<p>Apparently they are less easy to sweet-talk than the prior student monitors (but their vision might have issues.)</p>
<p>[Kansas</a> Employs Senior Citizens to Make Sure Jayhawks Go to Class - WSJ.com](<a href=“http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704422204576130320332118328.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_sports]Kansas”>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704422204576130320332118328.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_sections_sports)</p>
<p>I thought it was sad that this monitoring is necessary.</p>
<p>I alternated between lol and being really irritated by this story.</p>
<p>I suspect they missed an ironic aspect of this story - that some of those checkers never had a chance to go to college themselves.</p>
<p>Pretty ironic that the ones doing the babysitting are more likely to be wearing the diapers. ;)</p>
<p>Dear Kansas
Why am I not surprised?
Sincerely,
Mizzou Mom</p>
<p>I think it’s a good use of money. They’ve identified a problem and seem to have found a fix. The college is getting something extra out of these students, it seems fair to invest a little to make sure that these kids are getting something out of the college.</p>
<p>geezermom: Right there with you.</p>
<p>Perhaps ku should have employed some retired CPAs to monitor the ticket office as well. Maybe then the FBI wouldn’t be investigating the athletic department.</p>
<p>Sincerely,
Mizzou Alumna (and potentially Mizzou Mom next fall)</p>
<p>Many, many schools keep tabs on the class attendance of their scholarship student-athletes, not just those mentioned (Kansas, Maryland, Texas A&M, Georgia, Wisconsin). The purpose of the article was to report on KU’s unique hiring of senior citizens to perform the job. Sounds like a win-win. </p>
<p>Kudos to all schools that keep looking for ways to improve the “student” in their student-athletes.</p>
<p>you Mizzou people are funny.</p>
<p>How many classes would you guess Kareem Rush et. al. attended???</p>
<p>How’s the Paige Sports Arena doing?</p>
<p>(no dog in this fight, really, but used to live 45min from Lawrence)</p>
<p>The real question is, why must they all continue to have to go on with the charade that requires these semi-pro athletes to masquerade as college students in order to continue playing minor league basketball, when they have no interest in college whatsoever? They should just establish “real” minor leagues, that have nothing to do with colleges at all, and be done with it.</p>
<p>I wonder if I could hire a senior citizen to make sure my non-athlete child gets to class every day?</p>
<p>jk - she isn’t in college yet. But I imagine it’s only a matter of time before SOME parent tries it!</p>
<p>^^</p>
<p>I agree monydad. The sitters can make sure they are in class, eyes wide open, and maybe pretending they are paying attention, but they can’t make them learn. Is this primarily done for certain sports only?</p>
<p>I immediately sent this story to my kid and told him to see if there are work-study possibilities for him! :D</p>
<p>Hmmmm, sounds like Kansas is trying to have it both ways. Isn’t it understood that the athletes in the big-time programs at the major schools aren’t really required to be students in the normal sense of the word? The education is there if they want it, but the athletic experience itself is really the major course of study. It’s more of a business relationship, and it doesn’t seem quite right to change the rules with the athletes already committed.</p>
<p>That understanding would not be in keeping with NCAA expectations.
What is sad is the lengths to which athletes are trying to shirk their student responsibilities.</p>
<p>It seems it is not just the athletes who do not go to class. KU has a grad rate of only 60%.
[Chancellor</a> kicks off initiative to improve graduation, retention rates - KU News](<a href=“http://www.news.ku.edu/2010/june/28/retention.shtml]Chancellor”>http://www.news.ku.edu/2010/june/28/retention.shtml)</p>
<p>Believe it or not many of these kids did not go to the best high schools or even have a two parent family that highly valued education. Most are the first in their family to go to college and they have not had to do that much work in high school for many reasons. I am pretty sure it has been shown that just going to every class will usually yield better grades and is at least good discipline. All you holier than thou folks can take a hike.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>This was MY thought, too!</p>
<p>I don’t have a problem with the practice. College athletes, especially in high profile sports, have demands on them that regular students do not. I think the academic part of the athlete’s life would be doubly difficult in a college environment where the regular student body is not especially committed to graduating.</p>
<p>monydad: Just some facts.</p>
<p>Paige went to USC–University of Spoiled Children, not Mizzou. That’s where she got caught cheating. And her dad gave the money to Mizzou to name the arena after his company: Paige Sports.</p>
<p>Kareem’s brother, Brandon, needed to go to prep school to achieve NCAA qualifications but managed a 3.8 at kansas in his first year. Neither of them graduated from college (nor did their brother JaRon who played for UCLA.)</p>
<p>Mizzou’s NCAA Academic Progress Rate in Basketball 991
ku’s 963
Division I overall 954</p>
<p>Mizzou NCAA Academic Progress Rate in Football 977
ku’s 954
Division I overall 944</p>