U. of Illinois Law suspends Dean of Admissions Forum

[Kilpatrick]

Interesting, I had a professor hint that something important was happening today at 5. I figured it was the report. I wonder if Pless will get officially fired today.

[Kilpatrick]

Here's the report:

http://www.uillinois.edu/our/news/2011/ ... Report.pdf

Haven't read it all yet but the email says their blaming it all on Pless

ETA: The gist re pless:

"Pless contends that he may have inadvertently made “mistakes” in organizing and sorting
student data related to the Class of 2014, and that such mistakes may have resulted in the
miscalculation of that class’s selectivity data. As set forth herein, Pless has offered other
explanations for inconsistencies between COL-reported selectivity data and LSAC data with
respect to the Classes of 2011, 2012, and 2013. The findings of the investigation do not support
Pless’s explanations.

Even if Pless’s explanations are assumed to be true, by failing to ensure the accuracy of
selectivity data across multiple years, to the detriment of COL and the University as a whole,
Pless exhibited gross incompetence in the performance of his job duties—the inaccuracies
described in this Report are simply too great in number, magnitude, and effect to conclude
otherwise."

(And apparently Pless resigned on Nov 4)

[Helmholtz]

Here's the report:

http://www.uillinois.edu/our/news/2011/ ... Report.pdf

Haven't read it all yet but the email says their blaming it all on Pless

"A single [UIUC Law] employee, who resigned during the course of this investigation, was responsible for this data manipulation. At a minimum, this former employee exhibited gross incompetence in the performance of his job duties. Moreover, the investigative record supports the conclusion that with respect to certain [UIUC Law] classes, the former employee knowingly and intentionally changed and manipulated data in order to inflate GPA and LSAT statistics and decrease acceptance rates."

I'm really interested in reading all of the 114 pages, but that will have to wait. I skimmed it, and the behind-the-scenes look at an (albeit corrupt) admissions office is pretty cool stuff. Do have to give Pless credit for behind so damn shady while also attracting the loyalty and admiration of a lot of people.

[ilovesf]

Here's the report:

http://www.uillinois.edu/our/news/2011/ ... Report.pdf

Haven't read it all yet but the email says their blaming it all on Pless

ETA: The gist re pless:

"Pless contends that he may have inadvertently made “mistakes” in organizing and sorting
student data related to the Class of 2014, and that such mistakes may have resulted in the
miscalculation of that class’s selectivity data. As set forth herein, Pless has offered other
explanations for inconsistencies between COL-reported selectivity data and LSAC data with
respect to the Classes of 2011, 2012, and 2013. The findings of the investigation do not support
Pless’s explanations.

Even if Pless’s explanations are assumed to be true, by failing to ensure the accuracy of
selectivity data across multiple years, to the detriment of COL and the University as a whole,
Pless exhibited gross incompetence in the performance of his job duties—the inaccuracies
described in this Report are simply too great in number, magnitude, and effect to conclude
otherwise."

Thanks for the info. It also says that Pless resigned on Nov. 4th.. I didn't see that before this report.

[bjsesq]

This makes me angry at Pless.




I still feel bad for the guy, even if he is a liar.

[chrisbru]

I didn't realize they manipulated acceptance rate data too...

[CanadianWolf]

Footnote 3, page 9 of the report is interesting.

[NancyBotwin]

This makes me sad.


But at least my numbers weren't changed.

[CanadianWolf]

Footnote 3, pages 9-10. I'll bet that Dean Pless was not one of those supplying information, although he was interviewed by investigators on more than one occasion.

[CanadianWolf]

Seems as if someone was under intense pressure to manipulate Class of 2014 data.

[Kilpatrick]

Footnote 3, page 9 of the report is interesting.

Yeah that was awesome. I'm really glad Smith is staying.

[bjsesq]

From page 35:


"I would want a 3.5 in engineering from here [more] than a 3.9 in theater design
from the Southeast Dakota State School of Air Conditioner Repair"


FUCK

YOU

BUDDY

[vanwinkle]

The facts and circumstances uncovered by this investigation, as well as the extensive forensic analysis conducted as part of the investigation, however, support the conclusion that the changes to the LSAT scores and GPAs of individual students were not inadvertent, but made knowingly and intentionally by Pless, and Pless alone, to give the appearance that the classes at issue had higher marks than they had in reality. Similarly, the forensic analysis supports the inference that, with respect to the Classes of 2012 through 2014, Pless also knowingly and intentionally overstated the total number of applications to COL, while simultaneously understating the number of offers of admission extended, so as to give the appearance that the acceptance rates in those years were lower (and that COL was therefore more selective) than was in fact the case.

That's all I needed to see. Holy goddamn.

