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Ghostwriting
By admin | July 9, 2009
Ghostwriting
A Ph.D. candidate worked on a sizeable grant for several years, serving under a very encouraging faculty mentor. When she began applying for faculty positions, she asked her supervisor for a letter of recommendation that could be filed on her behalf with the university’s placement services.
The supervisor’s response surprised her: “I would prefer for you to draft the letter for me to review and sign. I think you will know which skills and strengths will speak to your market more appropriately and effectively. Just send me the file when you’ve written it and I’ll take care of the rest.”
I thought about that story (which is true, by the way) when I read this
post about a former lawmaker in Florida who wrote his own job description and contract for a plum position.
Such incidents make me wonder just how much ghostwriting actually is going on in higher education.
What rules should govern ghostwriting, whether related to positions, to letters of recommendation, or even to scholarship?
Topics: Education |