Governor expects swift action by trustees if Whitten is guilty of plagiarism

Gov. Mike Braun said he wants Indiana University’s Board of Trustees to move quickly if it's found that President Pamela Whitten committed plagiarism.

Braun said he read about the allegations Monday, though the Chronicle of Higher Education first published an analysis of plagiarism claims in January. A recent report alleges a more serious plagiarism offense than what was reported previously.

The subject came up Wednesday when reporters talked with Braun about a variety of subjects. At one point, a reporter asked Braun what would happen "if it turns out to be true" that Whitten committed plagiarism.

Braun said he’s been a “strong voice for accountability and transparency,” and he expects the Board of Trustees “to do the right thing.”

“I'd want to make sure that it's true before it takes any action,” Braun said. “I would expect any board, though, to get on that right away.”

Braun, however, did not say how the trustees might learn about the truthfulness of the charges, or even if they should act on their own to find out.

Experts told WFIU/WTIU News they believed Whitten committed plagiarism in her doctoral dissertation in the 1990s at the University of Kansas, though her actions didn’t seem malicious.

In January, IU said it had already worked with an independent law firm to review plagiarism claims against Whitten. The university decided the claims lacked merit, though it did not name the law firm or publish its findings. IU did not say why a law firm was well suited to analyze plagiarism allegations. IU later denied a public records request for more information on the review.

IU spokespeople and the Board of Trustees did not respond to requests for comment.