MIT admissions dean resigns over resume fraud. Ouch!

Parents Forum
121

<p>When I first read of Jones' resignation, I thought perhaps she just didn't complete a thesis, had one more class to complete or something along those lines.</p>

<p>From what I've read, however, she appears to have only attended RPI for one year, 1974 - 1975, as a part-time, non-matriculating student. If this is the extent of her credentials, this isn't just a "mistake" or "misrepresentation," it's outright fraud. I can understand some slight exaggeration, but to make the whole thing up is beyond my understanding, and I would be surprised if there weren't further legal consequences.</p>

<p>Also, I understand that MIT may not have checked her credentials in 1978, but how could she rise to the level of a Dean without someone checking her background? There seems to be some serious dereliction of duty somewhere.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Her publisher's biography calls Jones a scientist with degrees in biology and chemistry from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. </p>

<p>She didn't graduate from RPI, said school spokesman Jason Gorss. She attended the institute as a part-time, non- matriculating student from September 1974 to June 1975. </p>

<p>MIT said Jones listed degrees from Albany Medical College in Albany, New York, and Union College in Schenectady, New York. </p>

<p>``We have no records that indicate she attended this school,'' said Phil Wajda, spokesman for Union College.

``We have no record of Marilee Jones ever attending or receiving any degree from Albany Medical College,'' said spokeswoman Nicole Pitaniello.

[/quote]
</p>

<p><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aASk2vV_T0Do%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aASk2vV_T0Do&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

122

<p>"Less Stress, More Success" indeed.</p>

123

<p>Funny, Pundit.</p>

124

<p>Wow. Does she have any credentials...at all? It's starting to seem like she doesn't. I understand the argument that this kind of proves that credentials aren't everything, but still...I've been raised too much in a pro-higher education enviornment to find this anything other than frightening. It does seem amazing and depressing that in 28 years, no one ever questioned or checked up on her credentials.</p>

125

<p>The word on campus basically is:
"****, I got admitted by Marilee Jones"</p>

<p>
[quote]
Moreover, we now know why MIT relied so much upon subjective criteria opposed to objective criteria in admissions, and (this is controversial) why MIT so warmly welcomes women, and has a 30% female admissions rate compared to a 10% male admissions rate. Marilee Jones set it up so that the ideal applicant is, that's right, herself -- a female with average objective credentials.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>We're all interested to see what direction admissions take without a lying amoral person leading admissions.</p>

126

<p>
[quote]
Also, I understand that MIT may not have checked her credentials in 1978, but how could she rise to the level of a Dean without someone checking her background? There seems to be some serious dereliction of duty somewhere.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>In my experience, credentials tend to be checked when a person is first hired by a company or organization. Thereafter, the person gets promoted, and even if a cv is required, it is seldom checked for accuracy; rather it is checked to verify that the applicant has the experience appropriate for the task. Having seen Marilee Jones in person, I have no doubt that she was able to impress those in a position to promote her.</p>

<p>While I do not condone what she did in the slightest, I do feel sad that a voice for sanity has now been discredited. I also feel sad for the admissions folks like Ben Jones and Matt McGann who worked closely with her and injected so much humanity into the MIT admissions process. They must feel enormously betrayed and undermined.</p>

127

<p>Really makes you question MIT to not have picked this up for so long</p>

128

<p>SOMEONE at MIT surely knew of this. They were just hiding it. It's obvious.</p>

129

<p>Why is this such a big deal?</p>

130

<p>Wacko in academic environment........fraud in admissions office. That is just a start. Rubber necking about another narcissistic train wreck.</p>

131

<p>"Why is this such a big deal?"</p>

<p>I don't know, the fact that MIT's controversial admissions process was formed by a narcissistic liar? And perhaps that one of the most prestigious universities in the world didn't catch a lie for 28 years.</p>

132

<p>To me, this is a big deal and a big reflection on Marilee Jones; someone much admired up until this moment.</p>

