Dive Brief:
- The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' Commission on Colleges is launching a new investigation into the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill's "paper class" scandal.
- The accrediting agency's investigation will focus on a report issued in October that found the African and African-American Studies Department's fake independent studies and no-show classes existed as long as two decades and were taken by over 3,000 students — and only half were athletes.
- The accreditor already started requiring monitoring reports in 2012 as a result of the scandal, but the new review — which isn't expected to see any decisions made until June — could result in further penalties.
Dive Insight:
Also among the 2012 penalties: The university was required to offer replacement courses, free of charge, to students who took the fake classes. This scandal has been going on for so long now that one almost wonders what other punishments could be levied against the school. Former African and African-American Studies chair Julius Nyang’oro, as well as former department administrator, Deborah Crowder, are no longer with the university as a result and athletic motivations reportedly weren't behind the classes. Still, it will be interesting to see what the accrediting agency decides this time around regarding the fake classes.