P-S: Why are so many Syracuse athletes enrolled in one obscure grad program?

[cuse10]

By Chris Carlson

ccarlson@syracuse.com,

syracuse.com

Syracuse, N.Y. -- When graduate transfers like Andrew White or Amba Etta-Tawo come to Syracuse University, they can pick from more than 200 academic programs.

For the last four years it hasn't been much of a choice. Every football and basketball graduate transfer to come to Syracuse University has picked the same one, a small program within Syracuse University's School of Education.

All eight football and basketball (men's and women's) graduate transfers to come to Syracuse over the past four years have enrolled in the school's instructional design, development and evaluation program, according to published player biographies and news reports.

A graduate transfer is an athlete who has earned an undergraduate degree and can transfer to another institution without having to sit out the traditional transfer season.

Schools initially explained graduate transfers as athletes pursuing graduate programs that weren't offered at their previous schools, but the actual result has been a form of late-career college free agency with athletes often pursuing the best athletic opportunities with little concern for academics.

The process often benefits both player and program but also eats at the credibility of colleges when they insist athletes are attending for academic reasons and that big-time college sports are more than a tax-exempt minor league.

"We keep saying these are students and not employees," said David Ridpath, president elect of The Drake Group, a watchdog for academic integrity in sports. "I'm all for the graduate transfer if we are just honest about it. How many are really doing it for the educational experience? Just like everywhere else, there is a lot of trying to find the path of least resistance."

At Syracuse, graduate transfers aren't alone in their reliance on the IDD&E program. The program has also housed 83 percent of scholarship athletes in revenue sports that have taken graduate-level classes. That includes all seven men's basketball players over the past four years and 17 of 21 football players.

The program now has 60 students, according to Sarah Scalese, the university's vice president for university communications. She said 15 of them, 25 percent of the program, are athletes.

Ridpath says that type of clustering should serve as a potential warning sign to any academic institution.

Despite the obscurity of IDD&E, Syracuse officials say that athletes aren't being directed toward the program because it is easy or convenient. They say athletes are choosing it freely because they are attracted to the subject matter.

"One of the attractive parts of IDD&E is they are athletes and they're dealing with issues in human performance," said Syracuse's Tommy Powell, the school's assistant provost for student-athlete academic development. "Any time you're dealing with issues of human performance, our athletes are able to get excited about that.

"They go into it and they want to be a coach or they want to be in athletic administration. Can they use this degree to help them build programs that are designed to improve human error? That's one thing that really excites them."

A newsletter published on the School of Education's website in 2014welcomed nine new students to the IDD&E program as master's students. Eight were involved in athletics. Five were athletes, while three worked at Syracuse as graduate assistant coaches.

The most recent newsletter published by the IDD&E program, published in January, includes photos of classes and new students, both of which include a high percentage of athletes. Among the academic projects highlighted in the newsletter was one on the Cover-3 defense and another on women's basketball boot camp.

Both Powell and Dr. Jing Lei, the chairperson of the program, noted that while IDD&E might not be a well-known field to the public, it is an attractive degree with high job placement rates. Lei said the average salary in the profession is $80,000 and the industry is growing, particularly because of the boom in online education.

Lei said the teaching concepts are broad enough that they prepare students for jobs in business, consulting, government and nursing.

Three athletes who returned messages said that inside the athletic program IDD&E is viewed as the best pathway toward a career in athletics.

Wide receiver Sean Avant said he saw it as good preparation for a career in academic advising, a path he followed because of the guidance of former SU academic advisers Joe Fields and Bruce Williams. Both Fields and Williams studied in the program.

Former quarterback Charley Loeb said the program offers good lessons for a career in coaching. The class has hosted every Syracuse graduate assistant coach listed on the school's website over the past four years, along with every women's basketball player who has listed graduate school classes.

"Bruce is the reason I pursued this field and trying to be an academic adviser," Avant said. "People say that football players get placed in certain classes, but it's not true. Our advisers may lead us but that's because they know us. They know what we're interested in, and what classes we can handle and which ones might be too hard. We had a really good team GPA. They know what they're doing."

