.
. . giving credit where credit is due. The ivory tower
is not without its dungeon for those who ignore this ironclad
cardinal rule.
John
Sledge in "Plagiarism Charges Pull Prize-Winner
from Shelves." Mobile Register.
Plagiarism
in Academia--Students and Professors
One
can sort of understand the temptations today faced by students
as they grapple with the digital verbiage proliferating ad
infinitum on the Internet. "What's wrong with a
bit of cut-n-paste so long as I get this paper done on time?"
Or "How about those 'research services'? Great way to
get that paper done in a pinch, eh!?!
Essay-Mart.
"Always low prices. Always!"
With the "Wal-Martisation" of higher education,
shopping around for the best deals, the best prices--including
prices for ready made or made-to-order essays and termpapers--has
become the norm.
That's not to say that student plagiarism is any more justifiable
than plagiarism by other members of academia. Students are
certainly not to be excused for blatant plagiarism. But it
must be admitted that academia has been somewhat slow to catch
on to the academic charade which university education has
become for those students over the years who have used online
paper databases, and more recently, the "Research Services"
which have sprung up to counter the anti-plagiarism services
such as MyDropBox.com, Turnitin.com, EVE (Essay Verification
Engine), and Glatt Plagiarism services among others.
One
would expect the leaders in the academic enterprise to take
a bit more initiative in condemning academic dishonesty when
it happens among their own ranks. Things do seem to be improving
in this regard, but it's a great shame to the academic profession
when educators or researchers indulge in the same sort of
linguistic pilfering that their students are so often found
out for. Why would a member of academia choose to lift the
language of a source text and attempt to foist it off as his
own? Why would someone choose to take such a risk with their
academic career? Common sense just doesn't seem to offer an
answer as to why a college professor would decide to plagiarize--particularly
the work of the students he has been mentoring as happens
on occasion.
Within
this webspace devoted to academia, the famous cases of plagiarism
exclude some notable historians whose thefts have been disclosed
in recent years. There have been enough cases of plagiarism
by historians to warrant a listing of these offenders
in a space of their own! The academic cases below include
a number of student cases which made the headlines, some of
the more notable offenses by members of the academic elite
whose offenses generated some rather big ripples, and other
lesser plagiarists in academia whose offenses didn't make
a very big splash at all.
...
...
Profiles
in Plagiarism: Academia
________________________________________________________________________________
|
| George
O. Carney
|
|
| Profile: |
ACDM-1971-GOC |
| Name:
|
|
| War
on Plagiarism Threat Level: |
   
Orange: High Risk
|
| Occupation: |
Professor
of Geography, Oklahoma State University
|
| Allegations: |
Extensive
plagiarism spanning an entire academic career
|
| Results: |
Inconsequential
effects for most of his career, occasional discomfort
and rejection of texts tendered for publication, basically
forced into early retirement after publication of
plagiarism allegations by the Chronicle of Higher
Education
|
| Known
for: |
American
geography/musicology
|
| Overview: |
The
case of George O. Carney was discussed in The Chronicle
of Higher Education, and from this discussion,
it would appear that Professor Carney was a career plagiarist.
That is, from
the very start of his teaching and research as a professor
of geography, he employed cut-n-paste as a means of
textual composition. Papers, books, book chapters, essays--these
were composed using "phrases, sentences, and even
entire paragraphs from numerous authors" without
proper citation, according to the authors of the Chronicle
feature on plagiarism.
The only sort
of censure or condemnation that Professor Carney ever
encountered involves a few rejected manuscripts and
a promise by Oklahoma State to "look into the matter".
How many other
textual carnivores are on the prowl in academe!?!?
References
End
Profile ACDM-1971-GOC
|
...
...
