On Derek Reeve's failure to be honest

     As you know, controversial San Juan Capistrano City Councilman Derek Reeve is on the faculty of Saddleback College and he is enrolled at Claremont Graduate University, where he is seeking a doctorate.
     Recently, we learned that he's a plagiarist, one who offers others' words and ideas as though they are his own.
     According to his faculty profile at the Saddleback College website, Reeve expects to finish his doctorate in 2013:

CLAREMONT GRADUATE UNIVERSITY [CGU] – Doctorate of Philosophy, 2013 Major: Political Science;  Double Academic Emphasis: International Relations and American Politics;  Sub-emphasis: International Terrorism; U.S. Constitutional Law and Interpretation

     I checked, and, unsurprisingly, CGU has a policy on Academic Honesty, one that mentions plagiarism. According to the policy,

The ideal of academic honesty is crucial to the integrity of a college or university; conversely, academic dishonesty undermines the very basis upon which institutions of higher education are organized and function. All students at Claremont Graduate University are expected to meet the highest standards of honesty in the performance of their academic work….
. . .
The Standards of Academic Honesty proscribe (but are not limited to) the giving or receiving of unauthorized help in examinations or other assignments, plagiarism and other unacknowledged or undocumented use of source material, and forgery. [My emphases.*]

     Such standards are utterly familiar to any academic. CGU’s conception of “academic honesty” is typical. So is its rejection of plagiarism.
     CGU’s policy on Academic Integrity explains “plagiarism” as follows:

     Plagiarism is a serious academic offense, which will lead to disciplinary procedures when detected. ... Faculty members are required to report all cases of apparent plagiarism to the office of the Vice President of Academic Affairs. Most plagiarism occurs unintentionally, due to ignorance of academic expectations on citing sources. However, ignorance is no defense in cases of plagiarism….
. . .
     Plagiarism is a serious violation of academic ethical standards….
. . .
     The range of definitions [of plagiarism] is illustrated by the following examples:

• "Plagiarism...means trying to pass off someone else's work as your own."
• "Plagiarism … means using another person's language or ideas without acknowledgement."
• "Plagiarism is defined as the attempt to fob off another's thought or language as one's own..."
• "Fundamentally, plagiarism is the offering of the words or ideas of another person as one's own.. . .

The key to avoiding plagiarism is documentation. When you take words, ideas or facts, which are not common knowledge from someone else, cite your source…. [My emphasis.]

     I doubt that one could find an institution of higher education in this country that did not have policies regarding academic honesty that are essentially similar to CGU’s. That is, throughout academia, students and professors are expected to be “academically honest,” and the most familiar element of any account of academic honesty is its rejection of plagiarism—i.e., its rejection of the passing off of others’ ideas and writing as one’s own.
     Naturally, CGU’s primary concern is with Reeve’s conduct as a student and as a scholar. One might suppose, therefore, that his conduct outside that realm—e.g., as a contributor to political blogs or newsletters—is of no relevance to them or to academia. That supposition is dubious, I think.
     Let’s return to Saddleback College, where Reeve has worked for six or seven years as an Associate Faculty. As it turns out, a dozen years ago, Saddleback College faculty adopted a “Faculty Code of Ethics and Professional Standards.” It quotes a familiar American Association of University Professors statement:

"Professors, guided by a deep conviction of the worth and dignity of the advancement of knowledge, recognize the special responsibilities placed upon them. Their primary responsibility to their subject is to seek and to state the truth as they see it. To this end professors devote their energies to developing and improving their scholarly competence. They accept the obligation to exercise critical self-discipline and judgment in using, extending, and transmitting knowledge. They practice intellectual honesty…." (AAUP Statement, 1990) [My emphasis.]

The Saddleback “code” goes on to require that

Faculty exhibit intellectual honesty and integrity in all scholarly endeavors.

     The point I'm making is simple. Qua scholar and qua college faculty, Reeve is expected to be honest, and, obviously, one aspect of honesty is not passing off other’s writings and ideas as one’s own—even in less-than-scholarly settings. Jenna Chandler’s recent piece in the SJC Patch makes very clear that Mr. Reeve does exactly that—he passed off others’ ideas and writings as his own—and he has done so repeatedly. He cannot be trusted to argue honestly; he certainly cannot be trusted to instill academic honesty in his students.
     Who knows. Perhaps this will make him more attractive to his hooting Neanderthalic supporters—a loutish crew known for anti-intellectualism and a suspicion of science. But to academics, Reeve is a scholar and teacher who has failed to internalize or accept what is utterly central to academic life: honesty.**

*Tea Partiers, the word "emphases" is the plural form of the word "emphasis."
**Mr. Reeve is turning out to be quite the lout, what with his willingness to engage in juvenile taunts of Muslims and repeated intellectual theft. Why am I not surprised that he is also pious?

