Four theses that were dismissed after the plagiarism investigation in the Russ College of Engineering are being re-examined.
The Academic Honesty Oversight Committee, formed by university officials in light of the investigation, released a final report last month after the investigation. More than 40 cases were reviewed and the committee confirmed at least 21 cases of plagiarism.
When the final report was published, four of the cases reviewed were dismissed. In those four cases, each author copied from a single document that they had all co-authored. Plagiarism had not been committed, according to the report, but the authors would have to modify their theses so that they properly cite the document.
With the help of Tom Matrka, the former engineering graduate student who found examples of plagiarism in 2004 and helped spur the plagiarism investigation, The Post found the four dismissed theses, which have almost identical passages spanning more than 20 pages. The passages include verbatim material from the users' manual for FLUENT software that was not cited. The computer program is used to model fluid flow, heat transfer and chemical reaction.
The Post presented its findings to Irwin, who gave the information to Committee Chair Jerrel Mitchell. The committee will re-evaluate the theses in light of the documentation presented, Mitchell said.
Mitchell insisted no one had been exonerated and that their recommendations will change.
However, Matrka expressed frustration with the investigation and committee.
That committee needs to be fired
Matrka said, claiming that the report was bogus. You can't trust them he added.
It's amazing that this committee revisited (the four cases) and said it wasn't plagiarism Matrka said. The plagiarism is so obvious ' anyone would have known.
In the final report, the committee recommended consequences for the authors who plagiarized. They will have three months to reply to the committee and nine months to rewrite their theses.
But the College of Engineering has not taken action on the committee's recommendations yet, said college Dean Dennis Irwin, noting that no final actions will be taken until a separate, independent review is completed.
Irwin has said previously he might take actions more serious than those recommended by the committee.
The independent review is being conducted by Gary Meyer, assistant vice president for economic and technology development in the Ohio University Innovation Center, and Hugh Bloemer, geography professor and director emeritus of the Department of Geography's Cartographic Center. Provost Kathy Krendl appointed both men to do the review.
Bloemer and Meyer agreed not to talk to the media until their review, which is expected by the end of the quarter, is complete, Bloemer said last week.
University officials also are working with the College of Engineering to implement the recommendations, but are waiting until the independent review is complete to take action, Krendl said.
We have recommendations
but we don't know if that's what we'll do
Krendl said.
Irwin expressed some frustration with the recommendations, noting that committees are recommending committees and that the investigation is difficult because the committee doesn't always know where to look or what materials have been plagiarized.
(We) are doing (our) job but not doing the impossible
Irwin said, adding that he had no comment about Matrka.
At his Wednesday news conference, OU President Roderick McDavis said he had confidence in Irwin and the ongoing investigation.
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