An investigation into Wichita State University President Richard Muma’s doctoral dissertation has revealed signs of plagiarism, according to Kansas academics. More than 10 professors from various universities have pointed out instances where Muma failed to properly credit the work of others in his dissertation. Despite this, an internal review by WSU administrators concluded that Muma did not engage in misconduct, although it was acknowledged that there were errors in attribution that needed to be corrected. Muma has agreed to submit a revised version of his dissertation to the University of Missouri-St. Louis, where he received his doctorate, with proper attribution for up to 5% of the text.
Critics, including Elizabeth Heilman and Chris Dudley from WSU, argue that the issues with Muma’s dissertation go beyond technical errors and amount to plagiarism and research misconduct. They question the legitimacy of WSU’s internal review and believe that Muma should face consequences for not properly citing the work of others. The Reflector, which conducted a manual examination of Muma’s dissertation, found that a significant portion of the text was copied from original sources without proper attribution.
Educators such as Dan Hoyt and Jim Leiker argue that the lack of proper citation in a doctoral dissertation is unacceptable and sets a poor example for students. Eve Levin suggests that UMSL should consider rescinding Muma’s doctoral degree if he knowingly plagiarized the work of others. The controversy has sparked a debate about academic integrity and the standards expected of university officials. Muma, who has been with WSU for nearly three decades, maintains that his dissertation is original and has dismissed the allegations as misrepresentations. It remains to be seen how this controversy will impact his position as president of the university.
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