WSU Responds to NCAA Decision
OGDEN, Utah - Weber State University officials today received notice of an NCAA decision regarding a self-reported case of academic dishonesty in the university’s football program dating back to spring 2013.
“We take full responsibility for the incident,” said WSU President Charles A. Wight. “While we regret that it occurred, it is reassuring to know the systems we have in place quickly detected these unethical activities. We must remain vigilant going forward.”
At a press conference held in Indianapolis Wednesday, the NCAA Committee on Infractions issued a 14-page report outlining academic dishonesty on the part of a former part-time adjunct developmental math instructor and five members of the WSU football team. The committee found that the math instructor provided impermissible assistance to the five student-athletes, including taking some exams on their behalf.
Another Weber State developmental mathematics faculty member first identified academic irregularities in April 2013. Weber State self-reported the potential infraction to the NCAA within three weeks of identifying a potential problem and cooperated fully with the subsequent NCAA investigation.
“We take full responsibility for the incident,” said WSU President Charles A. Wight. “While we regret that it occurred, it is reassuring to know the systems we have in place quickly detected these unethical activities. We must remain vigilant going forward.”
At a press conference held in Indianapolis Wednesday, the NCAA Committee on Infractions issued a 14-page report outlining academic dishonesty on the part of a former part-time adjunct developmental math instructor and five members of the WSU football team. The committee found that the math instructor provided impermissible assistance to the five student-athletes, including taking some exams on their behalf.
Another Weber State developmental mathematics faculty member first identified academic irregularities in April 2013. Weber State self-reported the potential infraction to the NCAA within three weeks of identifying a potential problem and cooperated fully with the subsequent NCAA investigation.
The developmental math instructor resigned in May 2013 after WSU discovered the incident. The five student-athletes were declared ineligible for competition prior to the 2013 season.
“At Weber State, we hold our students, faculty and staff to the highest level of ethical and professional conduct,” Wight said. “This investigation found that, in this case, a former adjunct instructor failed to uphold those standards.”
In addition to public reprimand and censure, the NCAA placed the WSU football program on three years of probation, from Nov. 19, 2014, through Nov. 18, 2017. The football program received a one-time financial penalty of $5,000 plus two percent of the program’s operating budget. The program will also have its football financial aid awards reduced by 14.23 percent over the course of three years. That will result in the football program being limited to 60 scholarship equivalencies annually for 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18. The decision also placed the former developmental math instructor on a five-year NCAA “show-cause order,” which limits the instructor’s ability to work with the athletics department at an NCAA institution.
The NCAA did commend the university for its compliance system and for taking “swift, meaningful, corrective actions.”
The penalties do not impose any restrictions on competition, leaving the team eligible for postseason play.
For the full NCAA report, please visit the following link:
ncaa.org/
Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.
- Allison Barlow Hess, Director of Public Relations
801-626-7948 • ahess@weber.edu - Contact:
- Allison Barlow Hess, director of Public Relations
801-626-7948 • ahess@weber.edu