SUMMARY OF MY ACADEMIC ORDEAL AT UBC, 1993-TO NOW

The background:

Mr. Lucio Muñoz, a PhD Student in the Faculty of Forestry 1993-1998, completed his Second Ph.D. thesis despite of having been subjected to a process of scholarly misconduct, bad academic support, conflict of interest and duties and purposive failures of graduate education rules while under the care of the faculty of forestry and later while under the care of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

The academic appeal hearing in 1998:

The UBC Senate received, heard, and corroborated the evidence presented by Mr. Muñoz and Mr. Desmond Rodenbour/AMS Official supporting the above claims in March 1998, including copy of his completed Ph.D. thesis and copy of letters of academic support from committee members and other UBC officials as well as he offered letters from independent experts who read his thesis and had written to the UBC Senate supporting his academic work if needed; the UBC Senate accepted responsibility of the mismanagement of Mr. Muñoz's academic program; and it stated in writing that no fair and workable institutional solution existed to allow Mr. Muñoz to formalize his academic work through normal means.

The granting of the academic standing that fits the circumstance, the only remedy available in 1998:

The UBC Senate knew then that under the above unique conditions, the academic appeal rules governing its actions obliged them to grant Mr. Muñoz the academic standing that fits the circumstances, his Ph.D. degree, to recognize the excellent academic work that he produced according to independent experts despite the negative academic environment UBC provided to Mr. Muñoz during all his academic program 1993-1998.

Open violation of Academic Appeal Rules to punish the victim still more:

The UBC Senate violated its own academic appeal rules when dismissing Mr. Muñoz's academic appeal, an action taken contrary to the evidence simply to avoid granting him his Ph.D. as per binding academic appeal rules and to avoid dealing with faculty officials they themselves found at fault and behaving contrary to graduate academic rules; and this is unacceptable. The UBC Senate did this even though the faculty of forestry and the faculty of graduate studies presented no academic argument and evidence to it opposing the granting of the Ph.D. degree while ignoring the academic evidence presented by Mr. Muñoz to it or that could be gathered by it supporting the granting of the Ph.D. degree. The UBC Senate dismissed Mr. Muñoz's appeal perhaps thinking that such an unfair decision was going to force him to return to his country of origin, El Salvador, and this way it could avoid setting the precedent of directly granting a Ph.D. degree to cure wrong-doing by UBC and it could avoid dealing with the people responsible for what happened to him at UBC. Most of these people retired or resigned soon after he started exercising his right to appeal at UBC, some apparently voluntarily and others under pressure.

Critical message to the new UBC President, Prof. Prof. Stephen J. Toope:

We call on Prof. Toope to finally do what Dr. Martha Piper failed to do, to take action and correct the additional personal and academic abuse imposed on Mr. Muñoz by the inaction of Dr. Piper. We call on Prof. Toope to immediately take steps to grant Mr. Muñoz his Ph.D. degree together with appropriate compensation for all the delays imposed on him as the only way to restore the respect and integrity of UBC laws in the future. What the UBC Senate did to Mr. Muñoz is unacceptable and it is a real threat to student rights at UBC, specially to the rights of international or students living out of Vancouver who may not have the ability to continue incurring the cost of living and cost of university education while they are just waiting for a resolution and for justice to prevail.

Solidarity message to student societies of UBC, do not leave students alone regardless of their origin:

As it is their duty to defend open violations of student rights by UBC, we call on the Graduate Student Society and the Alma Mater Society to ensure by any means, including legal means that UBC grants Mr. Muñoz his Ph.D. degree as required by UBC academic appeal rules and denied to him in 1998 together with appropriate compensation. What the UBC Senate did to Mr. Muñoz is unacceptable and constitutes a real threat to student rights at UBC. Please, put pressure on Prof. Toope to address Mr. Muñoz’s situation right away, 1993-2009 is an abuse too long.

How can you help to solve Mr. Muñoz’s ordeal at UBC:

Would you like to help Mr. Muñoz?, see Would you like to help me?

Would you like to know more details about Mr. Muñoz’s ordeal?, see Academic Ordeal at UBC