Update regarding the Fox School and data integrity
Earlier this year, the university self-reported and disclosed the misreporting of Fox School rankings data. Several updates have been provided since July regarding what happened and what steps have been taken.
On July 25, we publicly acknowledged and apologized for the data misreporting in an op-ed piece published in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate, on behalf of the Fox School of Business and Temple University, that we are sorry this happened. We expect a lot of our students; they have every right to expect better from us.
Temple is doing better. In the months since the data issue was discovered, the university has initiated a wide array of measures to fix the problem and ensure that it never happens again:
- Within Fox, a new performance analytics unit was created to implement a multi-step process for the aggregation, inspection, verification and submission of data.
- University-wide, each school, college and unit is required to document and standardize data collection, verification and submission processes.
- We are conducting a search for a university compliance officer to enhance our ethics and compliance program, as well as internal reporting structures.
- We are recruiting new staff dedicated to data processes and practices.
- We are implementing technology and training to support data integrity.
In addition to these internal actions, the university has retained an outside auditing firm to review rankings submissions and to ensure the effectiveness of these new measures.
Many of you have asked how we are going to “do right by our students.” Unfortunately, due to pending litigation and regulatory inquiries, that is a conversation that must be had, for now, directly with attorneys and government authorities. But we can say that we are devoted to a resolution that acknowledges the university’s responsibility and enables the Temple community to move forward together.
We recognize that your trust in Temple has been damaged. We are committed to rebuilding it. Failures are a chance to improve, to grow, to become something greater than before. Temple is doing just that.
Patrick J. O’Connor
Chairman, Board of Trustees
Richard M. Englert
President
JoAnne A. Epps
Executive Vice President and Provost