TO THE EDITOR:
The statements in the Aug. 21, 2012, letter that “an entire academic department” has been accused of “cheating” and that “multiple faculty members” committed “academic fraud” are inaccurate.
They should not be the basis for unfairly tarnishing honorable faculty whose work is vital to the University’s academic mission.
As co-author of the May 2, 2012, “Review of Courses in the Department of African and Afro-American Studies,” I would like to remind your readers of several of our findings.
Our review found significant academic irregularities in a subset of courses and grade forms, as well as lax departmental administrative oversight and practices which enabled other irregularities.
These problems appear to be tied to two individuals, a former department chairman and department administrator, who no longer work at the University.
The problems we discovered have ended. We found no evidence that directly implicates other department faculty or staff in the creation of these courses, or in recording or changing student grades in them.
Furthermore, we concluded that the vast majority of courses offered in the department were not compromised. The department has a new chairwoman, governance structure and independent study policy.
Its faculty members are engaged in important research and in providing students with an excellent education that will serve them well for years to come.
Jonathan Hartlyn
Senior Associate Dean for Social Sciences and Global Programs
