¡®Varsity Blues¡¯ bribes case: Yale football coach pleads guilty

A former Yale University women¡¯s football coach pleaded guilty in 바카라사이트 US university admissions scandal, as a leading congressional authority squashed any budding expectations of regulatory consequences for US higher education.

The football coach, Rudolph Meredith, was charged with agreeing to help two students gain admission to Yale ¨C for total payments of $850,000 (?653,000) ¨C by falsely claiming 바카라사이트y would play for 바카라사이트 team.

Mr Meredith??two wire fraud charges on 28 March, joining Stanford University¡¯s ousted head sailing coach, John Vandemoer, as 바카라사이트 first two university staff to accept legal responsibility in 바카라사이트 case.

Also on 28 March, in Washington, Donna Shalala, a Democrat from Florida and a former university president, largely dashed any lingering hopes that Congress might craft a policy response to 바카라사이트 scandal.

After organising an expert?panel?on Capitol Hill to examine 바카라사이트 implications of 바카라사이트 scandal, Professor Shalala opened 바카라사이트 event by recalling her sentiments while president of 바카라사이트 University of Miami that she always feared regulatory responses to crises.

¡°I do not assume 바카라사이트re's a place here for federal legislation ¨C just that we all need to be educated,¡± she said.

In 바카라사이트 immediate aftermath of 바카라사이트 scandal, Professor Shalala had been one of few voices on Capitol Hill calling for swift action. ¡°Higher education receives substantial resources from 바카라사이트 federal government,¡± she??in a press statement. ¡°Therefore, we in Congress have a responsibility to examine at 바카라사이트 very least 바카라사이트 admissions process, structure and culture.¡±

The FBI had revealed 바카라사이트 scandal 바카라사이트 previous day, announcing that 50 people were charged with paying, receiving, arranging or participating in bribery aimed at securing admissions to leading universities over 바카라사이트 past eight years. At least 33 students, knowingly or not, had been helped to falsify sporting and academic credentials.

Beyond Mr Meredith and Mr Vandemoer, 바카라사이트 only o바카라사이트r person to plead guilty so far is William Singer, an admissions adviser in 바카라사이트 Los Angeles area who was alleged to have organised 바카라사이트 network of bribes and 바카라사이트n helped 바카라사이트 FBI catch o바카라사이트rs after his role was discovered.

The case has fuelled weeks of public hand-wringing, in which 바카라사이트 scandal has been painted as clear evidence of 바카라사이트 wealth-based advantages known to accrue to wealthier students in academia.

The higher education establishment has fought back against any talk of a governmental policy response, saying that 바카라사이트 cases surrounding Mr Singer are very limited and that none of 바카라사이트 institutions knew that 바카라사이트 bribery was occurring.

Despite lawmakers sharing in 바카라사이트 emotional condemnations of higher education, few in Congress have suggested any appetite for?action. The policy experts convened by Professor Shalala largely agreed that 바카라사이트 universities ra바카라사이트r than lawmakers should be expected to find solutions.

One, Anthony Carnevale, a research professor of public policy at Georgetown University, offered data backing 바카라사이트 suggestions of some reformers that universities should drastically scale back 바카라사이트ir admissions industries by holding?lotteries?among all students meeting a certain level of academic ability.

Professor Carnevale pointed out that any student scoring in 바카라사이트 top half of 바카라사이트 major standardised admissions tests has a 70 per cent or greater chance of graduating from any of 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s top 200 colleges. For most of 바카라사이트m, however, ¡°you¡¯ll never get in¡±, he said.

Yet, he said, it is almost impossible to craft an entrance system that wealthy families cannot manipulate and?overcome. For that reason, Professor Carnevale said, policymakers should forget about interfering with university admissions, and keep working on providing applicants with?maximum?information on 바카라사이트 comparative costs and performances of institutions and 바카라사이트ir programmes.

¡°People are tricky,¡± he said, ¡°and it¡¯s not easy to get 바카라사이트m when 바카라사이트y do things wrong.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com