Twenty-three years ago, SIU President Glenn Poshard submitted a dissertation as the final requirement for his doctorate. Today that document divides SIUC faculty.
Some believe the president should resign before embarrassing the University. Others criticized the Daily Egyptian and the Alumni and Faculty Against Corruption at SIU, the group that has been tied to numerous plagiarism allegations in recent years, for putting too much emphasis on the subject.
"I think he should be denied of his Ph.D," said Anita Riedinger, retired associate professor of English.
Riedinger said Poshard clearly plagiarized and University students who commit similar acts would fail a class.
"If he's not citing his sources, that's plagiarism," Riedinger said.
Many members of the faculty worry the issue will adversely affect enrollment. Shahram Rahimi, associate professor of computer science, said if everyone's work were scrutinized, many would be found guilty of plagiarism.
"(AFAC) have been working on this days and nights and it's destroying the University," he said. "We were finally recovering our enrollment numbers."
Rahimi said he views the plagiarism allegations as a political maneuver by AFAC.
"People are not going to give the guy - that may or may not be guilty - a chance, and I think it was the same situation with Dr. (Walter) Wendler," he said.
Some professors cite technological changes as a reason for some verbatim text being unquoted or not being cited. When Poshard submitted his dissertation, word processors were a commodity and typewriters made it difficult to revise large documents, said Robert Swenson, associate professor of architecture.
"To go back and make a correction on page 27 means you type the entire page over again, beginning to end," he said. "I can't imagine any dissertation being perfect."
Michael Madigan, professor of microbiology, said he hopes the Board of Trustees won't downplay the issue if it can be proven Poshard plagiarized.
"This is going to give us another black eye that we don't need," he said. "If it is true, he should resign and save the University further embarrassment."
Mary Lamb, professor of English, said she has great respect for the Poshard, but she said he should be investigated.
"This is a sad and regrettable incident and what should happen as a result is not clear," she said.
Alejandro Gonzalez can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 267 or at agonzalez@siude.com.
Brandy Oxford can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 255 or boxford@siu.edu.
Christian Holt can be reached at 536-3311 ext. 268 or cholt@siude.com.
