USC ... Revoke the Degrees of Alumni Who Got in Through Bribery

[SoCalDem]

by EMMA BATY
MAR 22, 2019

https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/a26908094/usc-revoking-alumni-degrees-college-bribery-scandal/

USC could start revoking alumni degrees for people they believe were admitted via the college admissions bribery scandal, a source told TMZ.

When news came out last week that over 50 high-profile parents, including Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, had been implicated in a fraud scheme to get their kids into top colleges like USC, the school started investigating. A source said USC found eight alumni who they think got admitted through fraud.

They believe all eight of them used the same Athletic Placement Services scheme that Olivia Jade and her sister Bella used. Basically, they were allegedly admitted to the school because they were designated as recruits for sports teams, even though they didn't play those sports.

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[Sherman A1]

1. I agree

Degrees should be revoked, credit hours made null and no refunds.

[msongs]

2. if they took and passed the classes no degree revoking. but payback $$, fine nt

[Sherman A1]

3. I understand your point, but they cheated to get into those classes

and I suspect that if they had to cheat to get into the University, they likely found "workarounds" for such pesky things as classes. Certainly a fair and impartial investigation should first take place, but if found to have entered the University by inappropriate means then they could not have taken the classes and those degrees should be voided along with their credit hours so as not to be transferrable.

My opinion.

[SoCalDem]

4. It's the ONLY way people learn

For everyone who cheated to get in, there's a kid who worked their ass off and DID NOT get in..

[Chin music]

26. +1

[Ms. Toad]

8. I don't believe most of these students received scholarships.

So there would not be money to pay back. Rememer - by and large - these were students whose parents made hefty donations to get them admitted. They were not generally looking for a free ride. They just didn't have the credentials to get in on their own.

The point is that their easy admission ride came at the expense of a student who was not admitted.

[Chin music]

27. Or the brains and the G.P.A. that other kids broke their backs for.

No mercy for self inflicted wounds, they KneW they weren't on the rowing team etc.

[Blue_Tires]

5. USC is really shitting bricks about their public image...

Even Stanford and Yale aren't going this far?

[SoCalDem]

6. Yale is...sort of

https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/25/us/yale-rescinds-student-admissions-scandal/index.html

Yale rescinds admission of a student whose family paid $1.2 million to get her in
By Eric Levenson and Augusta Anthony, CNN

Updated 1:57 PM ET, Mon March 25, 2019

(CNN)Yale University has rescinded the admission of a student who was admitted as part of the ongoing college admissions scandal, the first instance of a school doing so since the scheme became public two weeks ago.

Yale has said two people applied to the university with fraudulent athletic endorsements from women's soccer coach Rudy Meredith. One was denied admission despite the endorsement, and the other was admitted and was attending Yale, the university said on its website.


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[Blue_Tires]

20. Jesus... $1.2 mil just to get their snowflake into Yale...

How fuckin' dumb are some of these kids?

At what point do all these rich parents just pool their money and open a new university just for their rich kids??

[Awsi Dooger]

31. USC has had multiple recent scandals

That is prompting the reaction to this situation. The university president was forced out last year due to another high profile matter.

As an alum I normally receive emails only for fundraising or announcement of upcoming events. But over the past year or so I can't count how many times I've received a message from the chancellor, trying to explain some recent scandal and how the university plans to proceed.

By all indications this one was most surprising, especially since it involved so many highly placed and revered members of the athletic department, like the legendary water polo coach, who was winning national titles more often than not.

[WillowTree]

7. For people they BELIEVE were admitted via the college admissions bribery scandal?

I'd recommend that they be pretty darned sure about that or their next problem will be a bunch of law suits. Just sayin'.

[FakeNoose]

9. This would only work if the acceptance committee admits to taking bribes

... and they would have to name the people they took the bribes from. As for the most recent scam, the athletic directors would have to admit they took bribes and falsely name the kids they weren't really recruiting. Something tells me your idea wouldn't work.

[SoCalDem]

10. not "my" idea..just the news

😊

[FakeNoose]

12. Right - my apologies

I was free associating and throwing spitballs at the author.
Nothing intended for you, dear friend!

[SoCalDem]

13. no biggie

[tinrobot]

11. Punishing children for the sins of the parents and/or the college? Nope.

The parents paid the bribe. Representatives of the college and/or SAT board accepted the bribe. Those two parties are responsible.

When the bribe was handed over, the kids were usually 17 year-old high school juniors. That means they were most likely minors and the parents were legal guardians. It is on the parents to do the right thing for their kids, and besides most of the kids didn't know.

