Joe Burton Suspended

[JD24]

Normally when an athlete doesn't make grades, it is announced that they are said to be academically ineligible.  VU announced that JB was suspended for failing to meet academic standards. Are these two things the same, or is 'suspended' not quite a serious as 'ineligible'?

Academic issues are worded in terms of probation and eligible/ineligible. Neither the Student Handbook nor the Student Athlete handbook references suspension for academic issues. Suspension in the SA handbook is only referenced for Code of Conduct (typically legal). Even a violation of the banned substance policy is termed as ineligible and not suspension.

My guess is that Burton is ineligible and won't be eligible for another semester.

[valpopal]

-A professor will not allow a student to revise prior work or submit extra credit after the grades were completed. If they did, the university would reject the grade change and the professor would be in a lot of trouble.

Just to add a clarification and exception: If a professor agreed to offer a grade of I (Incomplete) with the provision that missing work be submitted or extra credit be done by the student to lift the grade to passing, then the student would have until the last day of classes in spring semester to turn in that work, and then the grade could be changed with no problem. [Perhaps this was attempted but no agreement could be reached with the professor, perhaps the issue concerns more than one class, or perhaps there are additional difficulties.]

[JD24]

Somewhat applicable situation at Oregon:

https://www.dailyemerald.com/2017/12/21/track-field-mens-womens-basketball-receive-notice-infractions-ncaa/

Allegation No. 1 is that a professor within the University of Oregon anthropology department knowingly moved former Oregon track athlete Jasmine Todd's grade from an "F" to a "B-" so she could remain eligible for competition in March of 2016. The NCAA states she competed in four contests while ineligible. Oregon later discovered the grade change and rescinded the grade and her degree.

The violation is considered "Level II," which is considered a significant breach of conduct.

The NCAA's notice of allegations says that a male professor "knowingly arranged for fraudulent academic credit or false transcripts," in Todd's "Anthropology 278: Scientific Racism" class. The professor's name is redacted from the report, but 2016 course schedules indicate that adjunct professor Larry Ulibarri taught that class. Ulibarri was still teaching classes as of fall term 2017.

[M]

A little late to this off topic party, but Dino Jakolis was a LaLu guy.

[vu84v2]

-A professor will not allow a student to revise prior work or submit extra credit after the grades were completed. If they did, the university would reject the grade change and the professor would be in a lot of trouble.

Just to add a clarification and exception: If a professor agreed to offer a grade of I (Incomplete) with the provision that missing work be submitted or extra credit be done by the student to lift the grade to passing, then the student would have until the last day of classes in spring semester to turn in that work, and then the grade could be changed with no problem. [Perhaps this was attempted but no agreement could be reached with the professor, perhaps the issue concerns more than one class, or perhaps there are additional difficulties.]

Very true. A grade also could be incomplete and then changed if there were a pending investigation of some issue (example: a claim made of academic misconduct).

[agibson]

-A professor will not allow a student to revise prior work or submit extra credit after the grades were completed. If they did, the university would reject the grade change and the professor would be in a lot of trouble.

Just to add a clarification and exception: If a professor agreed to offer a grade of I (Incomplete) with the provision that missing work be submitted or extra credit be done by the student to lift the grade to passing, then the student would have until the last day of classes in spring semester to turn in that work, and then the grade could be changed with no problem. [Perhaps this was attempted but no agreement could be reached with the professor, perhaps the issue concerns more than one class, or perhaps there are additional difficulties.]

That's my best guess as to something that could _maybe_ get Burton back in a VU uniform sooner rather than later.

If he was on probation with the College of A&S (the normal process before a suspension) such an incomplete would normally violate the terms of his probation. But, if there was a compelling reason for the incomplete that might be the sort of thing an appeal committee would understand.

[VU2014]

I understand there are FERPA Laws but I hope the Coaching Staff or Athletics Department can just signal to the fan-base early on if Joe will be eligible at some point this season. I know the Jubril situation was very different from this situation but I don't want to go through the "will he play or won't he play" game all season long. It's exhausting. Please just send a signal.

I doubt we'll see him at the Indiana State game tomorrow. Jubril didn't travel with the team when he was ineligible. It will be interesting to see if he's in the building for Missouri State game on Dec. 31. It's still on break so he may still be on break, but if he's still on the team you'd expect him to be with the team at home. I really hope Joe can figure out his grade situation not only for the teams sake but also for his own personal situation beyond basketball.

[valpo64]

I thought someone had posted that he dropped out of school and returned to Texas.

[vu72]

I thought someone had posted that he dropped out of school and returned to Texas.

What was posted was that he returned to Texas.  But, school is on Christmas break.  We don't know whether he is there on break or there because he has left Valpo for good.

[EddieCabot]

Since the official release indicated he was "suspended", I think a chance for reinstatement exists.  I'm sure that if he's dismissed or leaves on his own, the university will provide that information on a timely basis.

[JD24]

I thought someone had posted that he dropped out of school and returned to Texas.