Ridpath, a former college wrestling coach and administrator, said his earlier jobs encouraged him to steer athletes into less rigorous academic options. These choices benefitted the athletic programs but athletes had to be convinced it was also in their long-term interest.

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If the NCAA didn't care about UNC's sham classes, then I'd be concerned about this article.

 

[CuseLegacy]

If the NCAA didn't care about UNC's sham classes, then I'd be concerned about this article.

I have no problem with it. Sounds like a valid grad program. There are a lot worse undergrad degrees.

 

[Trueblue25]

These are grad transfers not undergrads

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

Please read the full article before commenting. It offers a lot of insights into what draws players to this program, and several alums have great things to say about it.

 

[Hoo's That]

What hogwash. The key wording is "not offered at their previous school". If you can't find a program not offered at your present school, you can't transfer as a graduate student. It would seem that the "Instructional design" program offered at SU is unique, not offered at many other schools of education at other colleges, or attracts players from colleges without a school of education on their campus. Yes, graduate transfers have become a form of free agency. But every player involved has completed their undergraduate degree and isn't non-completion by athletes what a lot of people have been wailing and gnashing their teeth about?

 

[Alsacs]

Crap like this is why fans don't like the PS. That was written by Carlson to cause a commotion. It is a nonstory.

If kids go to that grad school it could be because its not at there previous school and thus fulfills the grad transfer requirement but Carlson writes it like SU is committing an NCAA violation.

Good job Chris. This is a nothing-burger.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

Crap like this is why fans don't like the PS. That was written by Carlson to cause a commotion. It is a nonstory.

If kids go to that grad school it could be because its not at there previous school and thus fulfills the grad transfer requirement but Carlson writes it like SU is committing an NCAA violation.

Good job Chris. This is a nothing-burger.

Way to read the article.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

What hogwash. The key wording is "not offered at their previous school". If you can't find a program not offered at your present school, you can't transfer as a graduate student. It would seem that the "Instructional design" program offered at SU is unique, not offered at many other schools of education at other colleges, or attracts players from colleges without a school of education on their campus. Yes, graduate transfers have become a form of free agency. But every player involved has completed their undergraduate degree and isn't non-completion by athletes what a lot of people have been wailing and gnashing their teeth about?

Way to read the article.

 

[Alsacs]

Way to read the article.

I read the article.
I read it includes women BB players and Charlie Loeb talking about the grad school.

The story is a nothing burger. Who cares what school the grad transfers play in. I care they go to class and stay eligible.

 

[RF2044]

Crap like this is why fans don't like the PS. That was written by Carlson to cause a commotion. It is a nonstory.

If kids go to that grad school it could be because its not at there previous school and thus fulfills the grad transfer requirement but Carlson writes it like SU is committing an NCAA violation.

Good job Chris. This is a nothing-burger.

Agreed -- I particularly found the watchdog's commentary amusing, despite having no knowledge of the program and reacting after having it described to him over the phone [as described in the article].

There was very little substance to this article. The "hook" essentially is that an outside guy with no connection whatsoever to our program and with limited knowledge of this graduate program feels uneasy about the appearance of impropriety, because so many grad students are going into that major. But that perception got dispelled by the players quoted in the article who've gravitated toward that major, and by the faculty who explain how the curriculum is delivered.

So at the end of the day, seems like a pointless article.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

I read the article.
I read it includes women BB players and Charlie Loeb talking about the grad school.

The story is a nothing burger. Who cares what school the grad transfers play in. I care they go to class and stay eligible.

So something that interested Carlson, is well balanced, explains a situation, addresses both sides of the story, and gives a slight peek into what goes on off the field is nothing burger? This doesn't feed your curiosity even a little?

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

So at the end of the day, seems like a pointless article.

It's pointless because it's balanced? Okay.

 

[RF2044]

It's pointless because it's balanced? Okay.

It's pointless because the theme is a non-issue that is being packaged as though it were.

This isn't a sham major. It is a legitimate curriculum. The article implies that there is an issue with free agency, grad students not attending class, etc. and then provides a bunch of examples showing that none of that is applicable here. So at the end of the day -- yeah, it seems like a pointless story.

