Earned Degree

I always wondered what happened to Sonny Bass - if he ever got his "earned" degree from UofL. Apparently so.

The Bass story was a mere blip on the radar screen following the Felner debacle, which led to the Deasy embarrassment - or at least, UofL should have been embarrassed.

At Page One, Jake reported in September 2008,

Mr. Bass was offered an honorary degree...but he wasn’t satisfied. He wanted an actual, earned degree. So...the College of Education enrolled him in a fast track program that would give him credit for life experience...

A student was assigned (and paid) to assemble a portfolio for Bass but eventually grew to be uncomfortable with the arrangement. At one point, after complaining, she was reportedly offered more money to appease her worries but eventually backed out of the process. A new student was then assigned.

According to professors...Bass never showed up to classes...never did any of the work required of him. And professors were uncomfortable giving grades to him– that he didn’t earn– since he was never in their classes.

Now Jake has updated the story, or at least a different story.

A special celebration Oct. 6 at 3 p.m. will mark the one year anniversary since the opening of the Gladys and Lewis “Sonny” Bass Louisville Scholar House Campus...Lewis "Sonny" Bass is a Louisville philanthropist who with his wife, Gladys, donated $1 million to the project in Oct. 2007

He wonders aloud if this may have motivated UofL to "come after" Page One and suspects "it all makes sense now."

Another U of L Instant Degree For Sale?

Recently Marina Karem complained in the C-J that the "quickie degree" granted Prince Georges County Superintendent John Deasy by former education Dean Robert Felner devalued her own hard work and accomplishments.

I'm sure she's not alone. It must be galling to those honest hard-working Cardinals to see their beloved university drug through the mud.

U of L spokesman John Drees assured the C-J today, "...we have one goal: to prevent instances like these reported at the College of Education from happening again."

But it now appears easy degrees from U of L may be more plentiful than originally thought.

Page One is reporting another sweetheart deal may have been under way with major Ville donor Lewis "Sonny" Bass. It was Bass who defended Felner in the C-J on August 28th suggesting that C-J's investigation and publication of the facts related to Felner's alleged wrongdoings were "perverted, cruel, twisted, malicious and probably anti-Semitic." He said C-J was crucifying the trustworthy Felner.

But according to [high-level] sources at UofL ... Mr. Bass was offered an honorary degree over the summer. But he wasn’t satisfied. He wanted an actual, earned degree. So individuals within the College of Education enrolled him in a fast track program that would give him credit for life experience, which has to be documented in the form of a portfolio.

A student was assigned (and paid) to assemble a portfolio for Bass but eventually grew to be uncomfortable with the arrangement. At one point, after complaining, she was reportedly offered more money to appease her worries but eventually backed out of the process. A new student was then assigned.

According to professors we spoke with at UofL, Bass never showed up to classes he was supposed to attend this summer. He never did any of the work required of him. And professors were uncomfortable giving grades to him– that he didn’t earn– since he was never in their classes.

Go read the emails. In one July message to Bass, Program Coordinator Carolyn Rude-Parkins outlines how she and a graduate research assistant would work on his "interview and written materials...[and] develop a Portfolio that will document [his] expertise..."

Sounds like they do all the work. He gets interviewed, and the degree of course, and apparently - stop me if you've heard this one before - without attending class.

Meanwhile, as President James Ramsey and Provost Shirley Willihnganz continue to be under fire for their misjudgment and support of Felner's activities - U of L spokesman Drees told C-J,

Louisville's accreditation and alumni donations have not been affected by federal and internal investigations of its former education dean, a school spokesman said yesterday.

"Based on the facts we have at this point, our accreditation is not threatened," John Drees said during a press briefing.

But six financial, management and governance reviews are still under way, and that does not include the SACS and NCATE reviews to follow or the federal investigation of Felner set to conclude in October.

Is UofL Stonewalling?

Some in Louisvile are getting antsy.

In November officials with the University of Louisville provided updates on steps the school had taken in the wake of former College of Education and Human Development Dean Robert Felner’s federal indictment on charges of money laundering, mail fraud and conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service. U of L president James Ramsey appointed a campus-wide task force to review the findings and recommend action steps. The public was assured that university would get in front of the issues that have plagued it since the toxic dean's deeds came to light - and would report. Since then, it's been all quiet on the Belknap front.

