BYU Independent Study Responds to Controversy

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    By David Rasmussen

    Michael Oher was one of the nation”s most talented offensive linemen coming out of high school two years ago. However, his prospects of playing at the collegiate level looked slim because of his academic record.

    A recent article in The New York Times Magazine chronicled his unlikely story as he miraculously became eligible to play at the University of Mississippi. The author of the article, Michael Lewis, wrote about Oher”s transformation, beginning as an illiterate, abandoned child with a 0.6 GPA early in his high school career and changing into a college-bound athlete. A host of people helped along the way, as did a number of online courses used to replace high school credits.

    The source of those online courses? Brigham Young University.

    The claims in the article ran parallel with an apparent belief among coaches and athletes that BYU Independent Study is the place to go if an athlete needs a quick fix for academic eligibility.

    The article, adapted from Lewis” new book “The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game,” explains what Lewis calls the “Mormon grade-grab.” According to the article, a passing grade from BYU”s online courses could be used to replace F”s earned in high-school classes. Additionally, such a grade reportedly requires only 10 days to obtain. Through the overhaul of Oher”s transcripts, he was made eligible to participate in the NCAA and has developed into one of the top NFL prospects in the country in only his sophomore season.

    According to the article, BYU”s “Character Education” classes require the student to “read a few brief passages from famous works … and then answer five questions about it.” According to sources at BYU, however, the claims made in the article are not true.

    “The article was unfair and incomplete,” said Dwight Laws, director of Independent Study at BYU. “These are rigorous courses that can”t be done overnight. In the specific course mentioned, they have to answer over 200 questions, with 55 questions on the final test alone. They have to read over 38 different pieces of literature.”

    Laws maintained that the article, along with the negative publicity that BYU”s Independent Study program has garnered of late, are unfounded and inaccurate. The courses offered to students online are designed to replicate the rigors of an on-campus class, Laws said. And as for using the courses to replace high school credit, Laws said the statement is simply untrue.

    “We”re not a credit-granting entity,” Laws said. “We consider ourselves a support and a complement to the curriculum on campus. We have no desire to replace anything. The whole idea of independent study is that if a student needs a math course or something, and his schedule doesn”t allow it or it”s not being taught, he could take it independently.”

    Laws said that while the number of people caught cheating in BYU Independent Studies courses is extremely low in relation to the total number of students enrolled, cheating has happened. Past problems have included coaches enrolling athletes in courses without the athletes” knowledge, and then completing the coursework for the athlete. Also, coaches were previously allowed to serve as proctors for athletes” exams, making it easier for dishonest coaches and players to cheat.

    BYU spokesperson Carri Jenkins said procedures have been changed and measures have been taken to safeguard against such cheating. One measure is that BYU no longer allows current NCAA athletes to participate in the Independent Study program. Additionally, all tests for university courses now must be administered at a certified testing center.

    “It”s not that BYU was not taking measures to prevent cheating before this time,” Jenkins said. “But we have seen where some [tests in the past] were not handled correctly. We believe the changes now in place will work to deter dishonest behavior.”

    Jenkins also confirmed that the NCAA has contacted BYU in the past with questions regarding individual students. In each case, BYU has obtained the student”s consent and complied with the NCAA”s inquiries.

    Though the number of people caught cheating is relatively small, even one case concerns BYU, Jenkins said.

    “We are not alone or unique in our concerns over cheating,” Jenkins said. “But in any college classroom, whether it”s online or in the classroom, a certain amount of trust must be placed in the professor teaching the class and the student who is sitting in the classroom.”

    In addition to implementing changes to prevent cheating, BYU maintains that its Independent Study courses are just as demanding as those that a student would find in a classroom. Kevin Stocks, the director of the School of Accountancy at BYU, also teaches the Principles of Accounting class through Independent Study.

    “The intent is that they”re identical [to on-campus classes],” Stocks said. “But the reality is that they may be more difficult. I”ve had students take it who indicate that it is every bit as difficult as in-class work.”

    Online classes present difficulties relating to student-teacher interaction, Stocks said. The teacher is not as readily available to answer questions as they would be in an on-campus class, though questions can be asked through e-mail.

    Pablo Medina, a freshman from San Diego, Calif., said he agrees with the sentiment that online courses present their own unique challenges.

    “If you”re someone that”s independent enough to do it, it works out really well for you,” Medina said. “But if you”re a person that does well in groups, you”re going to need the teacher in front of you.”

    Medina is currently enrolled in two religion courses and an Introduction to Business class through Independent Study. Just like normal classes, some online courses are more difficult than others, he said.

    Even though the overall difficulty of the courses mirrors that of regular courses, measures taken to prevent cheating on normal assignments, as opposed to tests, are not foolproof.

    “Every time before you start [an assignment], the only thing they ask you to do is to accept the honor code,” Medina said. “You have to do it every time you leave and enter the site. Besides that, there”s nothing much.”

    As is the case with on-campus classes, students in Independent Study courses may attempt to cheat on assignments and tests, Laws said. Extensive security measures are present in the each of the testing centers, which Laws said are similar to BYU”s on-campus testing center. Though there have been allegations of foul play by students in the past, the overall number of such occurrences is small.

    “We have 150,000 enrollments [in Independent Study]. There is less than one half of one percent of them that we ever have a problem with,” he said. “Unfortunately, they seem to get the attention.”

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