________________________________________________________________________________ |
| Ward
Churchill
|
|
| Profile: |
ACDM-2005-WC |
| Name:
|
|
| War
on Plagiarism Threat Level: |
Red: Severe Risk
|
| Occupation: |
Formerly
Head of the University of Colorado's Ethnic Studies
Program; Ethnic Studies Professor; Frequent guest
speaker on Ethnic Studies issues
|
| Allegations: |
Plagiarism
in published academic research, lengthy footnotes
notwithstanding; Allegedly called another professor
in the middle of the night to threaten, "I'll
get you for this!" after Dalhousie University
Professor Fay G. Cohen criticized Churchill for plagiarizing
her work
|
| Results: |
Plagiarism
allegations have re-surfaced as part of an effort
to oust Professor Churchill from his tenured position
after highly controversial remarks made in reference
to the 9-11 victims; Churchill called those Americans
who died in the World Trade Center collapse "little
Eichmanns" and spoke positively about the terrorists
who "successfully" attacked the symbols
of American economic and military strength; Resignation
of University of Colorado President Elizabeth Hoffman
was also related to Churchill's outspoken remarks;
also, a review of the tenure granting process was
undertaken by the state of Colorado, a result of the
controversy surrounding the granting of tenure to
"Churchill . . . the quintessential professor
run amok . . . ." (John Gravois in "Colorado
Governor Proposes Standardizing the Tenure Process,
a Possible Response to the Ward Churchill Controversy",
Chronicle of Higher Education)
|
| Known
for: |
Outspoken
views and controversial research related to ethnic studies
and Native American rights; Gained spectacular notoriety
as the "9-11 Prof" who compared the 9/11 victims
to Nazi war criminals
|
| Overview: |
The
plagiarism allegations concerning controversial "9-11
Prof" Ward Churchill had been around for some time
before they resurfaced in 2005. This re-surfacing of
plagiarism allegations seems to stem from Churchill's
notoriety and the wide publicity which the media gave
to a paper in which he likened the 9-11 victims to Nazi
war criminals, "little Eichmanns" as he referred
to them in his essay.
After a spate
of renewed controversy involving the cancellation of
several speaking engagements due to fears of protests
and the potential for violent confrontations, Churchill
refused to back down from his controversial remarks.
However, this
stance only hardened the resolve of those seeking to
remove Churchill from his tenured position at the University
of Colorado, the Colorado governor himself recommending
the university fire the troublesome 9-11 prof.
But because
he held a tenured position, Churchill could not necessarily
be removed simply for making controversial remarks,
no matter how outrageous. That would be a violation
of his academic freedom, and his freedom of speech.
So the attempts
to silence Churchill have focused on his published research,
another controversial area inclusive of the plagiarism
allegations.
He is alleged
to have plagiarized from other writers without proper
citation, to have distorted facts to suit his views,
to have made false claims regarding his Native American
heritage, to have infringed on the copyright of another
artist (copying a picture for a painting), and to have
generally engaged in sloppy scholarship:
"By researching
those copious endnotes, however, the discerning reader
will discover that notwithstanding all the provocative
sound and fury rumbling through his essays, Churchill's
analysis overall is sorely lacking in historical/factual
veracity and scholarly integrity" (John LaVelle,
University of New Mexico Law Professor who accused Churchill
of plagiarism in 1999).
Whether or
not the revisiting of these plagiarism allegations (and
other issues of academic integrity) will suffice to
warrant dismissal of Churchill from his tenured position
remains to be seen. He definitely hit a raw nerve with
many Americans in making such ill-advised comments,
and while the American right to freedom of speech protects
academics such as Churchill from direct retaliation
for his 9-11 remarks, these remarks have indirectly
contributed to a closer analysis of his scholarly record.
And this analysis may spell the undoing of the "9-11
Prof".
It's not a
happy conclusion for the academy as Thomas Brown of
Lamar University relates after assessing Churchill's
academic record: "It is a distressing conclusion.
One wants to think the best of fellow scholars. The
scholarly enterprise depends on mutual trust. When one
scholar violates that trust, it damages the legitimacy
of the entire academy . . . " (from a draft of
Brown's essay "Assessing Ward Churchill’s
Version of the 1837 Smallpox Epidemic").
Update: As the CU investigation of
plagiarism and misconduct allegations against Ward Churchill
drags on and on, the situation has been further complicated
by recent developments, namely the resignation of two
members of the 5 member panel appointed to investigate
"allegations of plagiarism, misuse of others' work
and falsification and fabrication in his research work".
