By FITSNews || Clemson University manipulated information provided to the mainstream media in an effort to conceal President James Barker’s prior manipulation of academic surveys that were aimed at artificially inflating his school’s national ranking, sources tell FITS.
That’s “manipulating manipulation,” for those of you keeping score at home – and had it occurred anywhere else, it would have likely landed Barker and his ethically-challenged school on “double secret probation.”
Allow us to explain …
As reported exclusively on FITS last spring, Clemson has been obsessed for years with becoming one of the nation’s Top 20 public universities – at least according to rankings released annually by U.S. News & World Report. Obviously “expecting the best” is not necessarily a bad thing, but Clemson quickly took its obsession with the U.S. News rankings to the ‘Fatal Attraction‘ level, deliberately manipulating (their words, not ours) “every possible indicator to the greatest extent possible” in an effort to climb into the Top 20.
That “manipulation” included Barker rating Clemson ahead of … get this … every other university in America in the “peer survey” he submitted to the publication, putting Clemson ahead of schools like Harvard, Stanford and Yale.
The “peer survey” is filled out by 260 different university presidents across America, and forms the basis of the “reputational score” for each school – which is the most heavily-weighted factor in the U.S. News report.
Barker had the audacity to try and defend this childishness, too, rather than just admit that what he did was pathetic for a middle schooler – let alone a college president.
Of course, FITS is now discovering that Clemson appears to have manipulated the version of Barker’s survey that it released to the media in an effort to hide what happened.
In fact, a close analysis of Clemson’s release seems to show that the university disassembled Barker’s answer sheets, shuffled the sequence of the questions on all pages, and reassembled the material so precisely that the jumbled re-ordering is not readily apparent or obvious.
That’s doctoring documents, people.
Of course, the alleged manipulation only becomes apparent when the rankings are compared to those released by other schools … you know, the schools whose presidents didn’t try to artificially inflate their own school’s standing.
For example, comparing Florida’s unedited survey response by placing it side-by-side with Barker’s seems to indicate that Clemson not only excised the names of the other colleges on the form, but rearranged their order on the survey – which obviously would have frustrated any attempt to match Barker’s answers to a complete form that would identify the schools.
In the wake of its various manipulative hi-jinks being exposed, Clemson – which had been moving up in the U.S. News rankings (0bviously) – remained stuck at No. 22 this year.
WEB EXTRA
Clemson Peer Review Document
Clemson Insider contributed to this report.
By Henry February 6, 2010 at 5:50 pm
Barker and Clemson’s “amen” board of directors all need replacement.
None of them pass the smell test.
By fromupstate February 6, 2010 at 6:31 pm
wow….. that’s terrific investigative reporting FITS. They change the order of the pages….. real breaking news there.
If you really wanted to do some investigative reporting you would have filed for freedom of information on several other schools surveys and I’m sure you would have discovered that they all do the same thing Barker does…. oh but wait, that might require more effort that just waiting on a disgruntled Clemson employee to feed you the best “dirt” they can come up with.
By CNSYD February 6, 2010 at 6:45 pm
Obviously you do NOT understand that Barker is hired by and reports to the BOT. The BOT is comprised as set forth in Thomas Clemson’s will which was accepted by the state of SC. So cry all you want but that is the way it is. BTW whenever a member of the BOT is asked about comments from FITS, the first response is always, “you mean that guy who was convicted of CDV”?
By Ron February 6, 2010 at 6:50 pm
Amen Henry,
Send the board and president packin! Fraud is fraud and likely a violation of the president’s contract. Board members, you tolerate this kind of fraudulent behavior at your own peril. King McConnell will likely have something to say about this and demand consequences as he should.
By fitsnews February 6, 2010 at 7:01 pm
“frumpstate” and cnsyd,
Muahahahahaha!
-FITS
By CNSYD February 6, 2010 at 8:08 pm
Ron, the legislature only controls 6 of the 13 seats. The will controls the other 7. McConnell has nothing to do with it.
By Billy February 6, 2010 at 9:59 pm
Not a Clemson fan at all, matter of fact can’t stand ‘em, but FITS excessive boner with them is getting ridiculous to the point he’s basically creating stories. When will people ever learn that some things aren’t corruption and manipulation, yet just something taken to extreme by a blogger, whose never broken a real story, but creates them in hopes of getting one.
By OhNoNotAgain February 7, 2010 at 12:05 am
Hey, I’ve got a proposal.
Give them control of the state’s six seats.
Then cut off state money, completely.
