John notes that it was the awarding of a degree to the governor’s daughter, even though she had not earned enough credits, that led to the downfall of the president of West Virginia. Political one-hand-washing-another no doubt played a role in this affair, as did lucre. Recall that the governor’s daughter works for the university’s largest donor, who has also made significant contributions to the governor.

But the New York Times reports that an ongoing internal audit of the business department reveals that as many as approximately 70 students may have received degrees over the last ten years despite insufficient coursework. Were powerful connections and money the motivation for all these? Would similar audits on other campuses reveal more such chicanery?