How did this 146-word essay on Rosa Parks get an A-? UNC football player's shocking term paper..

UK Daily Mail ^ | March 28, 2014 | James Nye

[C19fan]

An awful 146-word term paper littered with grammatical errors that is barely even readable has become a potent visual symbol of the University of North Carolina's fake classes scandal. The one-paragraph essay on civil rights icon Rosa Parks earned an A- and was exposed by former UNC professor Mary Willingham, who spent 10 years teaching UNC's athletes before she turned whistleblower on alleged classroom corruption. The shocking essay came to light during an ESPN documentary timed to coincide with the March Madness basketball competition. It contains allegations that UNC athletes in danger of failing were encouraged to sign up for fake tutor groups designed to let students pass.

[wildbill]

Which came first, the chicken or the can’t read. I can make a case that they can’t read so they don’t read. It shows up in their abysmal lack of vocabulary.

I once saw an editorial in the Houston Chronicle where the editor used “loose” when she meant “lose”. I see it all the time (in FR too) and it grates on me, but it isn’t the only confused use of English vocabulary that has become endemic in the population. The use of shorthand words and phrases in ‘texting’ will accelerate the decline in writing skills. Believe me, I’m not rotflmao.

However, your assertion that you have to have good reading skills—and use them—in order to become a decent writer is correct.

[henkster]

It is a chicken and egg situation. When I was three, I didn’t know how to read. By the time was 10, I was devouring history books. How did I learn to read?

By reading.

[Rebelbase]

The researcher’s findings a couple of months ago that claimed some UNC sport students were reading on a 5th grade level makes more sense now.

[Constitution Day]

Yes, it does. On top of that, this pitiful excuse for a "term paper" was plagiarized. Note the reading level (grade level) below...

Rosa Parks: My Story

Age Range: 8 and up
Grade Level: 3 and up
Paperback: 208 pages
Publisher: Puffin (January 1, 1999)
Language: English

ISBN-10: 0141301201

Full size link to image file above

[xone]

should be based

For what cause? Who would make that call?

[not2be4gotten.com]

I didn’t think it was that badly written.

And it wasn’t a bad summary of what happened to Rosa Parks.