Gregory J. Vincent, president of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, resigned after the university’s board began investigating claims that he had plagiarized parts of his dissertation.U. of Texas at Austin
Gregory J. Vincent, president of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, is resigning just weeks after allegations surfaced that he had plagiarized parts of his dissertation, according to a statement from the colleges’ Board of Trustees. His resignation is effective immediately.
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Gregory J. Vincent, president of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, resigned after the university’s board began investigating claims that he had plagiarized parts of his dissertation.U. of Texas at Austin
Gregory J. Vincent, president of Hobart and William Smith Colleges, is resigning just weeks after allegations surfaced that he had plagiarized parts of his dissertation, according to a statement from the colleges’ Board of Trustees. His resignation is effective immediately.
In March, The Chroniclefirst reported that Vincent’s dissertation appeared to copy at least one passage from another work without citation. Vincent earned a doctorate in education from the University of Pennsylvania in 2004. An anonymous email that was sent to The Chronicle and other outlets alleged multiple instances of plagiarism.
After the allegations, the board chair stated that the trustees would investigate the issue. On Friday, Vincent resigned as president, just nine months after taking office.
“After a great deal of thought and consideration, in the best interests of my family and myself, and for the love of Hobart and William Smith, I have decided to tender my resignation in order to explore new opportunities,” Vincent wrote in the statement. “This has been a difficult decision because I believe strongly in the value of a Hobart and William Smith education and the trajectory that we have been mapping during the past year. Given the anonymous allegations leveled against my scholarship, however, and the distraction they have caused, I believe this is the best decision for the colleges and for me.”
Before being installed at Hobart and William Smith, Vincent was vice president for diversity and community engagement at the University of Texas at Austin.
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Pat McGuire, a professor emeritus of economics, will be interim president while the college searches for a permanent successor.
Fernanda is the engagement editor at The Chronicle. She is the voice behind Chronicle newsletters like the Weekly Briefing, Five Weeks to a Better Semester, and more. She also writes about what Chronicle readers are thinking. Send her an email at fernanda@chronicle.com.
