. Far too often the biggest spoils go to those who didn’t get to their positions based on skill or merit but political and social connections. And the ill-gotten gains that come with such positions tend to have a way of reproducing themselves once acquired, irrespective of how they were acquired. Paris Hilton and Bush 43 come directly to mind.

The idealism of university life and that which is shared by alum and current students and faculty is a precious commodity and makes being part of such communities really quite special. The pageantry of university tradition is spectacular and in its purest form idyllic (i.e. faculty, judges, and the clergy are the only ones whose profession’s require robes for formal events).

However, while I think the majority of faculty here and around the country aspire to such idealism in their pursuits of knowledge, not all do, and the modern reality of everyday workings of a university can cut sharply at times.

I really hope for all alumna’s sake, particularly you Ram Fan, that this will not be long-lasting. There is too much good about universities, facilitation of knowledge, and the academic community to let it go or turn cynical over an egregious but isolated incident.

I’ll keep posting when necessary. . .

Full disclosure – I’m not a VCU alumnus/a yet. I am just shy of completing my degree. For a multitude of reasons I just can’t bring myself to finish. That’s why the Monroe debacle hit me so personally - I am struggling while he walks away with the prize and good slap on the back from his buddies throughout VCU. And I’m sure I’m not alone.

I agree wholeheartedly with you that the higher ed world is a rare place. I had the privilege of working in it for a while and those years were filled with faculty who had impeccable reputations and integrity, students who had plenty of fun away from class but were serious in all academic dealings especially the classroom, and administrators who put the students first. Rules were followed so that all were treated fairly. It was the right thing to do. In the rare instance where a trustee kid was admitted with less than stellar credentials, we accepted it because we were operating a private school - not subject to the same constraints as a public school. Or so I thought. I would hate to think that those were just the good ol’ days but this incident and the response to it has broken my heart and further eroded my otherwise hopeful spirit. How many others might feel the same?

Oh well. This too shall pass. But hopefully all who were exposed to this will think long and hard before toying with the sacred rules of the academy again. We can hope. But speak in an open forum? Perhaps this sounds hypocritical, but I do think that those in this university protect their own and a student who dares to speak out against one of the close knit family of faculty is likely to suffer. You all do “have each others’ backs” wouldn’t you say? You can’t convince me otherwise. I’ve seen it firsthand at VCU and that’s the reason that more students aren’t speaking out. Ironic in an academic community, isn’t it? But you indicated that faculty shared the same reticence to voice their opinions – fear of retribution. So you won’t see me at the town hall meeting – at least I won’t be at the microphone.

Did you see the most recent post on FDHUB about VCU?.