RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia Commonwealth University awarded Richmond's former police chief, now a police chief in North Carolina, a bachelor's degree even though he met only about half the program's academic requirements, according to a report released Friday.

In a report to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools -- the regional accrediting agency investigating the matter -- VCU also said it discovered that university employees made 37 exceptions to routine processing and documentation requirements. That includes those involving Rodney Monroe's admission to the university, academic coursework and graduation.

The report called the awarding of the degree an isolated incident but said it "could not have occurred unless this student had been afforded preferential treatment at the admissions, curriculum and graduation stages of the student experience."

Monroe, now chief in Charlotte, N.C., satisfied only 15 of the 28 academic requirements normally needed to earn a bachelor of interdisciplinary studies degree. No specific examples were listed in the report, which was forwarded to SACS on Friday.

An investigation of Monroe's academic file also showed that he didn't interact with officials in the interdisciplinary studies program -- while all other students who graduated with the same degree since 2006 had, the report said.

A telephone message left Friday with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg County police department's public affairs office wasn't immediately returned.

The university granted Monroe the bachelor's degree in 2007 even though he only completed six hours of coursework at VCU, far short of the 30 required of transfer students. Monroe, 51, was allowed to keep the degree because there is no policy that allows for revocation except for academic misconduct.

The report also said the university accepted the resignations of S. Jon Steingass as dean of the University College, which awarded Monroe's degree, and Robert D. Holsworth, interim dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences. Both stepped down with the understanding that "removal from administrative positions was the alternative," the report said.

Holsworth, a well-known political analyst, didn't immediately return an e-mail seeking comment. He has previously said he resigned from his administrative duties because of his opposition to the university's investigative tactics. He remains on the faculty. Steingass has taken a job in another state, VCU officials said.

Provost Stephen Gottfredson also issued a warning letter to assistant professor of criminal justice Robyn D. Lacks, who served as a liaison between Monroe and VCU, the report said.

VCU started investigating in May after Rector Thomas G. Rosenthal received an anonymous e-mail detailing allegations about Monroe's degree. Investigators found that Monroe's diploma was one of two awarded to students who failed to complete 30 credit hours at VCU; the other was awarded to a student posthumously.

The report also said university officials plan to adopt more safeguards related to how it awards degrees and to conduct university-wide discussions about the school's codes of conduct and ethics. A university spokeswoman declined to comment further on the report.