MIT Dean of Admissions Resigns Because of Fraudulent Resume

For those who are engaged in education, no value is of more importance than integrity, indeed this should be true of any profession.

This individual, who was charged with choosing those who would be accepted into this very prestigious institution, lied on her resume regarding her academic degrees some thirty years ago to gain employment at the university and continued to submit the same fraudulent claims to gain subsequent promotions.



It is unclear to me what position she first applied for at MIT, but it seems incomprehensible that she would be hired for any position without having to submit transcripts.

For her to have claimed a degree from a university from which she did not graduate and another degree from a university she did not even attend would indicate to me either gross incompetence or complicity of someone intimately involved in her employment.

Clearly, as was pointed out in the article, there is a dual tragedy here. One is that MIT has been given a black eye and the other is that an apparently talented woman's career and reputation were destroyed.

Despite the tragic nature of the incident, I have no sympathy for the woman.

We all tend to embellish our strengths and to diminishes our weaknesses. Many of us pursue endeavors for no other reason than that they will "pad" our resumes.

In the words of the former dean, we want to be "paper-perfect" and in fact, we'd be idiots to submit resumes that portray us as anything but perfect. Resumes just aren't the correct venue for expressing our weaknesses. Most interviewers present an opportunity to be honest about both our strengths and our weaknesses. The resume is intended to garner an interview.

However, to fabricate one's academic accomplishments, in my opinion, ranks right up there with lying about one's military service.

While they are very different experiences, both the military and universities involve significant personal investments that culminate, one would hope, in significant personal development.

Those who complete such endeavors have good reason to be proud of their accomplishments and deserve all the "rights and privileges thereunto appertaining."

Those who falsify such accomplishments not only cheat other job applicants of a chance at the positions applied for, but also cheat all who invest their time, money, effort, and sometimes even their lives in the pursuit of excellence.

In this particular instance, the deceit was a protracted one. Regardless of what she may have accomplished during her tenure at MIT, it was accomplished because of her dishonesty and will always be tainted with shame.

What does a person like this deserve? Is it enough to call for her resignation? What about the money she was paid during her charade?

What say ye?


[edit on 2007/4/26 by GradyPhilpott]

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott
What does a person like this deserve? Is it enough to call for her resignation? What about the money she was paid during her charade?

What say ye?

While she obtained her job through fraudulent claims, she performed her duties above and beyond expectations, and was duly recognized for her achievements. I hope you're not suggesting that she repay her earnings.

She was stripped of her job, career and reputation. Isn't that enough?

Originally posted by maria_stardust
She was stripped of her job, career and reputation. Isn't that enough?

That's the question I asked.

I might add that fraud is a crime.

In the broadest sense, a fraud is a deception made for personal gain. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and is also a civil law violation. Many hoaxes are fraudulent, although those not made for personal gain are not technically frauds. Defrauding people of money is presumably the most common type of fraud, but there have also been many fraudulent "discoveries" in art, archaeology, and science. The John Cooke Fraud Report offers a three word fraud definition: "Gain Through Misrepresentation."

en.wikipedia.org...

Fraud is defined to be "an intentional perversion of truth" or a "false misrepresentation of a matter of fact" which induces another person to "part with some valuable thing belonging to him or to surrender a legal right".

criminal-law.freeadvice.com...

Martha Stewart went to federal prison for less.


[edit on 2007/4/28 by GradyPhilpott]

Ms. Jones padded her resume. While her actions were undoubtable unethical, I don't believe they could be construed as criminally punishable by law.

Although, I wonder... I would be very surprised if she didn't violate some clause of her employment contract with MIT. If so, would that construe a criminal offence?

Lying on a resume or job application violates all employment agreements and it is up to the employer to handle it as they wish.

It is my opinion that MIT will be satisfied that she has been terminated and will put the issue behind them.

I had actually hoped that this discussion could be one in which the broader topic of integrity and its importance in all aspects of life could be discussed.

In fact, unless the individual in question begins a high profile career doing seminars on matters of integrity or of how we are all oppressed by job requirements, then we are likely never to hear of this case again.

It is interesting to note that the first position that she applied for did not require a degree, but she felt the need to fabricate three of them nonetheless.

[edit on 2007/4/29 by GradyPhilpott]