My friend attended a PhD program but got dismissed in her 2nd year.

[Stanleyruan]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California

My friend got dismissed in her 2nd year from PhD program (from her Major's department but not from the University) because of alleged plagiarism. She appealed to her department but didn't succeed. Will this be showed in her background check for employment? How can she list this incident on her resume without looking too bad?

Thank you.

Stanley

 

[quincy]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California

My friend got dismissed in her 2nd year from PhD program (from her Major's department but not from the University) because of alleged plagiarism. She appealed to her department but didn't succeed. Will this be showed in her background check for employment? How can she list this incident on her resume without looking too bad?

Thank you.

Stanley

Why would your friend want to list the plagiarism incident on her resume?

 

[Stanleyruan]

Why would your friend want to list the plagiarism incident on her resume?

My friend had enrolled in the PhD program for 2 years before her dismissal. If she doesn't put on resume her enrollment in the program, wouldn't the interviewer ask her what she did during those 2 years? If she gets asked, she'll have to explain the incident anyway. Am I correct?

 

[quincy]

My friend had enrolled in the PhD program for 2 years before her dismissal. If she doesn't put on resume her enrollment in the program, wouldn't the interviewer ask her what she did during those 2 years? If she gets asked, she'll have to explain the incident anyway. Am I correct?

Yes, the interviewer could ask her what she has been up to. But your friend might not get the chance to tell the interviewer what she has been up to if she does not get an interview.

A resume is not created for the purpose of listing failures and foibles. A resume is a chance for a job applicant to present to a prospective employer their educational background, their work experience and their skills.

I suggest your friend get some resume-writing support, perhaps through her university, perhaps from researching on the internet "tips on writing a resume" or "what not to include in a resume."

I hope your friend's plagiarism was not discovered in a published paper whereby she could also be sued for copyright infringement by the author whose work she plagiarized.

 

[Stanleyruan]

Yes, the interviewer could ask her what she has been up to. But your friend might not get the chance to tell the interviewer what she has been up to if she does not get an interview.

A resume is not created for the purpose of listing failures and foibles. A resume is a chance for a job applicant to present to a prospective employer their educational background, their work experience and their skills.

I suggest your friend get some resume-writing support, perhaps through her university, perhaps from researching on the internet "tips on writing a resume" or "what not to include in a resume."

I hope your friend's plagiarism was not discovered in a published paper whereby she could also be sued for copyright infringement by the author whose work she plagiarized.

I totally agree with you regarding the purpose of resume. So it's better for her not to put the PhD enrollment record on resume. It was unintentional plagiarism due to lack of skills (she's an international student). The paper involved is not a published paper so there is no copyright infringement.

Just out of curiosity, would potential (non-academia) employers find out that my friend got dismissed from her PhD program through background check? In my opinion I think she should tell the truth and demonstrate to interviewer that she has learned from her mistakes and has taken remedial actions to prevent recurrence.

 

[quincy]

I totally agree with you regarding the purpose of resume. So it's better for her not to put the PhD enrollment record on resume. It was unintentional plagiarism due to lack of skills (she's an international student). The paper involved is not a published paper so there is no copyright infringement.

Anyone who has been accepted into a PhD program knows about plagiarism, including international students. It is well-known that you do not try to pass off the words of another as your own. The importance of attribution is taught early and emphasized throughout one's schooling but especially at the college level and beyond.

As a note: It can be copyright infringement whether plagiarized works are published or not. It is just more likely to attract the attention of the original author of the words when works are published - and the attention in turn is likely to attract an infringement lawsuit. But facts matter, including what has been plagiarized and how.

Just out of curiosity, would potential (non-academia) employers find out that my friend got dismissed from her PhD program through background check? In my opinion I think she should tell the truth and demonstrate to interviewer that she has learned from her mistakes and has taken remedial actions to prevent recurrence.

Employers can find out that your friend was dismissed from the PhD program, yes. And she should tell the truth about her dismissal if an employer asks.

Background checks are primarily used to check the criminal history of an applicant - and then only after the applicant has been offered a position with the employer. The position that is offered is generally conditioned on what a background check reveals. When an employer has "conditionally" offered an applicant a position, it will be based on the application with resume and the resulting interview - and the references provided on the application and the previous employers listed and the schools attended will be checked and verified.

This is where the dismissal from the PhD program will show up, if it shows up at all. Resumes do not need to include, and should not include, everything that one has done in their life. Again, have your friend learn how to write a good resume.

Finally, how important the dismissal from the PhD program will be to a prospective employer depends in large part on the position your friend seeks and the prospective employers she interviews with, and could depend on how well your friend is able to explain what led to the dismissal from the PhD program if asked about it. It may not be mentioned; it may not be important at all.

 

[commentator]

Like button, which seems to have vanished from my screen here.

Many people begin PhD programs who do not complete them, even after having spent a year or two on them. I myself did that very thing, having been accepted into and completing about a year in a doctoral program.

Then due to other circumstances, (I had a serious illness and then later relocated with my family) I dropped out and never completed it. In doing my later resumes, I always listed my doctoral work under my educational credentials, (of course, never indicating that I did complete it and had the degree) and you know what, nobody EVER inquired about why I didn't complete it. It just never came up.

If they had wanted to, they could have verified that I did have the educational background and degrees I had indicated I had, (undergraduate and master's) and I assume that was part of the verification process. But as to "explain why this candidate never completed the PhD program" I don't think they asked this.

Unless your friend has just absolutely no other work or educational credentials to discuss or list on a resume, I can see why this would be a subject that isn't necessarily going to come up. Of course, it would be pretty much a complete deal killer as far as other doctoral programs. Apparently if she thinks she is going to be discussing it at length either on a resume or in an interview, she should practice on her interviewing skills.

I do agree that "she is a foreign student and so didn't really understand the rules" and always referring to it as "alleged plagiarism" is a huge crock of a worthless excuse. Anyone who begins a post graduate program of study is strongly encouraged to purchase and make use of the publications guide for their field, which clearly explains what is considered plagiarism.

No amount of "just being honest" and confessing anything, or particularly trying to argue about it or defend herself about the whole incident and saying she repents and has learned better is going to help her in any discussion. She should just avoid the subject if possible and be very brief about it if it does come up.