On Sunday, the Harvard Crimson published an opinion piece written by an anonymous member of Harvard College's Honor Council, which votes on plagiarism issues.
The article addresses Gay's “numerous and serious violations of academic ethics” and calls for her resignation.
In addition to accusations of plagiarism, Gay also allegedly refused to share her research with two professors who questioned the data method she used in a 2001 Stanford University paper, saying it “often led to 'logical inconsistencies'.”
Winkfield Twyman Jr., a former law school professor and Harvard graduate, also accused Jay of making his career by “disrupting” black male scholars.
In a Crimson op-ed, the writer compares the treatment of Harvard undergraduates suspected of plagiarism with Jay's, saying that in the 2021-22 academic year, the last year for which data is publicly available, 43 percent of cases involved plagiarism or misappropriation. Use. From the sources.
The writer points out that according to Harvard University's own definitions, omitting quotation marks, incompletely citing sources, or not citing sources at all constitutes plagiarism.
In my experience, when students delete quotes and citations, as President Jay did, the penalty is usually one term of probation—a permanent mark on a student's record. A student on probation is no longer considered to be in good standing, depriving them of opportunities such as scholarships and study abroad programs. Good standing is also required for the degree.
What is striking about the plagiarism allegations against President Jay is that these offenses are routine and widespread.
She is accused of plagiarism in her thesis and in at least two of her 11 journal articles. Two sentences from the acknowledgments section of her dissertation appear to have been copied from another work.
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When my peers are found responsible for multiple instances of insufficient citation, they are often suspended for an academic year. When their university's president is found responsible for the same types of wrongdoing, the institution's colleagues “unanimously stand in support of her.”
There is one standard for me and my colleagues and another, much lower standard for the president of our university. The organization must resolve the double standard by demanding her resignation.
The opinion piece concludes with a telling editorial note that offers a glimpse into the atmosphere at the university and the protective bubble placed around Jay, “Editor's note: In order to protect the author from retaliation, and because the procedures of the Harvard College Honor Board are sensitive and confidential, we have made the decision to grant this author anonymity.
