Peter MacKinnon: Cambridge missteps in handling of scandal over alleged plagiarism

Cambridge University's Jesus College where Jason Arday was a fellow. Arday has resigned following allegations that he plagiarized part of his PhD thesis. Cambridge originally said the professor was the victim of a "vile campaign," before deciding to investigate. Photo by Adobe Stock

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There is clear and convincing evidence of declining trust in western universities, and restoring it requires that their leaders ask a fundamental question: what does trust require of us? In administration, teaching and research, recruitment and retention, protecting our campuses and all who come lawfully to them — what does trust require? As places of free inquiry, are they built on trust?

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Trust is the confidence that policies and practices reflect reasons why universities exist and receive wide public support. It does not end precipitously; it erodes over time because of repeated failures to earn and maintain this confidence. There are many examples of where this has happened in the modern era.

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The latest example is that of Cambridge professor Jason Arday, a Black professor of the sociology of education. With a PhD from Liverpool’s John Moores University, he made claims about his history, mental and physical struggles, athleticism and philanthropy that have been widely celebrated in the media and at Cambridge. They have also been contested, and have been joined by an accusation of plagiarism in his PhD thesis.

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The divides are predictable. Arday’s supporters see the questions and criticisms as the playing out of racism; his critics see his supporters as avoiding unsettling questions that bear on his employment and reputation.

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The question here is not whether the claims about Arday are true. The question is whether there is sufficient reason to enquire further and to determine whether or not they are accurate. With respect to plagiarism, the basic rule in the academic world is that you must not pass on another’s work as your own. The case against Arday does not rest on rumour or innuendo; it rests on a comparison between his PhD thesis and the work of other scholars. Cambridge’s initial claim that Arday’s thesis was at another university (John Moores) and that the issue was for that university to determine, was not convincing.

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Allegations of plagiarism must be carefully investigated but the evidence is available and, if the allegation against Arday is confirmed, it affects his credibility and place of employment, as well as that of the university that awarded his PhD.

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The claims about history, mental and physical struggles, athleticism and philanthropy are of a different order. They may be material to his employability though their immediate impacts are on character and reputation, and, if proven, on his credibility and stature as a Cambridge professor.

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On Aug. 5 Cambridge reversed its initial position that Arday was “the victim of a vile campaign” and announced that it “had begun an investigation following new information about Prof. Arday’s academic qualifications and honorary appointments.” Following the announcement, Arday resigned from the university.

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When we ask the question that opens this column (what does trust require from the University) this is the answer, and better late than never. Universities cannot remain silent and walk away from problems they encounter; the restoration of trust requires that they act.

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National Post

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Peter MacKinnon has served as the president of three universities and is a senior fellow of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and the Aristotle Foundation.

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