Metro

CUNY grade ‘fixer’ pleads guilty

A top administrator at CUNY’s prestigious Zicklin School of Business pleaded guilty today to forging signatures to raise grades for failing students — and alleged that four professors were in on his scam.

Chris Koutsoutis, 56, admitted in Manhattan Criminal Court that he faked colleagues’ signatures on 11 forms to boost the grades of eight students who “fell short of the grade point average required” to get a master’s degree.

Sources said the fraud kept students, including Wall Streeters and others holding full-time business jobs, from dropping out — and their tuition bucks rolling in. Each paid $45,000 to $75,000 in tuition.

“Dishonesty has no place in a college education,” said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance. “This defendant was entrusted with guiding students, but instead abused his position by falsifying records to show grades that did not reflect students’ performance.”

Koutsoutis became the focus of an ongoing corruption probe at the Baruch College business school. The Post exposed the cheating scandal last June.

He served as the director of executive programs between Nov. 6, 2010 and June 2, 2011.

“During this time period I falsely filled out grade change forms and forged the signatures of certain faculty members and administrators on the forms,” Koutsoutis told the court.

“I did this to lift the grade point averages of eight different students who had failed to meet the necessary academic requirements to obtain their degree from Zicklin,” he continued.

When flunking students asked him for help, he falsified paperwork to give them ‘A’ or ‘B’ minuses, Koutsoutis confessed. Those without ‘B’ averages could be kicked out.

He raised some grades from ‘F’ or “incomplete” to ‘A’ minus, he said.

“Because some of these students had been unsuccessful while operating within the academic rules and policies at Zicklin, I permitted them to operate outside these rules,” he said.

He helped arrange for students to sit in on other courses that they had not registered or paid for — “sometimes with the knowledge and cooperation of Zicklin faculty members.”

One professor, Avner Wolf, “knew that I had arranged to wrongfully permit [student] A.S. to sit in on an unapproved class, as did Professor Giora Harpaz,” he said in court.

In another case, Koutsoutis said he changed student L.H.’s grade from F to A minus by stating the student “completed missing work.” Instead the student took a different unauthorized course.

Professor Joseph Onoche helped arrange the ruse, he claimed.

The administrator gave other phony reasons for student C.A.’s grade change, citing a “re-evaluation of previously un-submitted work” and submission of “missing work.”

Professor Aloke Ghosh “arranged for C.A. to sit in on the different and unapproved classes to justify the unauthorized changes.”

Koutsoutis signed the grade changes in the name of Frank Fletcher, the executive director of Zicklin’s graduate programs.

Despite his “intent to defraud and deceive the Zicklin School of Business and others,” Koutsoutis said, “I received no monetary or other tangible benefits in exchange for my actions.”

Judge Larry Stephen asked what, if not money, was his motive.

“I was giving them a better opportunity to succeed,” Koutsoutis replied. “I wish I had a better answer.”

Koutsoutis pled guilty to 11 counts of forgery and 10 counts of falsifying business records.

Under his plea deal he faces six months in jail and five months probation. The charges carry a maximum penalty of two and a ¹/₃ to seven years. Sentencing was set for Feb. 6.

Koutsoutis, who was released on his own recognizance, refused to comment.

“There was no money in it. There never was,” his attorney Mark Bederow told The Post.

“This is a much bigger issue involving Zicklin and academic professionals,” including “at least four professors with some degree of knowledge of what was going on,” he added.