The Standing Committee on Research Misconduct at the University of Colorado at Boulder met Tuesday, March 29, to begin its work in reviewing the allegations of research misconduct related to Professor Ward Churchill.
The agenda of the group's initial meeting focused on procedural matters. The formal allegations, outlined March 24 in a report by CU-Boulder Interim Chancellor Phil DiStefano, will be forwarded to the committee this week.
Among the procedural issues resolved by the group was the matter of naming a new chair to replace Professor David Pinkow, who recently asked to rotate off the committee for personal reasons. The new chair is business Professor Joe Rosse, who also serves as director of the Office of Research Integrity.
Most of the initial meeting was devoted to an in-depth discussion on the issue of possible conflicts of interest or potential bias. Discussion will continue at the next meeting of the group.
According to campus rules and procedures on research misconduct, committee members are expected to disclose any actual or potential conflicts to the committee. Committee members will address such issues as any personal relationships with the respondent or complainants, any contributions to the respondent's works, involvement in prior evaluations of the respondent, and any public statements regarding the respondent.
Possible conflicts of interest or potential bias in the Churchill case are expected to be resolved following further discussion at a future meeting.
Under statutory requirement and university policy, all information related to committee proceedings must be kept confidential throughout the process. Once the allegations are received, the committee will not be able to provide detailed updates on its activities in the future.
For more information, see the special report: Ward Churchill and the 9/11 Essay.