ORLANDO, Fla. — The University of Central Florida is firing two professors and the head of one of its facilities after they say an investigation showed they helped a student get their doctoral degree in exchange for grant funding.
- Whistleblower complaint led to UCF investigation
- UCF: Evidence other students were pressured to help with dissertation
- School is reviewing other graduate degrees for conflicts of interest
UCF says a whistleblower complaint led to an investigation into the Institute for Simulation and Training. The investigation found that some doctoral students were also employed by sponsors who oversee grants, giving those students power to influence funding and creating a conflict of interest.
In this case, UCF says a student appeared to delay grant funding until their dissertation was completed and defended.
UCF says there is evidence the student's faculty advisor pressured other students to work on the dissertation, and that plagiarism was involved.
UCF says it's started the process of terminating executive director Dr. Randy Shumaker, along with two professors, Daniel Barber and Lauren Reinerman-Jones.
UCF says it's also begun the process of revoking that student's doctoral degree, and the school is having an independent review done to make sure there were no conflicts of interest in other graduate degrees awared through the modeling and simulation program.
Navy Capt. Wes Naylor will serve as interim director of IST while the school searches for a new director.