MIT admissions dean resigns over resume fraud. Ouch!

Parents Forum
1

<p>MIT Dean for Undergraduate Education Daniel E. Hastings announced
today that Marilee Jones has resigned from her position as Dean of
Admissions, after it was confirmed that she had misrepresented her
academic degrees to the Institute. Stuart Schmill has been named
Interim Director of Admissions, effective immediately, and a search
process for a permanent head of admissions will begin shortly.</p>

<p>"This is a sad and unfortunate event," said Dean Hastings. "But the
integrity of the Institute is our highest priority, and we cannot
tolerate this kind of behavior."</p>

<p>Dean Hastings added that the MIT admissions process is built on the
dedication of dozens of faculty and staff who commit themselves to the
selection of MIT's undergraduate students. "The process of admitting
the incoming class continues without disruption," Dean Hastings said.</p>

2

<p>Oh my. Wonder if a nonaccepted applicant googgled to find discrepencies? Makes me want to check my resume to absolutely certain everything is correct....</p>

<p>Now that I reread this.... misrepresenting academic degrees. Will be interesting to see what she listed and what the actually reality was. You just wonder how this can happen..and why. Hasn't she been at MIT since 1979? ANd didn't she just go through the process of college admissions with her daughter? Oh my.</p>

3

<p>This is a sad moment for everyone in the academic community. Marliee Jones has been a great force for good in college admissions and has humanized the process in a huge number of ways. It is clear to me that much of her work was honestly aimed at improving the well-being of students, and that makes her a good person. I say this despite the fact that I disagree with her vehemently on many policy matters.</p>

<p>I hope there's not too much crowing. Let him who is without sin...</p>

4

<p>I agree with Ben, it's unfortunate that this happened. I'm also in confusion how this has just occurred after 28 years of being with MIT... isn't this a bit of a harsh punishment after all she's done? I suppose it depends what was misrepresented, but I don't think anything is of such importance.</p>

<p><a href="http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/admissions-hastings.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/admissions-hastings.html&lt;/a>
<a href="http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/admissions-jones.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/admissions-jones.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

5

<p>Can we make a sticky out of this for all the kids on these boards who ask "Does it matter if I lie in my application?"</p>

6

<p>What a way to go down. I wonder why this took so long??? Maybe this is where her passion came from? Knowing she wasn't really a player for long? She had to have been awaiting an outing.</p>

7

<p>I'm sure we're all waiting to hear more details, but in the meantime this is very, very sad, on several levels. According to the Boston Globe, she had no degrees from the schools where she stated she had earned degrees.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2007/04/mit_dean_of_adm.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2007/04/mit_dean_of_adm.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>I found Marilee Jones to be one of the warmest, savviest, and seemingly most genuine people I've ever met. And man oh man, did she care about those students. This is a very sad day.</p>

8

<p><a href="http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/misc/miscellaneous/message_from_ben_and_matt.shtml%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/misc/miscellaneous/message_from_ben_and_matt.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>sorry, didn't see the other thread. Ignore this one.</p>

9

<p>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[quote]
**Dean of admissions resigns</p>

<p>April 26, 2007</p>

<p>Marilee Jones, dean of admissions, has resigned effective immediately, after it was confirmed that she had "misrepresented her academic degrees to the Institute," Dean for Undergraduate Education Daniel E. Hastings announced in an e-mail to the MIT community today.</p>

<p>Stuart Schmill has been named interim director of admissions, effective immediately, and a search process for a permanent head of admissions will begin shortly, according to Hastings.</p>

<p>"This is a sad and unfortunate event," said Hastings. "But the integrity of the Institute is our highest priority, and we cannot tolerate this kind of behavior."</p>

<p>Hastings noted in his statement that the MIT admissions process is built on the dedication of dozens of faculty and staff who commit themselves to the selection of MIT's undergraduate students.</p>

<p>"The process of admitting the incoming class continues without disruption," Hastings said.</p>

<p>Jones issued a separate statement following her resignation.

[/quote]
**</p>

<p>Marilee
[quote]
**Statement by Marilee Jones</p>

<p>April 26, 2007</p>

<p>"I have resigned as MIT's Dean of Admissions because very regrettably, I misled the Institute about my academic credentials.</p>

<p>"I misrepresented my academic degrees when I first applied to MIT 28 years ago and did not have the courage to correct my resume when I applied for my current job or at any time since.</p>

<p>"I am deeply sorry for this and for disappointing so many in the MIT community and beyond who supported me, believed in me, and who have given me extraordinary opportunities.</p>

<p>"I especially apologize to the Institute's leadership and to my extraordinary staff, whom I have every confidence will continue to deliver on the Institute's mission.</p>

<p>"This is the only public comment I wish to make at this personally difficult time and I hope my privacy will be respected."

[/quote]
**</p>

10

<p><a href="http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/misc/miscellaneous/message_from_ben_and_matt.shtml%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/misc/miscellaneous/message_from_ben_and_matt.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

11

<p>Where do I apply for this position? I heard there's good benefits.</p>

<p>EDIT 4: deleted edits 1-3</p>

12

<p>There's a thread discussing this on the CC MIT board:</p>

<p><a href="http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=336328%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/showthread.php?t=336328&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>A Boston</a> Globe article reports that she did not actually have degrees from any of the institutions she claimed to have them from. A very sad day indeed.</p>

13

<p>I'm very sorry to hear this. I've met and chatted with Marilee Jones, and found her to be very caring, approachable, and just generally nice. I appreciated her work in trying to help students and parents keep the admissions process in perspective. It is a sad day because students have lost a real advocate.</p>

14

<p>I am stunned by this.</p>

15

<p>It also sends a very disturbing message to potential college applicants. It's Ok to falsely "embellish" your credentials as long as you don't get caught. Didn't she work for MIT for a very long time ? :o</p>

16

<p>Some other school is going to pick up a great admissions director.</p>

<p>Or, she's going to write a best-selling book on college admissions.</p>

17

<p>Sokker, I think the message is the opposite... it's NEVER ok to embellish, because if you do get caught, even 30 years later, the consequences are huge.</p>

18

<p>I am very saddened by this news. I've met and talked with Marilee, and found her to be someone who truly cared about students and humanizing the admissions process. She is also just a really nice person. I agree with Ben: this is a sad moment for the academic community, and I hope that all the good that she has accomplished will not be over-shadowed by this.</p>

19

<p>WashDad, She already did write a best selling book on college admissions. It's called Less Stress, More Success. In spite of what has happened, I highly recommend it for parents.</p>

20

<p>I would agree blossom, but I would also say that I think this illustrates that a "credential" doesn't necessarily mean you can do the job, and lack of one doesn't indicate that you can't.</p>

<p>It is a shame that we don't allow a "portfolio" of work, to take the place of diplomas from prestigous schools.</p>

<p>But we also have short memories- I also expect books and a career as a private counselor.</p>