• Matt Coker has noticed the Reeve saga, including this latest chapter.
• The OC Reg's Frank Mickadeit updates: Did city councilman plagiarize?

…"Did City Councilman Plagiarize?" editor Jenna Chandler asked in the headline over her story. The weight of the evidence she presents combined with Reeve's lack of a credible response makes it difficult to reach any other conclusion….

Derek Reeve, plagiarist? (He's toast)

     —Two recent developments re Derek Reeve, the Saddleback College adjunct and SJC City Councilman who mirthfully informed the people of SJC that he had named one of his dogs "Muhammad."
     You'll recall that that action yielded the fellow much attention plus the designation "pinhead" from Bill O'Reilly.
     Now, the two developments:

1. Poll: No apology needed for Muhammad dog comment (OC Reg)

77% of 481 respondents to a Register online poll don’t think San Juan Capistrano Councilman Derek Reeve should apologize for his public remarks about naming his dog after the Muslim prophet. 

     Yeah, whatever. Reg readers are living up to their reputation.

2. Jenna Chandler of the San Juan Capistrano Patch weighs in with this: Did City Councilman Plagiarize?

     San Juan Capistrano Councilman Derek Reeve has published essays that are virtually identical to the words of other writers.
     He helps run the city, lectures at local colleges and practices law, but for the past few months, San Juan Capistrano City Councilman Derek Reeve has also blogged on Patch, opining on local issues and promoting some of his government proposals.
     He stopped blogging earlier this month after Patch questioned him about dozens of passages that appear to be lifted from other publications, word for word and without attribution.
     In one case, an entire post submitted by Reeve matched content from other publications. In others, as much as two-thirds of Reeve's essays were a patchwork of paragraphs identical to material written by newspaper columnists and reporters for such publications as The Oregonian and The Hill.... (continued)

     Oh my.
     Chandler has details in her article. They're devastating. Check 'em out.
     Tea Partiers, in academia, plagiarism is a VERY SERIOUS SIN. I know you won't be able to understand that. Nevertheless, it's true.
     Reeve might have a future as a Tea Partier, since tea people have no standards and seem attracted to jerks and morons. But, unless Chandler is making all of this stuff up, as an academic, Reeve is now toast.

The September 2011 board meeting—live and direct!

     (For a sunnier take on this meeting, see Tere's board meeting highlights.)
     It’s 6:05 down here in the Ronald Reagan room, and it’s time once again for the monthly meeting of the venerable SOCCCD board of trustees.
     The audience is the typical thin crowd thus far. No sign of the trustees. I’ll keep you posted.
. . .
     6:16: Two trustees have entered the room. A good sign!
. . .
     6:24: OMG! Don Wagner's in the room! He's jawin' with Tod Burnett.
     The trustees are fixin' to start up.
     6:27: Nancy Padberg opens the meeting.

     • No actions taken in closed session.

"Don Wagner is a leader among California Republicans."

     • Invocation: Marcia Milchiker asks for God's help.... Quotes Robert Lewis Stevenson. Then says "amen."
     • Pledge of allegiance: by Frank Meldau
     • Resolutions for Professors of the Year. Marcia reads each. This is gonna take a while. I miss Fuentes' contempt for faculty and for board opponents. All this worshipfulness and earnestness and reverence is about to make me puke.
   
Public comments:

     1. HAT LADY. A middle-aged lady in a hat and shades comes up to the podium. She indicate her interest in becoming Chancellor. Really. She lists her qualifications. She then indicates that she is preparing a lawsuit (against the district), something about a film or video class. I think I heard the mildly unpleasant sound of crinkling aluminum foil as she shifted her hat on her head. She's now left the podium. I catch Tere's eye. Her look is within the bounds of professionalism. I'm impressed.
     2. DON WAGNER, former SOCCCD trustee, present leader of the legislative anti-public education contingent, grandly steps up to the podium. He tells the story of his coming across Bill Hewitt on a plane to Sacramento years ago. He says: We had a long discussion. We didn't agree about everything. We've continued those discussions. I'm happy to report, says Don, that a friendship developed. When I heard that Bill was retiring, I started working on a certificate of recognition or appreciation or some dang thing. I discovered how much he's done. Wow. So, being a big shot Republican in Sacto, I had the State Legislature write a resolution. (He holds it up in the air. It's framed. It highlights some of Bill's accomplishments, which Don reads. The thing has a big green strip on it. It looks like something from an old cigarette ad.) Bill's real legacy: thousands of students who have benefitted from his work. On behalf of the people of Cal, thanks, Bill.
     Applause. Bill speaks: Acknowledges his "staff." Humbly explains that he could not have done all those magnificent things that he has done—he mentions some of 'em—without... yada yada.