Was there a conflict of interest with Cotton & Allen, the firm UofL hired to conduct an external audit of the university’s grants management and contracts practices? (Page One Kentucky reports: "Nolan Allen is, as is well-known in the community, highly involved with the University. He is a financial supporter and is the father-in-law of the Dean of the School of Medicine... it wasn’t even put out for bid." ) No word.

Was John Deasy's instant doctorate legit? No word.

Was it appropriate to allow staff to assist UofL donor Sonny Bass in getting a degree by working on his interview and written materials and developing a portfolio to document his expertise? No word.

What restructuring of the CEHD has occurred? No word.

Since Ramsey's admission of problems within the university - and after having conducted a PR campaign of damage control in the wake of the Felner scandal - some in the public were hoping they would have heard a more substantive report of the affirmative actions taken by the university by now.

No word.

Battlelines Drawn in the Ville: U of L goes after Page One

Page One Kentucky's

Publication of "incorrect information"

about Donor's Degree Program Cited

The sabre rattling that began last week has escalated as the University of Louisville fired a shot across the bow of "the messenger" of bad tidings. Page One has responded on its pages with invitations and promises to defend itself.

This U of L press release from...you guessed it - Page One:

Sept. 26, 2008 Contact: John Drees
502-553-9793
John.drees@louisville.edu

UofL outraged at release of student records
Information on Internet blog is incorrect, possibly illegal

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The University of Louisville has learned that a local internet blog has printed incorrect information about a degree program and a student’s academic career.

The university expressed its concern at the release of the records, which may violate the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

"The University takes seriously its obligation to protect our students’ records and privacy," said University Provost Shirley Willihnganz. "We are outraged that anyone would violate that trust."

The program in question, the Bachelor of Science in Workforce Leadership, is offered through the university’s College of Education and Human Development. It is designed to allow mid- to advanced-career level working professionals to receive academic credit for their workplace learning experiences. In addition, students complete a program of core competencies with a concentration in workplace performance, career and technical education or executive development.

Two hundred thirty eight students currently participate in the program.

The degree program was created in response to a request from the Council on Postsecondary Education and has been praised by Greater Louisville Inc. and Kentuckiana Works as a model program that will help the commonwealth reach its 2020 goal of doubling the number of college graduates.

"This program clearly benefits the community, which has asked us to develop programs that will help in workforce development. And it benefits hundreds of individuals who wish to further their education," Willihnganz said.

More information on the degree is available at: http://louisville.edu/education/degrees/exec-perform.html

Jake Payne responded today at Page One saying,

...If there was major concern, why didn’t John Drees return telephone calls? Why didn’t Shirley Willihnganz email us directly? We have worked with her in the past and have communicated via email.

We have reviewed the leaked information we published time and time again. We can find no super-private confidential information. There are no grades, no specifics. Just communication among University of Louisville employees discussing ways to fake a degree by doing all the portfolio work for a major donor.

This is called damage control and it’s ridiculous.

Payne had previously called for an legislative investigation of events surrounding former Dean Robert Felner, his shady dealings with federal grant money, and an apparent sweetheart deal that granted a doctorate to Superintendent John Deasy, and now, major donor Lewis "Sonny" Bass.

UofL Easy PhDeasy Followup

Page One Kentucky has some follow up from a Ville insider. Go see.

...The Graduate Schools has looked at all doctorates issued in the last 10 years and checked all of them for any irregularities, such as getting waivers to avoid certain requirements or never having requirements checked. This obviously took a long time. From what I heard over the last 10 years only 6 doctorates have been awarded that did not follow the regulations to the letter. That’s not to say they all weren’t earned. For example, one might have been approved after the deadline to submit your dissertation.

How does that relate to Deasy… well, it sets up the precedent for what was allowed over the last 10 years. Now they only have to focus on why those 6 were granted waivers of certain regulations...

Jake's source says we should expect a few more weeks before anything is revealed by the university, and then, because of FERPA concerns, it's not likely to be a very satisfying report. No specific statements involving students are likely to be made. Therefore, vague statements about sufficient academic rigor but with minor technical difficulties is anticipated.

Since Sonny Bass had not yet been granted a degree, yet reportedly had staffers and graduate students doing his work, it is unclear whether that situation will even be addressed.