 

[Alsacs]

So something that interested Carlson, is well balanced, explains a situation, addresses both sides of the story, and gives a slight peek into what goes on off the field is nothing burger? This doesn't feed your curiosity even a little?

Do you think fans care what grad school the grad transfers go too?

I don't. I and probably 90%+ don't care what school any athlete is in as long as they do their school work and maintain eligibility. Carlson had a reason for investigating this. It wasn't for the readers/fans as I said not many if any care.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

Do you think fans care what grad school the grad transfers go too?

I don't. I and probably 90%+ don't care what school any athlete is in as long as they do their school work and maintain eligibility. Carlson had a reason for investigating this. It wasn't for the readers/fans as I said not many if any care.

I'm sure you think I'm willfully ignorant for thinking Carlson doesn't have an agenda, and I think you're being willfully ignorant for thinking he does. Not much more to say than that.

 

[OttoinGrotto]

Don't grad student athlete transfers have to go to a school that offers a program that their graduating institution didn't offer?

ID is a growing field, but I don't think there are tons of programs nationally yet.

 

[CousCuse]

A person who started out playing sports as a pee wee and has gone all the way through college and completed a 4 year degree and is still wanting to play as a graduate has probably already committed to sports as a profession, either as an athlete or coaching or other associated fields.

 

[hungrychuck]

I'm with LeMoyneCuse on this piece. I find it well researched, fair and very balanced.

It strikes me that there's nothing saying the job of the PS beat writers is confined to describing what actually happens on the playing surface. Especially someone like Carlson who appears to be more of an analytical reporter

If you accept that broader remit, this is exactly the type of issue they should be looking at from time to time.

I admit I had never thought too much about what academic advantage some of our grad transfers might be gaining from the process. This piece gave me a window into that scenario from a variety of perspectives, and because the view was balanced, I don't come away feeling that it was an expose or that it revealed anything improper.

But to me the article doesn't need to reveal wrongdoing to be a worthwhile read.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

If the NCAA didn't care about UNC's sham classes, then I'd be concerned about this article.

They do not have their choice of 200 programs. In order to transfer as a grad student, you must take a master's program NOT offered at your school

 

[knicks07]

What hogwash. The key wording is "not offered at their previous school". If you can't find a program not offered at your present school, you can't transfer as a graduate student. It would seem that the "Instructional design" program offered at SU is unique, not offered at many other schools of education at other colleges, or attracts players from colleges without a school of education on their campus. Yes, graduate transfers have become a form of free agency. But every player involved has completed their undergraduate degree and isn't non-completion by athletes what a lot of people have been wailing and gnashing their teeth about?

The article is not correct. There is no longer a requirement that the school you are transferring to has to have a degree program you are enrolling in not offered at your previous school. Po
st grads can just flat out transfer regardless of grad degree they pursue.

 

[Deano]

Don't grad student athlete transfers have to go to a school that offers a program that their graduating institution didn't offer?

ID is a growing field, but I don't think there are tons of programs nationally yet.

Unless you go to UNC.

 

[SUFan44]

Pointless. Get a life, Carlson.

 

[knicks07]

The article is not correct. There is no longer a requirement that the school you are transferring to has to have a degree program you are enrolling in not offered at your previous school. Po
st grads can just flat out transfer regardless of grad degree they pursue.

I re-read the article. His wording is deceiving. Initially, that was the rule. It changed. he didnt tell that part.

 

[texascpa]

I have no problem with it. Sounds like a valid grad program. There are a lot worse undergrad degrees.

And honestly it sounds like a program that I've advocated should be expanded into a full-fledge four year program - Degree in Coaching.

 

[OttoMets]

I've been skeptical about the merits of this program simply because athletes are obviously steered into it, so how rigorous can it be? Plus higher ed is a notoriously squishy course of study.

Then I met a professor who teaches ID at SU a few weeks ago. He's a serious guy and it was interesting to learn a little about the curriculum and how they tailor the teaching to athletes who hope to coach at some point. This didn't convert me from thinking that this is a light-weight academic end-around, but I am convinced that students in this area can learn some valuable things if they want to. It's not basket-weaving.