Scandal

[tornado]

what's going on at U of I??
Is this scandal going to go even deeper....it just keeps getting worse and worse...

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2009/10/20/ui_chancellor_richard_herman_resigns_his_position

this story even reveals a Rod Blagojevich scandalous connection...so U of I was doing favors for Blago
(admitting Blago's hand picked stooges who weren't actually qualified)
in exchange for Blago setting up some of the U of I grads
with nice, high paid politico-jobs...probably crooked positions in Chicago!!!

"Law school officials said the university had forced the College of Law to
admit 24 politically connected students over four years who wouldn't
have been accepted otherwise.

They discussed the possibility of obtaining jobs for law school graduates in
exchange for admitting less-than-desirable students pushed by Gov. Rod
Blagojevich, through former UI Board of Trustees Chairman Lawrence Eppley."

[ph]

I'm kinda mixed on how much this really matters.
I think it is OK for a state universiy to occasionally admit a student that may not "normally" qualify. (Although here has to be traditional addmittance methods such as transferring from a juco or UIS)

Now if those "connected" students received corrected grades or degrees they did not earn, that would be a true massive, reputation shaking scandal.

[houstontxbrave]

I'm kinda mixed on how much this really matters.
I think it is OK for a state universiy to occasionally admit a student that may not "normally" qualify. (Although here has to be traditional addmittance methods such as transferring from a juco or UIS)

Now if those "connected" students received corrected grades or degrees they did not earn, that would be a true massive, reputation shaking scandal.

Wonder how you would feel if it were your son/daughter who had worked their tail off, been involved in activities and was more then qualified but their spot in the freshman class at the U of I went to someone who was not qualified, but was connected?

Personally if you do not qualify you dont qualify. Going to a college is not a right, and it is certainly not a right for someone simply because they won the who I am born too lottery.

[tornado]

But here we are getting pretty strong evidence that highly coveted spots at U of I...
especially at the law school, were doled out to less than qualified candidates because of sweetheart,
under the table deals with Rod Blagojevich...

I agree with you in a way, as up 'til now I hadn't paid much attention to this scandal, but now it catches my eyes
that those spots that were given to the unqualified candidates were part of a much, much deeper political scandal
that's going all the way to the top...beyond the board of trustees, beyond the Chancellors, beyond the president of the university
....even all the way to the governor's desk...
just more of Blago's penchant for the pay to play/taking of bribes that unfortunately has defined Chicago politics and Illinois politics
for so, so long and has made our state a laughingstock and butt for jokes about crooks in high government office.
Can you imagine the graft had the billions of dollars for Olympic efforts been funneled through the Chicago and Illinois politicians' offices??

[ph]

Wonder how you would feel if it were your son/daughter who had worked their tail off, been involved in activities and was more then qualified but their spot in the freshman class at the U of I went to someone who was not qualified, but was connected?

Personally if you do not qualify you dont qualify. Going to a college is not a right, and it is certainly not a right for someone simply because they won the who I am born too lottery.

Doesn't that already happen under the umbrella of "diversity"? That road was opened years ago. Life's not fair, get over it. Even if you do not get in as a frosh, life's not over. Do well in a juco or another 4 year school, then transfer in so you still get that degree.

State universities exist to serve the people of that state. I just think there would be an actual problem if Blago was strong-arming a private school.

[Beninator]

Doesn't that already happen under the umbrella of "diversity"? That road was opened years ago. Life's not fair, get over it. Even if you do not get in as a frosh, life's not over. Do well in a juco or another 4 year school, then transfer in so you still get that degree.

State universities exist to serve the people of that state. I just think there would be an actual problem if Blago was strong-arming a private school.

I guess that I have a slightly different opinion on this issue. I think that this is worse because it involves a public university funded by taxpayers $$$$.