By Over My Dead Body February 7, 2010 at 1:45 am
This guy must also believe the world is 5000 years old. Clemp-suhn U. the most academic school in the country. That’s just straight bullshit. No major research scholars in humanities or social sciences, and only limited comparative success in sciences, engineering, and business. Top 30 public research university, sure. Top 20, not plausible but certainly possible.
Fact is its a 5th rate school for everything other than agriculture. And no amount of anti-intelligence bias is gonna help you retard taters overcome that.
Wahahhahaha CNSDY you dumb shit. Keep crying and maybe people will forget about this thing called the free market. Harvard and Yale and Duke are all stupid: thats why the free market overwhelmingly agrees and substantially values their graduates at the expense of the Tigers. Wait what? How’s that logic work.
Lets not even consider value: y’all aren’t even shit in that joke conference of y’alls bringing up the rear behind UVA, Duke, GT, BC, MD, the U, and WF. I’ll give you FSU and we’ll call Va. Tech a wash.
The question is: are you Clemson supporters just dishonorable ego-driven liars, or imbeciles who are detached from reality and tied to your deluded perceptions of what matters that you can’t help yourselves.
I think your liars who support liars.
By CNSYD February 7, 2010 at 3:03 pm
OverMyDeadBody, Is this the same Duke founded on the cancerous lungs of smokers? The same Duke that caters to students from New Jersey in lieu of North Carolina. Harvard and Yale. The home of the Kennedys and Bushes. Now there are some mental giants in that group. Clemson is in the “rear” of the ACC? By what measure? I can only find usc east at the top of the SEC if I invert the standings. Reserach scholars in humanities or social sciences? Big deal. When have they EVER put food on people’s tables, built a bridge, designed a building, manufactured products, etc. You know, things that help support the economy and providee jobs?
By Beyondrepair February 7, 2010 at 3:37 pm
Most of the people who comment when Clemson stories appear on this site attempt to reduce the issue to one of sports rivalries. Clemson operates as it does because of the culture in South Carolina, a state that serves as a virtual haven for people who seek to abuse power. Go to this site — http://www.clemsonlawsuit.com/#affidavits — and read the affidavit by Linda Fuller, who attempted to correct problems at Clemson vis a vis the Animal Welfare Act. What happened to her? Clemson administrators maliciously went after her, altering her personnel file with negative remarks about her performance. What happened to one of the main perpetrators? He was given the Order of the Palmetto award for civilian honor. The trustees, such as they are, have abdicated their responsibilites through their ignorance and indifference — they are absolutely worthless.
By gamecockgospel February 7, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Cheters! They like wimmin beters too play football on team that always loses to THE USC! Spurrier is better he does not like wimmin Beters like bowdown & dumbow! Barker has one vote out of 260 obvious cheat and huge affect on rankings everbody ranks clempsun where they beelong in vback, last place Barker votes makes them 22 HAH! Wimmin beters vote too I bet. Clempsun last place on everybody votes excpt Barrker who votes 22 Wimmin beters!
By CNSYD February 7, 2010 at 7:03 pm
Beyondrepair, apparently you have never seen and/or been involved in a law suit. If you read just one side of the story you think it is a slam dunk. Bad mistake. If this Fuller case was so easy, a trial lawyer would have jumped on it. Maybe you don’t have both sides. Also I don’t believe Clemson awards the Order of the Palmetto. You will need to whine to another group on that one.
gamecockgospel, Clemson has now found out that they should have recruited Victor Hampton as a person of his character would straighten out this mess.
By cuexposed February 7, 2010 at 7:44 pm
actually the world as we know it is around 6500 yrs old but im sure you are one that thinks its 400 billion yrs old, lol..clemson is the school of corruption from top to bottom.
By WorkingTommyC February 7, 2010 at 10:25 pm
INSERT CHEESY CLEMSON JOKE HERE.
By Beyondrepair February 7, 2010 at 10:48 pm
I appreciate your loyalty to Clemson CNSYD, but you are absolutely clueless about what goes on there. If you had read the affidavit I mentioned, you might find that the guilty parties admitted that what they had done was wrong. Barker protected them by stating that he found no evidence of retaliation. Not so for the USDA, which conducted a formal investigation as a result of the administration’s actions.
By CNSYD February 7, 2010 at 11:05 pm
cuexposed, I assume you have Barker at the “top”, so who is at the “bottom”? Remind me what occurred at usc east under Holderman. Also, why have there been big changes in leadership in Orangeburg?
