The anonymous e-mails that appeared to be an attempt to sway a faculty governing body's decision at the University of Illinois were sent from the computer of the former chief of staff to the university's president and were not the result of hacking, the university said Friday.
Lisa Troyer, the former chief of staff, resigned this month after she was accused of being the sender of the e-mails, which urged faculty members to admit that they were unable to reach a consensus on the administration's proposal to centralize some operations.
Ms. Troyer said her computer had been hacked, but a forensic investigation completed by two outside firms hired by the university did not find any evidence to support that conclusion, according to a report of the findings released Friday. The investigation also found no evidence that the university's president, Michael J. Hogan, knew that Ms. Troyer was planning to send the e-mails or had sent them.
Christopher G. Kennedy, the chair of the board of trustees, said in prepared remarks that Ms. Troyer's actions were "a misguided attempt by one individual to sway opinion" and "a personal, ethical lapse."
In a statement on Friday, Ms. Troyer denied writing or sending the e-mails in question. She did not respond to a request for further comment. The university said Ms. Troyer had planned to return to teaching as a tenured professor of psychology.
