Dean Accused of Plagiarism Resigns Post

A Boston University dean accused of plagiarism resigned Friday, saying the misdeed was inadvertent and that he “must have slipped into a black hole.”

H. Joachim Maitre, dean of the College of Communication since 1987, offered his resignation in a letter to school President John R. Silber, who said he was accepting the resignation “with deep regret.”

While he praised Maitre’s work, Silber said it is the duty of “all responsible scholars and writers to credit their sources.”

“Failure to do so is unacceptable whether that failure is intentional or not,” he said.

Maitre will remain on the faculty as a tenured professor.

The dispute arose last week when the Boston Globe published excerpts of a speech delivered by Maitre at the May 12 commencement. Several passages were either identical or nearly identical to an article written by PBS film critic Michael Medved. The article appeared in the February issue of Imprimis, a journal published by Hillsdale College in Michigan.

Maitre never mentioned Medved’s name in the speech, the Globe said, and, more than once, he added the phrase “I think” to ideas written by Medved.

In his letter to Silber, Maitre said he had no idea that he failed to credit Medved until it was brought to his attention July 3. Maitre said his commencement speech was based on scribbled notes and clippings, not a manuscript, and a written introduction was dedicated to Medved and Imprimis.

“Why I failed to read it--the essence of my talk--I cannot explain to anyone’s full satisfaction, not even my own,” Maitre said. “Exhausted from the various events preceding commencement day, I must have slipped into a black hole.”

Medved reiterated Friday that he has accepted Maitre’s apology.

“I respect Dean Maitre for having made a decision in which he appears to have put the interests of the university first,” Medved said from Santa Monica, Calif.

Medved has said he has no plans to take any legal action against Maitre or the university.

Silber said he accepted Maitre’s explanation, adding: “I don’t believe it was an intentional attempt at fraud.”

Students who demanded Maitre’s resignation cheered when they heard the announcement.

“I think he tarnishes the reputation not only of the school but the degree students get from the school,” said Tioka Jackson, who will be a senior this fall.