By Richard February 8, 2010 at 6:16 am
I just love the absolute hypocrisy of CNSYD’s comment “The same Duke that caters to students from New Jersey in lieu of North Carolina.” First of all Duke is a PRIVATE school that receives no tax money from North Carolina so they don;t have an obligation to cater to students from that state. What the hell do you think Clemson does? Clemson caters to students from out of state at the expense of South Carolina students. Clemson is so damed determined to make a top 20 list that besides manipulating surveys they bring in as many out-of-state students, and almost no blacks, to boost their academic ranking. As a state supported school, Clemson owes it to state tax payers to place the education of South Carolina students over out of state students in order to chase some arbitrary “US News” ranking.
Its not just this issue but further proof in just how corrupt Clemson really is. They lied to everyone as to why they needed to raise tuition by double-digit percentages, not because of budget cuts but in order to stash $80 million in a slush fund. Then there’s the Clemson administrators who made the decision mandating transfer students from the “Bridge” program reside at a certain condo complex that they just happened to be investors in. If the state really only controls 6 of the 13 seats of the BOT (as opposed to ALL the seats at USC) then the state needs to substantially limit the funds Clemson receives, or encourage Clemson to go private. USC could never get away with any of the crap Clemson does.
By CNSYD February 8, 2010 at 10:03 am
Richard, or is your name FITS?, nice story on the bridge program. Straight from the paages of FITS News. Of course there is a small element missing. That would be PROOF. You know what that is don’t you? Seems that “story” was proven to have Titantic sized holes in it some time ago. What percent of the student population at Clemson is from SC? Compare that to USC-Columbia. I know you love to lump all those corner store school with USC in their name, but we need to compare apples to apples. Then get your eyes opened and compare it to The Citadel. Also do I understand you to say that bringing in blacks to a school lowers academic ranking? Interesting. Now exactly why did the latest USC trustee leave the board?
By CNSYD February 8, 2010 at 10:10 am
Beyondrepair, since I live in the Clemson area I do have an opportunity to hear what employees say. I have yet in any informal setting heard any employee discuss corruption, Troutman, etc. So either they are blind or it is considered a tempest in a teapot that does not affect them. As I previously said, if the situation involving the vet was such a slam dunk, trial lawyers would be fighting among themselves to take it to court as a “deep pocket” entity could be milked. Has that happened? Wonder why not?
By Bob February 8, 2010 at 9:45 pm
Haha.
Hey CNSYD, do you have any more emotionally backed fallacious arguments up your sleeve?
Here is a summary:
“Other schools are corrupt, so who cares about corruption.”
“I have not heard people talk about corruption or lawsuits, so it does not exit exist and it is minor if it does.”
“Bush went to Harvard so Harvard is a bad school.”
“It does not matter that we lack research scholars in the humanities or social sciences because they do not serve any role in the economy.”
If you can’t identify what is wrong with those sentences, then I am sorry. Clemson is a great place, but its current administration is out of touch and is doing much more harm than good.
A smart citizen should be critical, not blindly obedient.
By CNSYD February 9, 2010 at 9:50 am
Bob, Bush went to Yale not Harvard. So that is what is wrong with that statement. IRT corruption, accusers need to make sure their house is clean before they throw stones at others. IF anybody, other than FITS, gave a shit about this topic you would ASSUME you would hear talk about it on the streets. So far silence. Now enlighten me on what research scholars in humanities and social sciences have done to boost the GDP.
By Bob February 9, 2010 at 2:22 pm
CNSYD, you asked:
“Now enlighten me on what research scholars in humanities and social sciences have done to boost the GDP.”
Definition of social sciences:
“The scientific study of human society and social relationships. A subject within this field, such as economics or politics.”
Clearly the study of economics, which is a social science, has an enormous impact on the economy.
Ben Bernanke, chairmen of the Federal Reserve, is essentially a social sciences academic. Like his policies or not, his studies of social sciences have had an enormous influence on the economy.
Humanities Definition:
“learning or literature concerned with human culture, esp. literature, history, art, music, and philosophy.”
George Soros, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, etc,. all have done an enormous amount of reading concerning the humanities. It guides their understanding of the world, and thus their investment decisions, and thus the activities of the economy and GDP.
GDP is not the sole product of beating a hammer on a nail, or learning how to build a bridge. Otherwise 1,000 years ago we would have pinnacled as a society.
By Bob February 9, 2010 at 4:47 pm
Also, CNYSD:
To get technical, Bush went to Yale AND Harvard. Neither school became a bad school from his acceptance. The fact that politics and connections can allow someone to enter a school does not diminish the education possible from the institution. Your reasoning is illogical.
You said:
“IRT corruption, accusers need to make sure their house is clean before they throw stones at others.”
