{"id":104027,"date":"2019-10-04T16:41:41","date_gmt":"2019-10-04T14:41:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=104027"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:24:30","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:24:30","slug":"no-measures-taken-following-forensic-examination-at-eshcc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2019\/10\/04\/no-measures-taken-following-forensic-examination-at-eshcc\/","title":{"rendered":"No measures taken following forensic examination at ESHCC"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Executive Board (EB) has decided not to implement any measures following the forensic examination conducted at the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC). Hoffmann Bedrijfsrecherche, the forensic science agency that performed the examination, was unable to determine who was the source of the information used by NRC Handelsblad<\/em> reporter Frank van Kolfschooten.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Former ESHCC dean Dymph van den Boom<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDani\u00ebl Rommens (Folia)<\/span>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

However, the Executive Board has announced that there was \u2018active contact\u2019 between the faculty and the newspaper. \u201cThis was therefore a choice to seek publicity rather than follow the procedures which are appropriate in the university world,\u201d the EB announced in a statement published on the university\u2019s intranet. The Board feels that the procedures in place to deal with potential violations of academic integrity were not followed in this case.<\/p>\n

E-mails examined<\/h2>

As part of Hoffmann\u2019s investigation, 22 employees had their e-mails examined. They were all notified of this examination after the fact. The Executive Board emphasised in its statement that no one at the university, \u2018including the Executive Board\u2019, was given access to the investigation file containing e-mails.<\/p>\n

The investigation was conducted in response to a publication by Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad<\/em> in which then ESHCC dean Dymph van den Boom was accused of plagiarism<\/a> in work she had produced while working at the University of Amsterdam. In mid-September the university\u2019s Executive Board announced<\/a>\u00a0that Hoffmann Bedrijfsrecherche had been hired to identify the source of that NRC<\/em> article, as the Board suspected that the newspaper had been tipped off about Van den Boom\u2019s alleged plagiarism by employees of the faculty who disagreed with the merger plans she had proposed. Among other things, the forensic science agency was allowed to inspect the e-mails sent and received by employees.<\/p>\n

Furious<\/h2>

Academics were furious about the investigation. The president of ESHCC\u2019s faculty council called the university\u2019s decision \u2018deeply shameful<\/a>\u2019. NRC<\/em> journalist Van Kolfschooten called the investigation into the alleged leak\u00a0\u2018very strange\u2019 and \u2018outrageous\u2019<\/a>. For its part, the University Council believes that the Executive Board violated applicable legislation in ordering Hoffman Bedrijfsrecherche to investigate the employees, because the Board\u00a0failed to consult the Council on the matter<\/a>. And this week, an open letter\u00a0asking for the investigation to be halted<\/a>\u00a0was signed by more than four hundred academics from all over the country.<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t

De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t