Bruce Johansen (University of Nebraska, Omaha) and Robert
A. Williams (University of Arizona) announced their
resignations after apparent conflicts of interest surfaced
which led to criticisms about the "impartiality
of the panel" ("Professors Resign from Churchill
Research Investigation").
Another Update: A review of the tenure
granting process was undertaken by the state of Colorado,
without a doubt resulting from the controversy surrounding
the granting of tenure to "Churchill . . . the
quintessential professor run amok . . . ." (John
Gravois in "Colorado Governor Proposes Standardizing
the Tenure Process, a Possible Response to the Ward
Churchill Controversy", Chronicle of Higher Education).
Churchill
Investigation Completed: Dated
May 9,2006, the long-awaited "Report
of the Investigative Committee of the Standing Committee
on Research Misconduct at the University of Colorado
at Boulder
concerning Allegations of Academic Misconduct
against Professor Ward Churchill" has finally
been completed. The entire 125 page report (whew!) is
available for download from the University of Colorado
website
along with other information about the investigation
into the research misconduct allegations against the
infamous professor of ethnic studies with dubious claims
to American Indian ancestry. The report details findings
of serious and deliberate research misconduct including
fabrication, falsification, and plagiarism as well as
"Failure to comply with established standards regarding
author names on publications" and "Serious
deviation from accepted practices in reporting results
from research". Sanctions against Churchill have
yet to be determined with possibilities on the table
inclusing outright dismissal and revocation of tenure,
or the less harsh suspension without pay.
"U.of
Colorado Begins Process to Fire Ward Churchill":
Scott Smallwood reports in the Chronicle of Higher
Education that the University of Colorado has initiated
proceedings to dismiss the controversial "9-11
Prof" (Smallwood, S.).
References
End
Profile ACDM-2005-WC
|
...
...
________________________________________________________________________________ |
| Keith
Cook
|
|
| Profile: |
ACDM-2004-KC |
| Name:
|
|
War
on
Plagiarism
Threat Level: |
|
| Occupation: |
Formerly
Chairman of the Orange County School Board
|
| Allegations: |
Plagiarism
in a high school graduation speech
|
| Results: |
Calls for
resignation; Loss of re-election in July 2004
|
| Known
for: |
Service on
the Orange County School Board
|
| Overview: |
When
Chairman of the Orange County School Board Keith Cook
decided to lift material for re-use in a high school
graduation speech, he was following the model of other
leaders in education who have plagiarized the content
of their speeches rather than write something up on
their own.
The only problem with such derivation is that people
are more intelligent than educrats often give them credit
for, and the unacknowledged copying is spotted by perceptive
listeners.
In this case, Keith Cook lifted a speech given by Donna
Shalala in 1998, and this bit of plagiarism prompted
calls for him to resign his position as School Board
Chairman. Cook did end up resigning, but he also announced
his intention to run for re-election to the school board.
In the end, he lost that election, voters deciding that
a plagiarist might not be the best choice for the important
business of the school board (K. T. Ataiyero; Darla
Miles).
References
End
Profile ACDM-2004-KC
|
...
...
________________________________________________________________________________ |
| René
Diekstra
|
|
| Profile: |
ACDM-2004-CJO |
| Name:
|
|
War
on
Plagiarism
Threat Level: |
|
| Occupation: |
Formerly
Faculty of Social Sciences Dean and Professor of Social
and Clinical Psychology at the University of Leiden
in the Netherlands
|
| Allegations: |
Copying of
other researchers' work; copying autobiographical
details and poetry of other authors
|
| Results: |
Had to leave
Leiden University in 1997; Loss of free-lance writing
opportunities; Diekstra continues to contest the charges
of plagiarism in spite of other instances of derivation
surfacing
|
| Known
for: |
Popular author
of books and articles on suicide, drug use, depression,
personality, psycho-social disturbance and other topics
from a psychological perspective
|
| Overview: |
René
Diekstra, a popular author from the Netherlands, presents
an interesting case study in the psychologist as plagiarist.
