Graduating students outraged by plagiarism
The dean of the University of Alberta’s medical school is apologizing after students caught him plagiarizing a speech to the graduating class at the convocation banquet on Friday night. Students were apparently quick to notice the similarities between Dean Philip Baker’s speech and a medical school graduation address delivered by Dr. Atul Gawande at Stanford University in 2010. One attendee said his brother used his smartphone to find a copy of the original and was following along as Baker delivered the address. In an apology letter released Sunday, Baker admitted Gawande’s words “inspired me and resonated with my experiences,” adding “`I hope you accept my heartfelt apology and although you may not be proud of me as the dean of your school, please know that I am very proud of all of you.” The students, however, aren’t exactly eager to forgive him. “It was a blatant word for word copy,” said attendee Amy Christianson. “I just graduated with my PhD and if I did something like that, I would be expelled.”
Calgary Herald