Dear faculty, staff and students –
Today, a media article raised misrepresentations about the academic integrity of my 2004 dissertation, alleging that certain portions were plagiarized. These allegations are not only deeply personal, but also quite serious, and I want to address them with you directly. To be clear, I attributed and cited all sources in my dissertation, and I have complete confidence in the integrity and originality of my research. These are technical oversights where text was reused, and those attributions did not have quotation marks, and I am taking steps to make corrections.
Four weeks ago, I became aware that there was a general concern surrounding my dissertation from two decades ago. The reporter refused to share specific allegations until publishing his article today. Given the seriousness of the allegations, I requested that the university conduct an inquiry to determine if a violation of policy had occurred.
As required by policy, this inquiry was conducted by the Executive Vice President and Provost, in consultation with the university’s Research Officer. The inquiry was comprehensive and included both an internal review and an external independent review of my dissertation by a leading expert in plagiarism, who is unaffiliated with the university. While all sources referenced in my dissertation were attributed and cited, there were instances, primarily in the literature review section, where this attribution should have included the use of quotation marks around reuse of text. I was advised that the amount of affected text consists of less than 5% of my entire dissertation. The facts led to a determination that these were technical omissions that did not rise to the level of misconduct, and the matter was closed.
Again, I am taking steps to make these corrections. These technical oversights do not change the outcome or validity of my research.
As I have shared with others in recent days, it is important to me to be transparent, open and honest, which is why I am sharing this message with you today. I trust that the entirety of my work and my words and actions over the years remain the true measure of my integrity.
Sincerely,
President Rick Muma