If I litter, does that not allow me to protest if a company is dumping nuclear waste in the local river? Obviously not. The world is full of hypocrisy, yes; but the source of anti-corruption pressure is irrelevant, because the pressure is vital in all forms. That is half the reason that the world is not total anarchy. Societal pressures exist from anyone against something that could impact them negatively irrespective of their own activities. This is a good thing. That is why that statement is illogical.
“IF anybody, other than FITS, gave a shit about this topic you would ASSUME you would hear talk about it on the streets. So far silence.”
Talk about a situation does not determine the underlying reality of the situation or its consequences. If people never talked about the holocaust, would it not matter? No. If no one hears a tree fall, has it fallen? ;-) Yes it has. Many matters that require attention are ignored. The world is therefore far from perfect, and has many uneducated people. That is why that statement is illogical.
By CNSYD February 9, 2010 at 7:08 pm
Bob, illogical is thy name. You are correct, however, that politics and connections drive the admission process at many private institutions. Occupying a seat does not give you an education. The “goodness” of a college or university is greatly dependent on their mission. To compare a Land Grant school with a private liberal arts school is basic apples and oranges. Perhaps you live in some world where your actions are ignored when you criticize others but you are in a great minority. Check out what happens when politicians do it. The effect of you “message” is greatly dimmed when you are shown to be hypocritical. I assume that based on your “logic” China should be criticizing Iran for human rights violations.
IF, and that is a big IF, the average employee of Clemson thought that this whole Troutman, et al affair had anything to do with them you would hear it in the town. You don’t. Does that mean it didn’t happen? Don’t know as the case has not been argued in court. Your “examples” are specious.
By CNSYD February 9, 2010 at 7:18 pm
Bob, WOW George Soros! Now that ought to stir up all the conservatives on FITS. So let me understand what you are saying. Major in humanities and you will become a billionaire. That right? I looked on the NYSE listings but I can’t seem to find hardly any “humanities” companies. Where are they listed? The placement of economics in “social sciences” is probably due to difficulty in placing it anywhere, so it is put in a catch all category.
By Bob February 9, 2010 at 10:00 pm
HAHAHAHA.
“I looked on the NYSE listings but I can’t seem to find hardly any “humanities” companies. Where are they listed?”
WOW WOW WOW. Well, I guess by your logic, understanding philosophy and culture can’t create a dime in the business world. Understanding these attributes of other societies in other countries is what allows businessmen to interact and make money other societies. It is how the best multinational corporations operate.
There are divisions of knowledge for practical purposes in college, but all knowledge combines to form the ability to interact in the world. There are colleges that teach specialty knowledge, such as construction, packaging, engineering, etc. It is insanely funny that because of that you look for a “humanities” company. Have you looked for a “high school math” company just because that exists as a division of education?? I guess high school math has no purpose because its not a stock!
You said:
“The placement of economics in ‘social sciences’ is probably due to difficulty in placing it anywhere, so it is put in a catch all category.”
There are two realms of knowledge. One is the physical sciences, the other is the social sciences. An enormous amount of “GDP” falls under both categories. An oil company needs geologists and chemists, just as much as it needs economists and managers. That is why it is so silly to say, as you did, that researchers of the social sciences do not have an effect on GDP :)
By CNSYD February 9, 2010 at 10:34 pm
Bob (the liberal arts spokesperson), the necessity for economics to bridge REAL science, e.g. mathematics as well as touchy feely “social science” is understood. In over 45 years of production meetings I never heard a sonnet.
By Bob February 9, 2010 at 11:34 pm
Well, CNSYD (technician spokesperson), your boss and CEO probably read them.
By Bob February 9, 2010 at 11:56 pm
Just to be clear though, all fun and games aside, I understand that a room full of liberal arts college graduates with zero business experience or operations exposure, would not know where to start in running a plant.
My point is, that at the upper levels of business, an understanding of society is vital. Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, a one of the greatest foreign investors, actually got an undergraduate degree in business administration, and a few years later, realized he needed an MBA in Social Sciences, which he got.
And yeah I do not imagine that reading Sonnets is the path to economic recovery :P
Fortunately, that is only about 1% of what the humanities college offers. If taught correctly, it can help people learn how to think.
By CNSYD February 10, 2010 at 1:18 pm
Bob, I am not downgrading the Prince’s talents but it certainly helps to be a member of the Saudi royal family. You don’t exactly start off at ground zero there. BTW I know a man who in his time was CEO of two different Fortune 500 companies. His undergraduate degree was in engineering. Not because he was planning to practice engineering but because he wanted to manage technical companies and said he needed to be able to understand what they were talking about. IRT my “CEO”, for most of my work life it was ADM Rickover. He had a great distain for “management” types and managemnt schools. He believed that in order to command a nuclear powered ship you needed to understand it technically.