The academic fraud case currently being investigated at UNC does more than discount the educational integrity of athletes — it undermines the legitimacy of African American Studies programs nationwide.
UNC’s “paper classes” — classes that were apparently created for the sole purpose of granting athletes credit — mostly took place within the African American Studies department. According to “News & Observer,” over 3,100 students took these classes over the course of 18 years.
Paper classes allowed students the opportunity to make an A in a class that did not happen. They were not required to show up to class, take tests or write papers. 47 percent of the people who took these classes were athletes.
This looks bad for UNC and the NCAA, but it looks much worse for African American Studies programs nationwide.
African American Studies has been fighting to earn respect as a department since it’s inception. In my time here at LSU, I’ve heard many students openly discount the legitimacy of LSU’s own program.
“That is a meaningless major,” one of my friends said to me once while discussing the topic. “What’s the point? You learn all about African American history in high school.”
My friend was wrong, but their views represent the larger conception of African American Studies courses. The discipline is consistently viewed by students as a “cushy” major.
This is why UNC chose to fabricate classes within the AFAM department, instead of inventing paper classes within a the biology or the chemistry department. Administrators understood that very few people would look too closely at athletes acing African American Studies courses. It’s viewed as an easy major, athletes always take easy classes — anyone who views the department this way wouldn’t look any deeper.
Though these paper classes were meant to assist athletes in remaining academically eligible to play, they had the unintended effect of discounting every African American Studies department nationwide. If an institution as esteemed as UNC can get away with issuing fake grades for nearly two decades by hiding the classes within AFAM departments, what’s happening in those departments in less esteemed schools?
African American Studies is a disciple that deserves respect. Black history deserves more than just a month devoted to it, and those who have dedicated their lives to studying and teaching within the department are much-needed advocates for black rights within our community.
This scandal takes legitimacy away from those people. It calls their degrees into question — in a department that already faces doubt over its legitimacy simply because some discount the subject matter.
UNC helping athletes cheat is bad. But throwing an entire field of study into doubt and increased scrutiny is worse, and will no doubt have a longer lasting effect.