Board reports:

     Bill Jay: no report
     Frank Meldau: thanks for the tour of SC, Tod, he says. Great football game and homecoming. Chili bowl cook-off was great, despite that pesky power outage.
     Marcia Milchiker: yes, no power for chili cook-off. Dang. But it was a great event. In the dark.
     T.J. Prendergast: Yeah, the homecoming game was great. I will be attending the water polo game.
     Nancy Padberg: yeah, I too went to the game. Saddleback's "Constitution Day" was wonderful, with a "big article in the paper."
     Dave Lang: Thanks IVC Prez Glenn Roquemore for something, don't recall what. It was a nice homecoming.
     Student trustee: puts tawdry crown on his head; then announces, "I won homecoming king!" He attended water polo games. (I think this kid hopes to be on TV one day.)
     Chancellor Gary Poertner: mentions accred follow-up report and strategic plan—two items tonight. They represent a "very huge effort." Thanked all of the people who worked so hard on the report, etc.

6:58: unanimous vote for consent calendar.

4.1 Presentation about Accred. follow-up reports:

     Roquemore introduces the team: IVC Senate Prez Lisa Davis Allen, Kathleen Werle, Saddleback Senate Prez Bob Cosgrove, VPI Don Busche.
     It's been a long journey. August 2010—we submitted self-study reports. January 2011: both colleges got warning status. Ouch.
     He thanks Gary Poertner for his crucial efforts.

     So here's the presentation:

It was like a dream or something

     Tod Burnett: it was an effective district-wide effort. Poertner put together a district steering committee. Yada Yada.
. . . (Trust me, you don't want the details)
(As you know, a camel is a horse designed by a committee...Just sayin') . . . (just how many angels can dance on the head of a pin? Well, that's a very important question, of course. Let's see) . . . I do believe that I am in a coma now. I'm fairly certain that I'm drooling. I hear voices droning...
7:11 Kill me now....
I hear voices: ...we have found these delightful plastic forms. We have shoved turds into them, with great care. Behold the lovely product: remarkable things, aren't they? Behold their perfection. Wow we must be good.
I hear those voices again. We have been very diligent... Standards. Reports. Dedication. Excellence. Drool. .... Voices....
... I see trustee faces. Some are sleepy, bored. One seems pained, but that's probably about something else. The voices keep changing, droning. Drool....
It's 7:18. Kill me, kill me now.... We want to thank... I hear snoring. How many pinheads can angel on the head of a....? Constituent groups in the district.... Planning and decision-making.... Relevance...
Dysfunctional.... Tax-payers.... Werle handles that special recommendation....
College-wide discussion boards have been initiated.... Safe, transparent.... A policy on mutual respect.... Yeah, protect the worst faculty for decades..... respect.... Gotto have mutual respect....
The ACCJC Accred Teams will visit in November.
In January, the ACCJC board will meet, and they'll decide whether we should stay on warning....
We'll be notified in February....

The dream suddenly lifts.
Nancy: "thanks for a great report." Board members, any questions? NONE.

Next: district-wide strategic plan:

Poertner: very little difference between info item last time and what we have today, he says. Mentions one addition: establishment of a new DISTRICT facility between IVC and Saddleback College, a long-time desideratum. This may be the time to pursue that, what with the economy in the toilet.

Vote to accept plan: unanimous

Item 6.2: a cash-flow matter.... Borrowing money from ourselves....  They vote: unanimous.

Yada yada. I so miss Tom.

Too many notes, I think

6.5 Board Policy Revision....
     Lang has comment ... He offers suggestions re the wording of the code of ethics policy. Blah blah blah.
     Nancy P seems mighty peeved by this "wordsmithing." Wants to move things along. The sarcastic Nancy emerges. Marcia says, gosh, she likes all Dave's tiny changes. Well, ask to be recognized next time, snaps Nancy, the ruthless Nancy.
     Let's use "according" instead of "giving," says Dave.
     I think they're referring to this line:

Respectfully working with other Board members in the spirit of harmony and cooperation and giving each member courteous consideration of his or her opinion.

     Prendergast: maybe we should look up the word "according"; maybe the right word is "affording," says TJ. (He teaches P.E.) Nancy says, "affording" makes sense to her. Let's do that.
     (Good Lord. These people are in charge of colleges?)
     6.5 passes.

6.6 More revisions. Delegation of authority to the Chancellor. Discussion.
6.7 Resolution to rescind five grant-funded classified layoffs. Roll-call vote. Unanimous.
6.8 Academic personnel actions. Unanimously passes.
6.9 Classified personnel actions. Unanimously passes.