Diekstra had to leave his position at Leiden University
after allegations that he had been plagiarizing the
research of his colleagues, copying entire pages without
attribution.
Apparently un-rehabilitated as a plagiarist after his
1997 experience, Diekstra again fell afoul of the guidelines
governing use of other's work when he claimed to be
the author of a poem in a radio interview with a KRO
broadcast "Between Heaven and Earth". As a
guest of this program in 2001, Diekstra read a poem
which he gave indication as being his own, citing the
name of Hans Andreus as if he were inspired somehow
by Andreus.
Upon conducting
a fact-check, the editors of the program subsequently
discovered that they had been duped--the poem was a
word for word copying of a Hans Andreus poem. Upon being
confronted with this obvious plagiary over Holland's
airwaves, the editors of the broadcast report that Diekstra
continued his pattern of denial, claiming that the wording
of his Hans Andreus "acknowledgement", "freely
to Hans Andreus", meant that he had done nothing
wrong.
The psychological self-deception and the clues a plagiarist
leaves behind in such a public manner--as if he wants/needs
to be caught--would seem to be some important clinical
indicators in the Diekstra case. Therapy would seem
to be called for in cases where the plagiarist engages
in such obviously self-destructive behavioral patterns.
References
End
Profile ACDM-2004-CJO
|
...
...
________________________________________________________________________________ |
| Susan
Duval
|
|
| Profile: |
ACDM-2005-SD |
| Name:
|
|
War
on
Plagiarism
Threat Level: |
|
| Occupation: |
|
| Allegations: |
Plagiarism
in graduation speeches given by Duval at Springstead
High School
|
| Results: |
Anonymous
tip-off resulted in discovery of plagiarism; Referral
to the Florida Department of Education for possible
"action against her teaching certificate"(P.
Quinlan, "Duval's cribbing could be costly")
|
| Known
for: |
Effective
leadership at Springstead High School
|
| Overview: |
What's
the deal with the cribbing of commencement speeches
by high school principals?
After being found out for plagiarizing a Chicago
Tribune column by Mary Schmich in her 2005 graduation
speech, Springstead High School Principal Susan Duval
admitted to plagiarism in her 2004 graduation ceremony
as well.
An anonymous tip-off resulted in Duval's cribbed graduation
oratory being discovered, and the matter has been referred
to the Florida Department of Education which will investigate
the charges and consider possible "action against
her teaching certificate . . . ranging from a written
reprimand to the revocation of Duval's educator's certificate"
(P. Quinlan).
Letters to the Editor of the St. Petersburg Times
reflected outrage over the dishonest principal's unacknowledged
use of other authors' texts. Extracts from several letters
appear below:
In the real
world, which is what students are supposed to learn
about, punishment also exists with fines and lawsuits
and so forth. How are students supposed to understand
punishment if the principal of our school, who is
supposed to be a role model, is not punished? . .
.
Springstead
principal Susan Duval should be removed, not necessarily
for her poor judgment concerning her plagiarism of
other's works, but for her continual insistence that
her acts were "unintentional errors . . . The
act of pulling up another's speech on the Internet
is in no manner unintentional. Claiming the words
she found on the Internet were her own "personal
thoughts" also is in no way unintentional . .
. The woman suffers an integrity issue and is unable
or unwilling to admit her intentional transgressions
. . .
I'd say "cribs"
is too kind a word for anyone who cheats, even a principal
. . . What a legacy to leave to her students! Then
we wonder why young people have no qualms about cheating
or lying when it's to their advantage? . . . A cheat
is a cheat and no other word will suffice . . . ("Critics,
supporters assess principal's plagiarism", www.sptimes.com)
Abhi Raghunathan
of the St. Petersburg Times reported that
this is not the first time commencement speakers have
plagiarized Mary Schmich's Chicago Tribune column.
