And How Do You Rule?
The “official” verdict is in on Ward Churchill’s research misconduct. It’s no longer alleged, at least according to the Investigative Committee of the Standing Committee on Research Misconduct at the University of Colorado at Boulder. The committee formed to look into allegations that surfaced last year after Churchill became the focus of right-wing talk shows for comments he made about 9/11 in an essay. Unfortunately for Churchill and those that sprung to defend him, the report alleges some pretty dubious moves, including straightforward plagiarism and also what the committee called “shoddy and irresponsible work.”
Another committee of administrators (so many committees in academia!) will review the allegations before making a decision on punishment, but three of five panel members said that dismissal is a reasonable response. Churchill himself offers up a short retort to the committee’s findings and he’ll be given a chance to defend himself to the administrative committee. He asserts in his response that the committee of University of Coloraro “insiders” was unqualified because they weren’t well versed in American Indian studies.
In “The Footnote Police vs. Ward Churchill,” John K. Wilson, a sort of anti-David Horowitz who runs the website College Freedom, admits Churchill is guilty of shoddy scholarship, but offers a critique of some of the committee’s origins, claims and practices. The panel itself and even Churchill haters note that the panel’s origins are a bit uncomfortable, given that the allegations of misconduct were widely known and weren’t investigated until Churchill’s remarks started receiving negative attention in the press. Several articles (links below) about the verdict also suggest a bit of hypocrisy from the university since Churchill was hired, despite inferior credentials, because he was a vocal, controversial public figure.
Predictably, Lynne Cheney’s American Council of Trustees and Alumni are using the victory to encourage schools and politicians to start vetting their faculty. Sadly, Ward Churchill’s apparent plagiarism and sloppy work are helping make the case for their frightening lefty professor hunt. You can read their gripes and plans in this 49-page opus titled “How Many Ward Churchills?”
More articles about the verdict:
“Truth and Consequences” – Inside HigherEd
“Footnote Police Demand Blood” - Revolution
“Churchill Fallout: It’s About Academic Freedom” – Inside HigherEd
Justin Park is a journalist living in Syracuse, NY. He wrote “Under Attack: Free Speech on Campus” in the Sept/Oct 2005 issue of Clamor, a feature story that investigated the right-wing attack on liberal and radical professors.