We miss you, Tom

Reports:

7.1 Notice to board of ceremony to be held at Disneyland Hotel.
7.2 Reassigned time and stipends. Info only.
7.3 Speakers. No comments/questions.
7.4 Basic Aid Report.
7.5 Facility plan status report. No questions.
7.6 Monthly financial status report. No questions.

Reports from constituency groups:

Bill Hewitt

Saddleback College Ac Senate: blah blah
Faculty Association: no report
IVC Ac Senate: no formal report
Peebles/ATEP: no report
Roquemore/IVC: congrats faculty of year. Robert Young's lecture: paradise at middle age. Exploration of OC from an urban development perspective. Blah, blah.
Burnett/SC: thanks Cosgrove and Busche. Also Claire C-S. Blather about homecoming. Blah blah.
(Will this never end?)
Bugay: nice to be in a district that remembers 9-11.
Fitzsimmons: (too many words, too quickly said)
Et al.

7:57 adjourned (in name of student who died in skateboard accident).

Music for this dreary moment

Well i'd like to think i'm the mess you'd wear with pride.

Like some empty dress on the bed you've layed out for tonight.

Maybe i'll tell you sometime.

Time.sometime.

And you were right.

Right.

You were right

Outside by your doorstep

In a worn out suit and tie

I'll wait

For you to come down

Where you'll find me

Where we'll shine

Oh

UC Muslim students guilty of disturbing speech (OC Register)
     A jury Thursday found 10 Muslim university students guilty of disrupting a speech by an Israeli diplomat at UC Irvine last year, in a case that focused on free speech.
UPDATE, SEPT. 23, 2:44 P.M.: sentencing:
     All 10 defendants have been sentenced to three years of informal probation, along with 56 hours of community service. If they complete the community service hours within one year, by Sept. 24, 2012, the probation period will be reduced to one year. Judge Peter Wilson told the court that since the students had clean records and the disruption was "motivated by beliefs" and "not for the sake of disruption," imprisonment was not warranted. (OC Weekly)

The agenda for Monday's BOT meeting

     The September meeting of the SOCCCD board of trustees (BOT) will be on Monday (the 26th). So, as per usual, I went to the district website to download the agenda (the link for the agenda is on the bottom right of the opening page).
     But, right away, I ran into trouble. The download didn’t seem to be working; or it was terribly slow.

* * *

     (As you know, the Brown Act requires that the agenda be made available in various ways prior to the meeting.
     (What happens if you can't download the file? Well, the district provides info about “agenda posting locations.” Here’s the info:

     (I kid you not. That's it. I wonder where that lake is. Can anyone direct me to the guy with the tube? Garsh.)

* * *

     I contacted the district and let them know about the downloading problem. Meanwhile, I just left my computer alone to try to download the file. After twenty minutes or so, it succeeded.
     Meanwhile, somebody (or some thing) at the district contacted me to say:

     The current board agenda link for September appears to be corrupt and will be temporarily inaccessible. We are trying to resolve the issue and will notify you when the link on the District website is working. We apologize for any inconvenience.

     Is it me? Or does it appear that this message was written by a mechanism. Nobody's notified me yet, and it's 5:30 p.m.
     UPDATE: at 5:46, the mechanism got back to me:

 The problem has been resolved and the link to the September Board agenda is working. The current agenda link is now accessible on the District website. Thank you for your patience.

     Wow. I was expecting "does not compute."

 * * *

     I’ve only started to peruse the agenda. It did notice a couple of items about student travel: 5.2 and 5.14. Check ‘em out:

Students get $35 a day for meals, but faculty get $50. Gosh.

     Boy, that Phi Theta Kappa convention is mighty pricy: $1350 per Kappster. What could they possibly be doing in Nashville, anyway? Visiting the grave of Minnie Pearl? 

     Of course, Saddleback's "forensics tournament" is even pricier: $1400 per student (it's $1850 per faculty).

O'Reilly calls Reeve a "pinhead"

Tea Partiers, click on the big arrow/triangle

Meanwhile, the Farewell Tour continues: 
Former O.C. GOP boss Fuentes honored (OC Reg)

     Longtime former county Republican Party Chairman Tom Fuentes, who is in hospice care in his home and is dying of cancer, continued what is becoming a farewell tour on Saturday, when he made it to the California Republican Party convention in Los Angeles.
     Fuentes, 62, accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award from the CRP and delivered a searing six-minute speech full of his characteristic criticism, encouragement and moralism….
     “Today I come to share with you a farewell,” Fuentes said Saturday before launching into the politics – starting with attacks on some fellow Republicans. Some excerpts:
. . .
     “California has become a failed place. The vulgarity and violence that pours out of Hollywood goes unchallenged by our civic leaders. Crime is rampant in the streets. The adulterous conduct of ranking elected officials is common place [sic]. Our children are without heroes and role models.” ….