[Samara]

Sounds like a bit of a douchetruck in this excerpt from pages 38-39:

Pless was instrumental in the development and implementation of iLEAP. In an October 28, 2008 email, Pless was asked by an acquaintance: “U of I doesn’t require LSATs anymore? Really?” App. 24. Pless’s response described one of the key objectives of iLEAP—securing the enrollment of students with high undergraduate GPAs and the resulting benefit from a USNWR ranking perspective:

This is old news. I am a maverick and a reformer so I started a new program for U of I undergrads to apply in their junior year and we don’t require the LSAT. We have additional essays and an interview instead. That way, I can trap about 20 of the little bastards with high GPA’s that count and no LSAT score to count against my median. It is quite ingenious. And I thought of it before Michigan, they just released it earlier. I was hoping to fly under the radar.

The strategic aspect of iLEAP was not lost on Pless’s acquaintance, nor was Pless’s ingenuity: “That is clever. Jack up the GPA without risking the low LSAT (so long as their GPAs don’t crash after they’re accepted—you might want to keep the offer GPA-conditional in some way). But nice gaming the system; I’m so proud.” Pless replied: “That will be a condition. Plus, if I don’t make them give me their final transcript until after they start, I report the GPA that was on their application.”18 To this, the acquaintance remarked: “nice.”

Good to know that iLeapers are "little bastards."

[ilovesf]

Sounds like a bit of a douchetruck in this excerpt from pages 38-39:

haha, haven't heard that term before, but i totally agree.

[Grizz]

Sounds like a bit of a douchetruck in this excerpt from pages 38-39:

Pless was instrumental in the development and implementation of iLEAP. In an October 28, 2008 email, Pless was asked by an acquaintance: “U of I doesn’t require LSATs anymore? Really?” App. 24. Pless’s response described one of the key objectives of iLEAP—securing the enrollment of students with high undergraduate GPAs and the resulting benefit from a USNWR ranking perspective:

This is old news. I am a maverick and a reformer so I started a new program for U of I undergrads to apply in their junior year and we don’t require the LSAT. We have additional essays and an interview instead. That way, I can trap about 20 of the little bastards with high GPA’s that count and no LSAT score to count against my median. It is quite ingenious. And I thought of it before Michigan, they just released it earlier. I was hoping to fly under the radar.

The strategic aspect of iLEAP was not lost on Pless’s acquaintance, nor was Pless’s ingenuity: “That is clever. Jack up the GPA without risking the low LSAT (so long as their GPAs don’t crash after they’re accepted—you might want to keep the offer GPA-conditional in some way). But nice gaming the system; I’m so proud.” Pless replied: “That will be a condition. Plus, if I don’t make them give me their final transcript until after they start, I report the GPA that was on their application.”18 To this, the acquaintance remarked: “nice.”

Good to know that iLeapers are "little bastards."

LOL

[minnbills]

"a bit of a douchetruck" ???

Understatement, bro.

[bjsesq]

The guy doctors numbers in an increasingly blatant manner, effectively leading the institution into lying to hundreds of bright, promising kids, and we focus on "little bastards" and the fact that he talked shit about Southeast Dakota.


Only on TLS.

[JamMasterJ]

wow, I always thought he was so cool.

[CanadianWolf]

Can somebody explain the last chart on page 92 of the report regarding changed LSAT scores ? I ask because it is difficult to believe that so many students were admitted to the Clas of 2014 with LSAT scores in the 140s & low 150s. Am I reading this correctly ?

[bjsesq]

Can somebody explain the last chart on page 92 of the report regarding changed LSAT scores ? I ask because it is difficult to believe that so many students were admitted to the Clas of 2014 with LSAT scores in the 140s & low 150s. Am I reading this correctly ?

You are.

[Samara]

The guy doctors numbers in an increasingly blatant manner, effectively leading the institution into lying to hundreds of bright, promising kids, and we focus on "little bastards" and the fact that he talked shit about Southeast Dakota.


Only on TLS.

TBF, there's about 30-40 pages in this thread discussing Pless's lying. It's kind of old news at this point.

[justonemoregame]

"I thought of it before Michigan.." - bet they love that association.

[Helmholtz]

Can somebody explain the last chart on page 92 of the report regarding changed LSAT scores ? I ask because it is difficult to believe that so many students were admitted to the Clas of 2014 with LSAT scores in the 140s & low 150s. Am I reading this correctly ?

I always thought that UIUC was probably out of a reach for a 151/2.89 or a 146/3.75, but somebody—a couple somebodies—are out there living the dream.

[bjsesq]

The guy doctors numbers in an increasingly blatant manner, effectively leading the institution into lying to hundreds of bright, promising kids, and we focus on "little bastards" and the fact that he talked shit about Southeast Dakota.


Only on TLS.

TBF, there's about 30-40 pages in this thread discussing Pless's lying. It's kind of old news at this point.

Hey, I did it too.