Adding to that, regardless of how they got in - if the kids showed up and got the grades, then they earned the degree. Period. Revoking their degree robs them of the time they spent in college.

If the college let them skate on grades or gave them a pass or whatever, then that's on the college. Revoke their accreditation.

Don't punish the kids.

[mokawanis]

15. Minors can be held responsible for their actions

IF they knew they were getting into the college cuz mommy and daddy paid a bribe, then I say let them take the fall, too. No sympathy from me. None whatsoever.

[tinrobot]

16. True. But they legally earned the degree. You can't just revoke it out of spite.

If they put in the time and passed the classes like anyone else then they get a degree. Legally, you can't just revoke those four years and all that work.

Now if you want the kids to go to jail or pay fines for a crime... that's a different case. You might have more success with that.

[Chin music]

28. Me either.

Buy them a business. Americans don't cheat. Generally.

[Drahthaardogs]

14. Why?

If they did the work and passed, who cares?

It just shows what a bunch of bullshit these "elite" schools are about. If you are too dumb to get in, you should have failed

[Cold War Spook]

17. What is a bribe?

How many colleges get a new library from someone and then their kids go to college. The thing about a kid accepted to play a sport but doesn't may be different. Prove the kid knew about it in court or leave him/her alone.

[TeamPooka]

18. Recinding admission is one thing but revoking degrees will draw as many lawsuits as degrees they

revoke and they will probably lose many of them.
Proving the fraudulent admission is only one small part
nullifying the work students did over a four year period, not so easy.

Every teacher and prof. would get deposed for every term paper, test, and grade etc. given each student...for four years.
USC does not want that to happen to these tenured professors, and their staffs.
Basically they would all have to hire lawyers for each and every case.
It will cost their staff a fortune.
the backlash against administration would be huge.

Remember the students with revoked degrees come from money.
More than their teachers.
They can afford a protracted legal fight.

If they nullify the degrees USC will be also then be sued for all the monies received over four year for everything the kids spent there.
USC would have to prove the students did not do the work required. Period.
It would be a legal nightmare for the U.
If you get it to court without settling you wind up having to defend letting some rich kids in for certain big donations but not these rich kids because of a different kind of money bribe.
Your whole admissions system would be on trial.
It's the last thing USC really wants.
They need to shut up and let people forget this incident over time.

I'll love to have that lawsuit as an attorney.

[Arazi]

19. Bridge too far. They earned the credits and the degree, they keep it

They're going to spend the rest of their careers known as cheaters anyway. That's their justice

[BluegrassDem]

21. Good! Revoke their degrees and let USC pay back their tuition

If I was hired at my job with a fake resume, I would be fired. Let them go to another college with their high school transcripts. They need to be taught a lesson. Also, these "kids" knew what their parents were doing. They have emails from their alleged sports programs. To act like these kids are innocent is wrong.

[yagotme]

22. My thought is...

As an employer looking at a prospective employee, if they listed USC as their college, could I really believe they got their degree with their own merit? I think these colleges need to clean house, otherwise their degrees won't be worth the paper they're printed on. That's professors, admin, coaches, the works. This just didn't happen lately, I'm sure it's been an ongoing thing for a long time.

[TeamPooka]

24. You're sure? facts please. Any proof would be nice. Or are you just making stuff up?

[yagotme]

25. Facts? How about current events?

Good enough for starters? What I am looking for IS facts. From the schools. Did these "athletes" that got scholarships actually show up for practices? Play the games? Did the scholarship recipients actually show up for the classes they were signed up for? No hanky panky with the grades? These are the questions that need answered, as students who DID qualify, but didn't have the right "connections" to make it, got put by the roadside in favor of the sugarbabies. Corruption rearing it's ugly head needs to be investigated, right???

[TeamPooka]

29. Oh, now you're looking for facts after I asked for them. Before you were crying "Clean house!" and

condemning all students at USC

[yagotme]

30. "Clean house"

Yes, re-read my post, see who I said should come under the inspector's lens. And I did say "current events" in response to your query. It's happening, it's being exposed, and no one knows how far or widespread this will be until much later, I'm afraid. Unless the colleges get a handle on this, it WILL most likely affect their student's reputations/job prospects.

ETA: Just read this in your sig line. Perhaps apply this to what I'm saying.

"Orcutt's 1st Law: Before things get better, they must get much worse."

[aikoaiko]

23. If they can, they should. Otherwise would be to support fraud.

The message has to be that there will be no benefit to fraudulent admission if caught.