Other graduation speakers in a pinch have lifted portions
of this column which purports to be a "Sunscreen"
commencement speech delivered by Kurt Vonnegut at the
MIT graduation of 1997 ("'Sunscreen'
Speech Rings Familiar"). This is actually an
urban legend--Vonnegut never delivered this speech at
MIT, but the legend has made its rounds on the Internet,
and Duval is not the first commencement speaker to incorporate
components of "Sunscreen" into their address
to students at "the powerful life moment of college
[or high school] graduation" (Joan
E. Aitken)
Those calling for the Springstead High School Principal's
termination will have to wait to see whether the Florida
Department of Education revokes Duval's teaching credentials.
For now, both students and colleagues at Springstead
are recovering from the shock of discovering that their
principal plagiarized her graduation speeches, two years
in a row.
References
End
Profile ACDM-2005-SD
|
...
...
________________________________________________________________________________ |
| Edward
Waters College
|
|
| Profile: |
ACDM-2004-EWC |
| Name:
|
|
War
on
Plagiarism
Threat Level: |
|
| Occupation: |
Edward Waters
College was founded in 1866 with the mission of educating
newly freed American slaves
|
| Allegations: |
Plagiarism
in the text of the Edward Waters Quality Enhancement
Plan as part of the college's application for re-accreditation
|
| Results: |
Loss of accreditation
with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools;
Appeal of decision by EWC and lawsuit suit against
SACS; Dip in college enrollment; Change in leadership
as President Oswald P. Bronson, Sr. takes over after
a period of growth under the direction of President
Jimmy Jenkins
|
| Known
for: |
Florida's
oldest private college; Phenomenal growth in the 1990s
and honorable mention as one of "The Best of Florida
Schools 2004" in the Florida Leader magazine
|
| Overview: |
An
un-named administrator at Edward Waters College seems
to be responsible for a plagiarism scandal which happened
as the college was applying for re-accreditation with
the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
A report in Black Issues in Higher Education claims
that the Edward Waters' Quality Enhancement Plan was
found to contain identical wording lifted from a similar
document belonging to Alabama A & M University.
The Quality Enhancement Plan also lifted "detailed
statistical information" as part of the re-accreditation
bid.
As a result of this plagiarized Quality Enhancement
Plan, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
revoked the accreditation of Edward Waters College,
a major crisis for the small private college since 90%
of their students receive financial aid ("Edward
Waters College Brief History"). Without accreditation,
a college's students are ineligible for federal financial
aid, and organizations such as the United Negro College
Fund also base their membership decisions on the accreditation
status of member schools.
The college will most likely pull through this difficult
time. The loss of accreditation has been appealed, and
there has been a change in leadership as President Oswald
P. Bronson, Sr. took over after a period of growth under
the direction of President Jimmy Jenkins. Furthermore,
the college has the support of Florida Governor Jeb
Bush as well as the United Negro College Fund.
As this crisis at Edward Waters College so aptly illustrates,
plagiary always affects others. Former President Jenkins
tried to re-assure faculty and students that "This
is a new beginning", but many of the college's
1,300 students were probably wondering about their financial
aid status after this incident.
Thankfully, the financial aid will continue to be disbursed
throughout the appeal process. In the meantime, EWC
has filed a lawsuit against SACS alleging that their
due process rights were violated, SACS not giving EWC
an opportunity to respond to the plagiarism allegations
before the decision to revoke the college's accreditation
status.
Update:
As
of Thursday, June 23, 2005, Edward Waters College had
settled its lawsuit against SACS. The settlement includes
the re-instatement of EWC's accreditation with the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools (Fain, P. "Edward
Waters College, Backed by Legal Punch, Wins Reinstatement
of Accreditation").
References
End
Profile ACDM-2004-EWC
|
...
...
________________________________________________________________________________ |
| Melissa
Elias
|
|
| Profile: |
ACDM-2005-ME |
| Name:
|
|
War
on
Plagiarism
Threat Level: |
|
| Occupation: |
Formerly
President of the Madison School Board (New Jersey)
|
| Allegations: |
Use of contents
and themes of a speech delivered by Pulitzer-Prize
recipient Anna Quindlen at the Mount Holyoke College
graduation ceremony of 1999
|
| Results: |
Forced to
resign after issuing a public apology; Re-affirmation
by the school board of high standards and ethical
expectations
|
| Known
for: |
Educational
leadership with the Madison School Board
|
| Overview: |
Madison
School Board President Melissa Elias was forced to resign
after evidence emerged that she had cribbed parts of
her 2005 commencement speech from a graduation address
delivered by Pulitzer-Prize recipient Anna Quindlen
at the Mount Holyoke College graduation ceremony of
1999 (L. Vernon-Sparks, "Madison board leader quits
over 'plagiarism'").
