The University of Cambridge cannot be allowed to mark its own homework with a review following the resignation of a professor embroiled in a high-profile plagiarism row, an academic has said.
Earlier on Friday, the university confirmed it would continue its investigation into the circumstances around Professor Jason Arday’s “appointment and tenure” after he quit on Wednesday, adding that findings will feed into a review of the process for appointing senior roles.
Dozens of academics at the prestigious institution have signed a letter calling for an independent inquiry into the processes around Prof Arday’s appointment, with organisers expecting the total number of signatories to be pushing 100 by the end of the day.
One of the signatories, Professor Priyamvada Gopal, told the Press Association: “We’re saying that the resignation is not the end of the story, that there are potential mistakes and missteps made by the university that need to be investigated.”
Responding to Cambridge’s announcement of a review, the professor of postcolonial studies at Cambridge’s English faculty said: “This cannot be a case of the university marking its own homework.
“We are absolutely clear that the investigation needs to be independent, not in the university’s own hands, and needs to be completely transparent and accountable to the Cambridge community.”
The university has been contacted for comment.
Prof Gopal said the letter asks for:
– The circumstances of the appointment to be investigated given that it was a “very senior appointment” for a professor who was “at a very early stage of his career”.
– Information from the Faculty of Education and university communications team on why the “media narrative” focused “so heavily” on his race and his youth after Prof Arday was appointed as professor of sociology of education in 2023.
– A probe and clear timeline of the handling of plagiarism allegations against Prof Arday.
Prof Gopal also said they want to know whether the university was involved in any efforts to deter journalists from reporting on the allegations.
It comes after the Metropolitan Police drew criticism over an investigation into a claim of harassment made against a Times Higher Education journalist who emailed Prof Arday with questions some months ago.
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley told LBC on Thursday that the force “dropped the ball on that one” and the report should have been “screened out earlier as not requiring investigation”.
The letter will most likely be handed to the vice-chancellor’s office by the end of the day or first thing on Monday.
“We want the university to note the enormous damage that this has done both to Cambridge’s own reputation and its own academic community, but also specifically to people of colour,” Prof Gopal said.
“We want them to state publicly that anti-racism and academic integrity are not mutually exclusive, that they are both necessary and they both work together.”
She added the case has “gone right into the ongoing culture war scenario” and “acted as a gift to people and forces who have been targeting equality, diversity, and inclusion in universities for a long time now”.
Prof Arday’s resignation followed a series of media reports alleging he plagiarised his PhD thesis – completed at Liverpool John Moores University – and other research.
Further questions were asked in the press about the truth of other claims he made, including saying he ran 600 miles in six days and that he had raised £5.5 million for charity.
In a statement earlier on Friday, Cambridge said: “As has been widely reported, Jason Arday has resigned from his post at the university with immediate effect.
“Regardless of this, and for clarification, the university will continue to investigate the circumstances around Jason Arday’s appointment and tenure. The findings will feed into a review of the process for the appointment of senior academic roles.
“In addition, and as previously stated, the university’s Research Policy Committee will review the misconduct in research policy.”
Jesus College said previously it was launching its own process in relation to the allegation.
An investigation at Liverpool John Moores University cleared Prof Arday of wrongdoing.
He said in his open resignation letter that the “only way to bring this chapter to an end is to step away”.
In the letter, addressed to colleagues and published on the Good Law Project’s website, he said: “This decision should not be interpreted as a loss of faith in scholarship or in the values that first brought me to Cambridge.
“Nor should it be mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me.
“It is simply the decision of someone who has reached the limits of what any person should reasonably be expected to endure.”
His memoir, Great And Unfortunate Things, is due to be published by Simon & Schuster later this month.
