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[all_sockntrollto_me]

Regular poster here, sockin' it to you for reasons that will probably be obvious. I wasn't sure where to post this but figured I might get the best ideas here.

I am a tenured mentor to a TT faculty member. Part of the mentoring process is, naturally, confidentiality. This person is in a field in which alternative-format creative work rather than scholarly papers are the norm; I am in a scholarly-paper field so am less familiar with protocols and standards for tenure in this person's field.

In reviewing Creative Faculty Member's (CFM's) materials, I noticed that CFM's vita mentions creative works that are in the permanent collections of two high-prestige organizations. Yet I can find no independent evidence that CFM's work has ever been part of those organizations; CFM's name is nowhere associated with them that I can find (except in postings by CFM), and I'm generally pretty good at Internet searching.

Of course, there may be a perfectly reasonable explanation, and since hints to CFM have not paid off, I'll ask CFM directly next time we meet about this.

Suppose, though, that I discover that CFM has been dishonest, or at least misleading, in this part of hu's vita?

Is this a situation for STFU'ing? Other alternatives? How would you proceed in that case?

[crowie]

Have you tried calling someone at those organizations?  Not everything is on the internet.

[shrek]

The only thing you can really do is treat it as a "mistake" or as a "misunderstanding." It may well be one of these and there's nothing you can really do if it's not. I would make it clear that when going up for tenure these things are checked and they need to provide evidence of every line on the vita. I was on the college T&P committee when someone from a "creative" field was going up for tenure. They listed a bunch of consulting gigs as "grants." But, usually there is a printout that accompanies the dossier from OSP showing grants, source, amount, years, etc. This didn't have any of that. In this case I think the person really didn't know the difference, and there was no one in their deptartment to tell them otherwise (or to explain how it might look). I spoke to the representative from the department on the committee and explained that this might make the candidate look foolish or naive (at best) and dishonest at worst.

[dr_starbucks]

"Your work is part of the collection of Big-Name Museum?  Wow, that is so impressive! I am going to encourage  (insert name of closest acquaintance closest to the museum) to check out your work right now! <begins texting info>   S/he would be so impressed that I know someone whose work is on display there!  How can one best navigate this museum to see your piece? I'm texting the directions right now . . . "

Ok, a bit over the top, but you get the idea . . .

[aside]

Could CFM provide copies of correspondence with the organizations that could verify CFM's claims (invitation to exhibit one's work, etc.)?  Such corroborating evidence is common in tenure dossiers in creative fields.

[professor_pat]

Is there a trusted senior person on your campus to whom you could talk using a "hypothetical scenario"? That person might have a better idea of your campus culture.

Or do you feel that this would violate confidentiality, if the senior person happened to know about your mentor/mentee relationship?

[hegemony]

Another question is how long these things have been on the CV.  Were they on when the person was hired?  If so, and they're fraudulent, that's one scenario.  If they've recently come on the CV and the CV hasn't been used for anything -- the person is just preparing materials for the tenure bid -- that's another scenario.  In the latter scenario, if it turns out the claims are fraudulent, you may decide just to give the person a very harsh talk, and let it go.  But if the CV with the claims has been used to land money or a job, you'll want to think the matter over more carefully.

But I think you're actually putting the cart before the horse.  First verify the claims.  My guess is that the institutions in question acquired some tiny minor item of the person's.

[seniorscholar]

Could CFM provide copies of correspondence with the organizations that could verify CFM's claims (invitation to exhibit one's work, etc.)?  Such corroborating evidence is common in tenure dossiers in creative fields.

And for not-yet-tenuted people in other fields -- we once had a dean who demanded the conference program with your name on it for every conference presentation on your c.v. Start saving them in your "tenure file" drawer instead of anywhere else.

[larryc]

First, pick up the phone and call the museum. My local museum is months or years behind in cataloging stuff because of layoffs. If it isn't in there:

The only thing you can really do is treat it as a "mistake" or as a "misunderstanding."

Yep. Let the person make whatever lame excuse, pretend to believe, then say, "Look--you absolutely have to take this off your C.V. You could get fired. OK?"

Then say nothing more--though do keep an eye on this person.

[offthemarket]

And for not-yet-tenuted people in other fields -- we once had a dean who demanded the conference program with your name on it for every conference presentation on your c.v. Start saving them in your "tenure file" drawer instead of anywhere else.

At my university, you can't put anything in your file without clear evidence. You gave an invited talk? Include a copy of the flyer, or an email with a 'thanks' from your host. You reviewed thirteen manuscripts in the last year? Include thirteen pro forma 'thank you' notes from the online manuscript systems. You are on a university subcommittee to pick a new administrator? Include minutes from a meeting with you in attendance. You get the idea.

And people check on these things.

I actually really like this transparency. Nobody can pad their files with things that aren't true (some pad them with truthful but inconsequential things, which makes for a weak tenure file).

[banana]

There must have been something else that made you question CFM's integrity, or you wouldn't have searched online to begin with.  Is this kind of thing a pattern with CFM?