USC ADMITS ERROR ON CINCH COURSE.

Byline: Gary Washburn Daily News Staff Writer

A USC school administrator admitted on Thursday that the school erred when it allowed an education course filled with more than two dozen athletes to continue.

Richard Ide, USC's vice provost of undergraduate studies, said he will organize a committee to investigate CSTE-301, a two-unit course in which at least 30 USC athletes were enrolled. Two admitted they received A grades for doing practically no work, according to a published report.

Ide said a school investigation will begin next week and USC has informed the Pacific 10 Conference and the NCAA of the process.

``This is saddening to all of us,'' Ide said. ``But we're going to have to deal with it. This gives a chance for those wishing USC ill to reload their guns.''

The investigation is the second on CSTE-301, taught by professor Vernon Broussard, which gave students credit for group course work but did not require class attendance. All but one of Broussard's students received an A in the fall of '95.

The first investigation, finished last June, found no NCAA violations, according to Ide. However, school administrators were aware that the components of the course were open for criticism and that it probably shouldn't be continued.

Ide said that it was not a perceived problem because Broussard indicated he was going to retire at the end of the 1994-95 school year. According to a source, administrators took a collective deep breath because theprocess to strip the course from Broussard wouldn't have to be started.

But it took until the middle of the fall to realize that Broussard had not retired and was teaching the course.

``The fact is that this (class review) is run after the conclusion of the semester,'' Ide said. ``It went forward and it produced this course before anyone could find out.''

The university's next move is to interview the two students who admitted they received A's for no work. One is former baseball player Derek Baker, now playing at Rancho Santiago College. The other is anonymous and Ide believes he might have talked to the student during the first investigation.

``I might know who he is,'' Ide said. ``If someone truly gave them a grade, then that's very sad. I respect the fact that they went forward and admitted what happened.''

The investigation and publicity comes in the midst of more academic strife at USC. Two basketball players are at risk of not returning next year because of academic troubles. And athletic director Mike Garrett fired basketball coach Charlie Parker in part because of a lack of emphasis on academics.

``This is sad when Garrett has put so much emphasis on studies,'' Ide said.

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Photo: MIKE GARRETT

USC's athletic director has claimed toemphasize academics to athletes.