More on Monroe degree flap

Sometimes news stories take on a life of their own. Former Richmond police chief Rodney Monroe’s degree from VCU has become such a story. Here’s the latest installment from The Richmond Times-Dispatch: Virginia Commonwealth University’s faculty senate must launch its own investigation into how the school handled the Rodney Monroe degree scandal to quell “what is […]

August 13, 2008; 11:30 AM • by FTRea

Sometimes news stories take on a life of their own. Former Richmond police chief Rodney Monroe’s degree from VCU has become such a story. Here’s the latest installment from The Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Virginia Commonwealth University’s faculty senate must launch its own investigation into how the school handled the Rodney Monroe degree scandal to quell “what is a crisis for the university,” one senate member says.

Alan Briceland, a retired history professor, has written a letter to the president of the faculty senate that also questions whether VCU President Eugene P. Trani has taken proper responsibility for the awarding of the degree to Monroe, Richmond’s former police chief.

Click here to read the entire article by Karin Kapsidelis.

Short of the university rescinding Monroe’s degree — which seems to be viewed as bogus by many observers — what it will take to make this story go away, remains to be seen.

So far, the university has been unable to explain to critics why its normal rules to do with granting degrees appear to have been put aside in this case. Suggestions that Monroe’s special treatment stemmed from his association with powerful influences have been made.

This story with its own life is smelling more like a scandal every day. Way more sunlight on this matter may be the only way to make that smell go away.

August 13, 2008 11:30 AM 0