A Statement on the Independent and Impartial Review
Dear University of Maryland Faculty and Staff,
Last year, the University System of Maryland (USM) and the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) were notified through a news article of allegations that UMD President Darryll Pines plagiarized portions of papers that he co-authored in 2002 and 2006. In response USM and UMD conducted a review of those allegations under applicable UMD policy.
President Pines immediately and appropriately recused himself from the process and cooperated fully with the investigation.
The review was independent, thorough and extensive. It included three rounds of external review, led by the law firm, Ropes & Gray. The firm provided a partner to serve as the Research Integrity Officer and followed the process outlined in the University of Maryland Policy and Procedures Concerning Scholarly Misconduct. Michele Masucci, Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development at the University System of Maryland, was appointed to serve as the responsible administrator in the University of Maryland process. She ensured the impartiality and independence of the review process and served as a liaison for the University System of Maryland, keeping Chancellor Jay Perman and the Board of Regents informed throughout the process.
The scope of the review was greatly expanded to include other co-authored journal articles and works by President Pines, as is standard practice to review publications related to those specifically identified in reported allegations of scholarly misconduct.
Consistent with university policy and applicable federal regulations, the review assessed whether there was alignment with accepted practice, intent and awareness at the time the work was published or presented. It was not to determine if a citation was missed or improperly made, as failure to properly cite scholarly work can occur without intent to engage in scholarly misconduct.
The investigation committee found no evidence of misconduct on the part of President Pines. The committee did determine that the two works highlighted last year contained select portions of text previously published by another author in the introductory sections. In a separate text, a discrepancy in assignment of authorship was made. However, President Pines was not found responsible for the inclusion of such text in any of the three works, nor was he found responsible for scholarly misconduct of any kind.
The University System of Maryland is committed to the pursuit of research of consequence – research that improves lives, solves problems and leads to a better world. Fundamental to our mission is a deep commitment to upholding the principles of trust in science and ethical standards as part of our work. We know that questions about the integrity of research conducted at our institutions must be thoroughly reviewed and fairly addressed, and we are confident that this process accomplished both.
The Board of Regents and the Chancellor, in their role overseeing the appointment and conduct of university presidents, accept the conclusions of the UMD process. Furthermore, we continue to have great confidence in President Pines’s leadership and strongly affirm his role leading the University of Maryland, College Park.
Linda R. Gooden, Chair, USM Board of Regents
Jay A. Perman, Chancellor, University System of Maryland
Michele Masucci, Vice Chancellor for Research and Economic Development, University System of Maryland
Contact: Michael Sandler
Phone: 410.576.5749
Email: msandler@usmd.edu
