Cambridge University will no longer fully investigate its hiring of Professor Jason Arday. The university had previously said it would investigate the circumstances surrounding the professor’s appointment and his time at Cambridge.
Arday was found dead by apparent suicide last month after facing public scrutiny for allegations concerning plagiarism in portions of his doctoral thesis and other work. Cambridge announced its review would instead look into whether the university had adequately supported Arday amid allegations of plagiarism.
The move is a departure from a promise made by the school's Vice-Chancellor, Deborah Prentice, who said there would be a “thorough and transparent” investigation into the hiring of Arday. It is now unclear if Cambridge will ever publicly address the vetting process used for Arday to obtain his senior teaching job.
According to The New York Times, professors at Cambridge are drafting a letter calling for greater transparency and accountability over the university’s handling of Arday’s case, including how his personal story was promoted. Arday had been applauded as the youngest black professor hired, and he claimed he could not speak until the age of 11 or read until the age of 18.
The Times reported that Cambridge had appointed former prosecutor Nazir Afzal to lead the review, which will not be about the allegations made against Arday but about “his welfare, his care, his well-being.”
A second inquiry will also “consider the wider context of Professor Arday’s time at the University of Cambridge” by examining policies regarding hiring and academic misconduct. It will also examine “the support available to academics who are subject to extraordinary public and media scrutiny.”
Arday was found dead by apparent suicide last month after facing public scrutiny for allegations concerning plagiarism in portions of his doctoral thesis and other work. Cambridge announced its review would instead look into whether the university had adequately supported Arday amid allegations of plagiarism.
The move is a departure from a promise made by the school's Vice-Chancellor, Deborah Prentice, who said there would be a “thorough and transparent” investigation into the hiring of Arday. It is now unclear if Cambridge will ever publicly address the vetting process used for Arday to obtain his senior teaching job.
According to The New York Times, professors at Cambridge are drafting a letter calling for greater transparency and accountability over the university’s handling of Arday’s case, including how his personal story was promoted. Arday had been applauded as the youngest black professor hired, and he claimed he could not speak until the age of 11 or read until the age of 18.
The Times reported that Cambridge had appointed former prosecutor Nazir Afzal to lead the review, which will not be about the allegations made against Arday but about “his welfare, his care, his well-being.”
A second inquiry will also “consider the wider context of Professor Arday’s time at the University of Cambridge” by examining policies regarding hiring and academic misconduct. It will also examine “the support available to academics who are subject to extraordinary public and media scrutiny.”