What was posted was that he returned to Texas.  But, school is on Christmas break.  We don't know whether he is there on break or there because he has left Valpo for good.

Isn't he permitted to practice if he's suspended?

[valpotx]

Is Patrick Robinson (Detroit GT) still at Valpo?  Can he play?

[VU2014]

Is Patrick Robinson (Detroit GT) still at Valpo?  Can he play?

If he was elgible he'd probably get big minutes when Tevonn was out. He's a pretty solid player and a very good 3pt shooter.

[oklahomamick]

I could be wrong but I don't remember valpo having as many basketball suspensions as we have had the past 2 years.  Sure one or two over the season....but we started this year with suspensions.  Even if skara would have stayed, he would have been suspended for a lengthy time as well. 

[VU2014]

Ironically Valparaiso Men's Basketball was one of the only programs in the nation with a perfect 1000 APR score last season from the NCAA.

[usc4valpo]

OKmick - In 1981-82, Al Hudson and Kelvin Henderson left the team mid season due to academics. Also, by the end of the season Brian Hubbard left the team. It was a pretty dismal season.

[IndyValpo]

OKmick - In 1981-82, Al Hudson and Kelvin Henderson left the team mid season due to academics. Also, by the end of the season Brian Hubbard left the team. It was a pretty dismal season.

Ah, the bad ole days......I believe Hudson had a shoplifting problem at the Bookstore.  He had some talent.  As did Hubbard who lasted the season but left during the next season I believe. 

[bigmosmithfan1]

Hudson was a very talented player and many thought that year's team could be the one to turn the corner, coming off of a 12-15 season. The team got off to a slow start and then the three guys washed out and it was like a gut-punch. Team finished 9-18 but that was misleading, as four of the wins came over Division II teams.

[VU2014]

Has anyone heard anything on the status of Joe? Is there any hope of getting Joe back this season?

This team needs his offense. We are so limited offensively right now.

[VUBBFan]

Has anyone heard anything on the status of Joe? Is there any hope of getting Joe back this season? This team needs his offense. We are so limited offensively right now.

I have a feeling he is gone for the season. However, if he comes back to campus after the Christmas break, it means he's trying to improve his grades to get back on the team. If he doesn't show up I'm inclined to think he's thrown in the towel on Valpo. So if there is anybody on campus who sees him let us know.

[agibson]

Has anyone heard anything on the status of Joe? Is there any hope of getting Joe back this season? This team needs his offense. We are so limited offensively right now.

I have a feeling he is gone for the season. However, if he comes back to campus after the Christmas break, it means he's trying to improve his grades to get back on the team. If he doesn't show up I'm inclined to think he's thrown in the towel on Valpo. So if there is anybody on campus who sees him let us know.

The university's pretty much shut down for the holidays. I'd be very surprised if there's any news much in advance of Jan 6 at SIU. I suppose there's an outside chance we see Joe on the bench or in the stands Dec 31 in Valpo, and that would probably be a positive sign. If there are going to be any changes to his status this spring semester, I suppose they'd happen by, or not long after, the start of classes on Jan 10 (and the Drake game that day). Or, I guess, if the issue really is an Incomplete that could probably be resolved any time during the spring semester.

I think it's entirely possible that there's no further announcement this academic year. We might be relying on anecdotal reports about whether or not he's seen on campus.

How's that for a post? Speculation that we might get news in a few days, or a week, or a month or two, or never?

This team needs his offense. We are so limited offensively right now.

It is quite a change from the early part of this season, maybe against somewhat weaker opposition, feeling that we had almost no blanks on offense. To feeling like we're struggling to find _any_ options on offense and watching empty possession after empty possession.

Bakari and Tevonn put up big numbers, in the end, at Indiana State. But it was sure ugly to watch for long stretches.

[Chairback]

From what I understand he's gone and not coming back. 

[valpotx]

You can skate by in academics at Okie State, but Valpo's profs won't be part of giving passing grades to you, just because you are an athlete...

[VU2014]

From what I understand he's gone and not coming back. 

That's a gut punch. He really let down the team and himself.

[nkvu]

I don't quite get this. A guy transfers to Valpo.  He sits out a year and apparently makes enough grades to complete the transfer year. Then in his first semester playing he can't make grades?  Were the coaches not on top of this?  Did he just not do the work and somehow the coaches didn't know?  Or was he simply not able to hack it in the classroom?  Given that Valpo doesn't have North Carolina type bunny classes that can keep a guy eligible if he can sign his name to a blank piece of paper.  I mean a guy can be a great athlete but just not have it for a course.

I had one class my Sophmore year that just kicked my butt big time. I withdrew rather than fail and made some course adjustments the next semester that allowed me to go on and get my degree. How do we know something like that didn't happen to Joe?  One course could have made all the difference for him this year. Doesn't mean he let himself or the team down. Not everybody sails smoothly through to their B.A. or B.S.  But the coaching staff should have been on this to know if he was struggling, and with a fallback plan that would keep him eligible without compromising achedemic standards.