Before Elias' resignation, the Madison School Board
formulated a statement affirming that "The board
does not condone nor tolerate plagiarism within the
Madison School community and expects all members of
our community to adhere to the highest ethical standards"
("Side by side: Two texts in plagiarism furor",
The Madison Eagle).
Commencement speakers. Another one bites the dust!
References
End
Profile ACDM-2005-ME
|
...
...
________________________________________________________________________________ |
| Bindu
Ganga
|
|
| Profile: |
ACDM-2006-BG |
| Name:
|
|
War
on
Plagiarism
Threat Level: |
Red: Severe Risk
|
| Occupation: |
Director
of Training and member of faculty at Argosy University-Chicago
|
| Allegations: |
"[E]gregious"
(John Barrie of Turnitin.com)
plagiarism in a Psy.D. thesis completed by Ganga
|
| Results: |
When
Argosy University student Marla Decker reported she
had found possible instances of plagiarism in Ganga's
thesis, the school held hearings on supposed "ethics
charges" against Decker, "decid[ing] to
dismiss Decker from the school [and] . . . criticiz[ing]
her professional comportment" (D. Newbart, "Student
scolded over plagiarism allegation"); Decker
was finally granted her degree, but the "ethics
charges" remain on her permanent record
|
| Known
for: |
Teaching,
training and administrative work in clinical psychology
|
| Overview: |
As
reported by the
Chicago Sun-Times in this case of a "Student
[being] scolded over plagiarism allegation"
, it was not the plagiarist who was first charged with
ethics violations, but the student who discovered the
violations of scholarship norms in a paper 'written'
by her professor! (D. Newbart, "Student Scolded
Over Plagiarism Accusation").
An
allegation directed against a member of Argosy
University's faculty resulted in what appears to
be an attempted institutional cover-up on behalf of
a plagiarist. After the student made allegations against
Bindu Ganga, "confid[ing] to a professor that she
believed Ganga's thesis might have been plagiarized",
she herself was accused of ethics violations involving
"a pattern of unprofessional comportment . . .
including disrespect toward those in authority"
! The Argosy University student,Marla Decker, did end
up receiving her degree after the university tried to
have her dismissed, and her 'ethics violations' ended
up as a "part of her permanent academic record"!
(D. Newbart, "Student Scolded Over Plagiarism Accusation")
What a crooked
way to deal with plagiarism accusations on the part
Argosy University officials! It gets even worse. The
title of Ganga's doctoral thesis? Deception vs.
Perception: A Critical Look at the Intricacies of Lying
Withing the Therapeutic Relationship, in which
Ganga borrows heavily from sources including Charles
Ford's book Lies! Lies!! Lies!!! without acknowledging
extensive verbatim appropriations.
Thanks to a
Turnitin.com "originality
report" commissioned by the Sun-Times,
the allegations
by Argosy Univesity student Marla Decker were substantiated
("a 45% match" as revealed by the "originality
report"), and the unethical attempts to silence
this student were exposed.
Update:
As of March 3, 2006, Argosy University had
reversed its earlier position and decided to fire Bindu
Ganga over the plagiarism allegations raised by Marla
Decker. As reported in the Sun-Times, Argosy
"also took away Ganga's doctorate in clinical psychology"
(Newbart, D. "University fires official accused
of plagiarism").
About time!
References
End
Profile ACDM-2006-BG
|
...
...
________________________________________________________________________________ |
| Gary
A. Giamartino, Robert Carver & the SIUE School of
Business
|
|
| Profile: |
ACDM-2005-GG/RC/SIUE |
| Name:
|
Gary
A. Giamartino; Robert Carver & the SIUE School
of Business
|
War
on
Plagiarism
Threat Level: |
| |
