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February 7, 2011
Villanova Goosed its U.S. News Ranking by 'Knowingly' Submitting Inflated LSAT and GPA Data to ABA
- ABA Journal, Villanova Says Inaccurate LSAT and GPA Data Were ‘Knowingly Reported’ to the ABA in Prior Years
- Above the Law, Villanova Law ‘Knowingly Reported’ Inaccurate Information to the ABA
- Chronicle of Higher Education, Villanova U. Reveals Its Law School Gave False Reports of GPA's and Test Scores
- Inside Higher Ed, Villanova Law Admits It Released Inaccurate LSAT Information
- Student Pwns, Villanova Law Dean Admits School Lied to ABA About Admissions Stats
Villanova ranked 67 (2011), 61 (2010), 68 (2009), and 60 (2008) in the most recent U.S. News rankings.
It has been a difficult 18 months at Villanova:
- Villanova Dean Resigns, Is Implicated in Prostitution Bust (July 4, 2009)
- More on Resignation of Villanova Dean Mark Sargent (July 8, 2009)
Update:
- Above the Law, Villanova Scandal Watch: More Cryptic Emails From the Dean
- Law Librarian Blog, Villanova Admits "Knowlingly" Reporting Bad Data to the ABA
February 7, 2011 in Law School Rankings, Legal Education | Permalink
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Comments
Wow. We had a problem already with law schools cooking hiring stats and now this?
Posted by: Donna | Feb 7, 2011 11:56:29 AM
So Villanova goosed the admissions stats for a few years, and thereby inflated their US News ranking; and thus got better students than they otherwise would, and thus, even if they report correct numbers this year, their ranking this year is inflated from what it otherwise would be if they had reported correct numbers all along.
What, exactly, is the penalty on Villanova here?
Posted by: Publius | Feb 7, 2011 1:23:49 PM
I wonder if Villanova is the only school providing false data? I doubt it.
Posted by: jgreene | Feb 7, 2011 10:29:07 PM
Dukenfield's Law: If it's worth winning, it's worth cheating. [per William Claude Dukenfield, better known as W.C. Fields]
Posted by: jorgxmckie | Feb 7, 2011 10:30:34 PM
Rick: How can you close me up? On what grounds?
Captain Renault: I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!
[a croupier hands Renault a pile of money]
Croupier: Your winnings, sir.
Captain Renault: [sotto voce] Oh, thank you very much.
[aloud]
Captain Renault: Everybody out at once!
Posted by: Walter Sobchak | Feb 7, 2011 11:40:18 PM
Let's wait to see how the penalty compares to that which would be imposed upon a basketball recruit for accepting a free bottle of water from a booster.
Posted by: Beer Here | Feb 8, 2011 10:25:47 AM
Full disclosure: I am an alumnus of the undergraduate program.
These headlines disappoint and sadden me. However, I do think it is worth noting that the new dean chose to disclosure these violations. There is little question he has greater integrity than his predecessor.
The prior comment may be right - Villanova may not be the only school to provide false data; I do think it may be the only one to ever admit it. This blog has published analyses which suggest intentional omissions by law schools to game the rankings system (sorry no link). I can only imagine the pressure on law school administrators to keep up.
Yes to the other commenter, it does seem like the NCAA. How do we govern it? Is a penalty appropriate? I don't know. The headlines alone are pretty damning - particularly considering how many will not take the time to read the story behind them or understand the context for this law school (i.e., the prior failed leadership).
I may be nothing more than an apologist, but I appreciate a little candor before the public tribunal. I tend to find it more credible than self-ranking (as also posted on this blog).
That this has occurred is troubling. So too is the fact that we, as attorneys or academics, may have created or fostered the environment that allowed it. Is confession enough? Maybe not. Is it a start? I think it may be.
Posted by: Anson Asbury | Feb 11, 2011 10:21:58 AM
