2008 Woodie Awards
AlestleView: Accusations can't be ignored
Issue date: 9/6/07 Section: Opinion
Last week's controversy surrounding Southern Illinois University President Glenn Poshard's doctoral dissertation added one more case to the ever-growing list of plagiarism accusations within the SIU system.
Since last week, however, this topic appears to have been shifted to the back burner. Unfortunately, this is one situation that no long weekend will make the university community forget.
The SIU Board of Trustees, for the most part, has presented a united front - one that appears to be keeping awfully quiet about the situation. Many trustees have refrained from making even basic statements, instead deferring questions to the chair, who simply issued a press release. Kudos to the few trustees who willingly responded to students' questions about the accusations.
In the midst of scandal, the university needs its governing board to take a stand on the situation. We don't need press releases; we need real, live answers. Refusing to talk about the issue does not solve it.
Similarly, the university needs to hear from Poshard himself whether he actually lifted parts of his paper. The intent (or lack thereof) does not matter; whether accidental or purposeful, plagiarism is plagiarism.
Revising the dissertation is an appropriate (albeit ceremonial) first step to ameliorating the situation, but the document should be reviewed by a department outside the SIU system. To ask an office ultimately overseen by Poshard himself to review the dissertation is an unwise move.
One must consider how this situation would have been handled in the case of a student or faculty member. Would the Board of Trustees be quite so supportive?
The accusations are well known at this point; there is nothing left to sweep under the rug. Now is the time for the system's administrators to set a responsible example for students and faculty by being open and honest about the issue at hand. This controversy can't be downplayed any longer.
Alestle Editorial Board
Since last week, however, this topic appears to have been shifted to the back burner. Unfortunately, this is one situation that no long weekend will make the university community forget.
The SIU Board of Trustees, for the most part, has presented a united front - one that appears to be keeping awfully quiet about the situation. Many trustees have refrained from making even basic statements, instead deferring questions to the chair, who simply issued a press release. Kudos to the few trustees who willingly responded to students' questions about the accusations.
In the midst of scandal, the university needs its governing board to take a stand on the situation. We don't need press releases; we need real, live answers. Refusing to talk about the issue does not solve it.
Similarly, the university needs to hear from Poshard himself whether he actually lifted parts of his paper. The intent (or lack thereof) does not matter; whether accidental or purposeful, plagiarism is plagiarism.
Revising the dissertation is an appropriate (albeit ceremonial) first step to ameliorating the situation, but the document should be reviewed by a department outside the SIU system. To ask an office ultimately overseen by Poshard himself to review the dissertation is an unwise move.
One must consider how this situation would have been handled in the case of a student or faculty member. Would the Board of Trustees be quite so supportive?
The accusations are well known at this point; there is nothing left to sweep under the rug. Now is the time for the system's administrators to set a responsible example for students and faculty by being open and honest about the issue at hand. This controversy can't be downplayed any longer.
Alestle Editorial Board
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