<p>To me, it is absolutely no reflection on MIT Admissions today. Nor any reflection on the admitted students during her tenure.</p>

<p>Whether it is any reflection on MIT at all, I'm not sure. They didn't check her credentials 28 years ago. They made sense at the time. I don't think it was typical to verify academic credentials back in the day (and as one of the elder statesmen of cc, I think I would know ;). So I don't think that bespeaks any kind of major lapse on the insitution's part.</p>

<p>To those in shock and awe that a female with those credentials would have applied for a clerical/administrative position? I am a few years older than Marilee and a female. That is the world we lived in. Be glad, be very glad that it is so different for females today that you can't even imagine it was ever so.</p>

133

<p>Post counts don't scare me. Apparently her first position at MIT did not require a college degree. Then she works her way up the ladder, all the while hiding the truth about her education.</p>

<p>There should be no special concessions here. A hypocrite, although a very "bright, warm, cheerful" one, is still a hypocrite, no matter the gender.</p>

134

<p>Jeepers, pundit, jmmom isn't pulling post-count rank on you. She's telling you in a clever way that she's old enough to remember when women were not offered "serious jobs" and were expected to start in the secretarial pool and work their way up (or out when they left to have babies). And that it was not common "back then" to have one's credentials checked the way it is today.</p>

<p>
[quote]
That is the world we lived in. Be glad, be very glad that it is so different for females today that you can't even imagine it was ever so.

[/quote]

Amen, jmmom. I had an engineering degree at that time from a "Top CC University" (entering in the second class to even admit women) and I was glad to find a job as a clerk in a supermarket for my first year after graduating. </p>

<p>It's no big surprise to me that her credentials may not have been checked. When I finally <em>did</em> get an interview for a job in my field, after offering me the job, my new employers asked me before I left their offices, "Oh, yeah, and where exactly was it that you graduated from? I didn't notice it on your resume." (Ooops.) I feel 100% certain they did not verify my degree.</p>

135

<p>MIT has been a meritocracy. I remember in mid 80's when I was applying for graduate school, that MIT was the only place that did not require a bachelor's degree. - Correct me if I am wrong here. - But one had to prove his qualifications with other achievements.</p>

<p>Maybe - I am speculating - in 1979 MIT believed that she would be qualified if she could perform at her position. Academic credentials were less relevant.</p>

<p>At the recent CPW, EVERY parent was saying "Marilee does not make a mistake!" It was so infectious that I believed she did a truly admirable job. Throwing in her MIT Excellence Award for Leading Change, I still think she had performed well at the Dean's position. - Just trying to be calm here.</p>

136

<p>I may of missed this in the the first couple of pages, but what prompted the checking of credentials at this point? Obviously, she learned a great deal about admissions in 30 years on the job, and just as obviously cannot continue. Wow!</p>

137

<p>Sorry it's my sister-in-law's favorite expression
[quote]
idiom: give someone the pip</p>

<pre><code> colloq
To irritate them.
</code></pre>

<p>Etymology: 15c as pippe: Dutch, perhaps ultimately from Latin pituita rheum or mucus.<a href="from%20allwords.com%20at%20least%20I%20think%20that's%20where%20it%20was%20page%20won't%20load%20again.">/quote</a></p>

138

<p>My real question is... how do you think this will affect MIT's future admissions? This woman has been taken down, and to be honest- she is human- I think people should just realize it as a person was caught doing something really stupid. Also, someone considering turning down MIT because of this is just completely stupid--period.</p>

139

<p>Agreed. At the micro-level, this should not affect an admitted student's judgment of MIT.</p>

<p>On the macro-level, it will be interesting to see how/if admissions policies change in the future.</p>

140

<p>You people who are crowing about this are just plain mean. She made a very serious mistake and she's been punished very seriously for it. I'm not justifying her behavior or taking issue with the punishment.</p>

<p>[edited for courtesy - Mod JEM]</p>