MIT Dean Lies About Her Resume & Gets Fired - 28 years later

LadyT

LadyT

JPP Modarater
Contributor
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/04/27/mit.dean/index.html

"The dean of admissions at one of America's most prestigious schools resigned on Thursday after the university discovered she had lied about her academic credentials............Jones was named dean of admissions at MIT in 1997 and received MIT's highest award for administrators, the "MIT Excellence Award for Leading Change." She was also the 2006 winner of the "Gordon Y Billard Award" given "for special service of outstanding merit" performed for the school."

She must be pretty smart to have pulled it off. She probably bragged to the wrong people or she had a jealous ex.
 
I could never understand why someone lies about their academic credentials. It wouldn't even occur to me to pad them on a resume. I mean, I'm sure this woman wasn't a high school drop out. She must have had some type of college degree(s).
 
they said she didn't have a degree from any of the three schools she listed so she's prob non degreed.
I've seen this a few times before and almost always they are non degreed.
Sad, but facts are facts escpecially lying in an admissions office where she has to turn kids down daily.:readit:
 
I think Top is right. My boyfriend's uncle does that and he's conned himself to being a sales exec at many companies. And apparently is doing pretty well.

I wonder how many more years she would have until she was able to collect a pension. I kind of feel sorry for her. She was obviously qualified despite not having the background but that's life and that's why you don't lie about stuff like.
 
LadyT said:
I think Top is right. My boyfriend's uncle does that and he's conned himself to being a sales exec at many companies. And apparently is doing pretty well.

I wonder how many more years she would have until she was able to collect a pension. I kind of feel sorry for her. She was obviously qualified despite not having the background but that's life and that's why you don't lie about stuff like.
Click to expand...
She's probably qualified but that's no slam-dunk. Not even a George Tenet slam-dunk. Too many bad administrators hang on year after year in academia. I've seen it often and I'm sure Trog has too.

She lied and I suppose that's probably a firing offense. If, however, her job performance has been above average over the years, I honestly think she ought to be given a break by the University.

We're beginning to become more like Europe in at least one negative way. More and more American institutions -- academic, business and governmental -- are beginning to rate credentials -- and lack of credentials -- over performance.
 
OrnotBitwise said:
We're beginning to become more like Europe in at least one negative way. More and more American institutions -- academic, business and governmental -- are beginning to rate credentials -- and lack of credentials -- over performance.
Click to expand...

A friend of mine from Paris was in teh city last night and we were talking about this very thing. She's 28 and was studying math for years and in order for her to get a job in finance, she had to back and take finance classes and get a masters. I'm like, "are you kidding me?" But you've hit the nail on the head. I too would be inclined to give her abreak, but I'm lefty who's soft on crime...what do I know?
 
If she has performed well over 28 years of service I would not fire her for padding the resume to get the original job. I value results over credentials in every case.
 
She won the highest award for service, so she was obviously very capable. Damn shame.
 
LadyT said:
I think Top is right. My boyfriend's uncle does that and he's conned himself to being a sales exec at many companies. And apparently is doing pretty well.

I wonder how many more years she would have until she was able to collect a pension. I kind of feel sorry for her. She was obviously qualified despite not having the background but that's life and that's why you don't lie about stuff like.
Click to expand...

All successful sales people are con artists....
 
OrnotBitwise said:
Good point. I missed that little nugget the first time.
Click to expand...
The situation totally sucks - she likely would not have been hired without the degrees she lied about. Once in the job though, looking at a variety of sources, she accomplished the goals rather well.
 
Troglodyte27 said:
The situation totally sucks - she likely would not have been hired without the degrees she lied about. Once in the job though, looking at a variety of sources, she accomplished the goals rather well.
Click to expand...

I agree. There should be the equivalent of a statute of limitations applied here. As pointed out, she'd received awards for the quality of her work and apparently had done her job for 28 years with no problems. Reprimanded, perhaps, though the embarrassment of the publicity should be reprimand enough. Firing or forced resignation -- not under the circumstances.
 
Disgruntled rejected applicant?

Maybe she got drunk one night and started running her mouth?

....I could go on.
 
Thorn said:
I agree. There should be the equivalent of a statute of limitations applied here. As pointed out, she'd received awards for the quality of her work and apparently had done her job for 28 years with no problems. Reprimanded, perhaps, though the embarrassment of the publicity should be reprimand enough. Firing or forced resignation -- not under the circumstances.
Click to expand...
Were I running a company that would need someone like her, I'd hire her right now. I don't believe (gut feel, no proof) that this is a pattern if behavior, but rather something she did to get onto the playing field.

Some small private college that wants to grow will pick her up based on her achievements. They'll re-write the job descriptin to be "degrees / or demonstrable track record."
 
LadyT said:
Disgruntled rejected applicant?

Maybe she got drunk one night and started running her mouth?

....I could go on.
Click to expand...
She may have had some (a) colleagues who were familiar with one of the schools she claimed, and when she couldn't talk specifics (I went there and Dr.C was my favorite professor. Who was yours?), they began to suspect?
 
Troglodyte27 said:
She may have had some (a) colleagues who were familiar with one of the schools she claimed, and when she couldn't talk specifics (I went there and Dr.C was my favorite professor. Who was yours?), they began to suspect?
Click to expand...

That's a good one.

Maybe this employee wants her job?
 
LadyT said:
That's a good one.

Maybe this employee wants her job?
Click to expand...
Could well be. I wouldn't be surprised if it comes out that someone at MIT had known this for a while, but let it slide because there was no one complaining and she was excellent at her work.

Office politics I suspect. Recent divorce like you suggested, maybe.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top