A message about dealing with application fraud, from Graduate Dean of Students Christine Ortiz:
If you suspect or receive a tip from a third party on alleged application fraud, please contact directly. My office and our partner offices can provide you with advice, information, support and referrals on the investigation and action process (for example, to the Office of General Counsel, Ombuds, Registrar, etc.).
A few general notes on privacy and confidentiality during an alleged fraud investigation; (1) If the accused student is already enrolled, their records fall under FERPA, meaning they generally should not be shared outside of MIT, although you can discuss them internally with people who need to assist you in an investigation following certain procedures (http://web.mit.edu/registrar/general/csip/). (2) If the accused is accepted to a graduate program, but not yet enrolled, their records do not fall under FERPA. However, there are state and federal privacy laws which still govern certain personal information contained in the their applications (we can advise further on this). The specifics of a fraud investigation should generally be kept confidential and only shared with others on a “need to know” basis.
Additionally, if a person involved in a fraud case is in need of mental health counseling, here is the contact information:
MIT Medical's Mental Health and Counseling Department
Location: E23-3rd Floor
Schedule Appointments
Hours: M--Th, 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
F, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Phone: 617-253-2916
Emergencies:
Hours: Daytime (7 a.m.--7 p.m.): 617-253-2916
Evenings & overnight (7 p.m.--7 a.m.): 617-253-4481
Walk-in urgent hours: M--F, 2 to 4 p.m.
Dr Alan Siegel, Chief of Mental Health Services, Email: sieg@med.mit.edu
Some potential mechanisms to detect applicant fraud: 1) For international applications, have a faculty member from that country review the application, when and if possible, 2) applicant interviews, when and if possible 3) have official documents sent directly to your program from the granting institution (It may be more efficient to do this only for students accepted to your program).
I realize this is a large and disappointing burden for faculty and staff to have to spent time dealing with, especially when it detracts from efforts in preparing for the next incoming cohort of new students, so please don’t hesitate to ask if we can help in any way.
All the Best,
Christine
Dean for Graduate Education