[Goose]

The key is that the intention is NOT to create a separate class of student. That is what I’d be opposed to, and this is I think a major difference between Stanford student-athletes and athletes at many other colleges. The great thing about Stanford student athletes is that they understand they are coming to be “just one of the students” and they want that, and I don’t think early enrollment — when needed — necessarily compromises or alters that.

I agree that is the key to preserving the idea there athletes are not a class apart. IMHO to do so requires the same options to be available to all students. Realistically, most students don't want to enter Stanford winter quarter of their senior year in high school. They also don't want to go to summer school the summer before their "normal" freshman year at Stanford. However, if athletes who wish to and have actually graduated from high school are able to do these things under appropriate conditions, these same advantages must be available to non-athletes with similar appropriate conditions. If an LDS student is granted a leave to go on a mission, then you have to grant similar leave to those who want to join some NGO working with the poor etc. I don't think doing so is actually a problem, but similar cases need to be handled similarly.

Summer school for athletes before their freshman year is problematic for me. Obviously for fall sports it is critical to get going as soon as possible. However, if athletes automatically have a spot in summer school (for what is normally a short quarter, not like this year) and other entering freshman do not have the option even if they have good reason to do so, there is a problem. It can be argued that this summer school is actually for the Universities benefit, and only incidentally for the athlete's benefit. Despite that, the path for non-athletes can't be manifestly more difficult than it is for athletes. If it is, then we do have two different classes of student, and that's a problem. Fortunately, very few non-athletes will want to do this, but for those who do, it has to available on the same basis.

[Goose]

The key is that the intention is NOT to create a separate class of student. That is what I’d be opposed to, and this is I think a major difference between Stanford student-athletes and athletes at many other colleges. The great thing about Stanford student athletes is that they understand they are coming to be “just one of the students” and they want that, and I don’t think early enrollment — when needed — necessarily compromises or alters that.

I agree that is the key to preserving the idea there athletes are not a class apart. IMHO to do so requires the same options to be available to all students. Realistically, most students don't want to enter Stanford winter quarter of their senior year in high school. They also don't want to go to summer school the summer before their "normal" freshman year at Stanford. However, if athletes who wish to and have actually graduated from high school are able to do these things under appropriate conditions, these same advantages must be available to non-athletes with similar appropriate conditions. If an LDS student is granted a leave to go on a mission, then you have to grant similar leave to those who want to join some NGO working with the poor etc. I don't think doing so is actually a problem, but similar cases need to be handled similarly.

Summer school for athletes before their freshman year is problematic for me. Obviously for fall sports it is critical to get going as soon as possible. However, if athletes automatically have a spot in summer school (for what is normally a short quarter, not like this year) and other entering freshman do not have the option even if they have good reason to do so, there is a problem. It can be argued that this summer school is actually for the Universities benefit, and only incidentally for the athlete's benefit. Despite that, the path for non-athletes can't be manifestly more difficult than it is for athletes. If it is, then we do have two different classes of student, and that's a problem. Fortunately, very few non-athletes will want to do this, but for those who do, it has to available on the same basis.