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Poshard says he did not try to influence poll results

BY CALEB HALE, THE SOUTHERN

Monday, September 17, 2007 11:53 PM CDT

CARBONDALE - Southern Illinois University President Glenn Poshard says he did not try to influence the results of two online newspaper polls asking if he should resign his position over recent plagiarism charges.

Poshard refuted claims appearing in a weekend Chicago Sun-Times article that he called the SIUC director of University Christian Ministries, Hugh Muldoon, last Thursday specifically to talk about a survey by the Springfield State Journal-Register's Web site.

Muldoon and Poshard were on the phone discussing a new interfaith living center that the university ministries has been interested in building for some time, Poshard said.

"In the course of the conversation, Hugh expressed to me his frustration - the same frustration I have - of this thing (plagiarism allegations) continuing to go on," Poshard said.

That's when Poshard and Muldoon began talking about the Journal-Register poll, as well as a recent online poll by The Southern Illinoisan asking a similar question. However, Poshard maintains he didn't ask Muldoon to do anything.

Muldoon said he took it upon himself after the conversation to send e-mails to a few friends, advising them to vote in favor of Poshard on the Journal-Register poll.

"I see no problem with me rallying some support," Muldoon said. "The university is too important to me. Yes, I willingly admit I support Glenn Poshard's presidency. I hate to see his plan for revitalizing and renewing this university sidetracked on the basis of a poll; it doesn't make any sense."

The Journal-Register poll question, "Should Poshard resign over allegations he plagiarized some parts of his doctoral dissertation?," resulted in a total of 4,317 votes, 24 percent of which said yes and 76 percent of which said no.

The Southern Illinoisan's similar online poll, which ran from Sept. 7 to Sept. 12, resulted in 2,249 total votes, in which 442 votes said yes, Poshard should resign, while 1,807 votes said no.

Both polls were unscientific surveys.

Barbara Dallas, a Murphysboro resident who worked closely with Poshard when she was senior director of rural hospital services with the Illinois Hospital Association, said that when she found out about The Southern's online poll, she e-mailed a list of 50 people urging them to vote favorably on Poshard's behalf.

Dallas said she did not talk to Poshard before taking action on the polls.

"I'm a Glenn groupie; I have been from the start," she said. "I've seen him in some tight situations, and I've seen his response. He's a fine man. I feel like SIU is making some progress under Glenn's leadership � and I don't want to see that get screwed up."

Poshard has fielded numerous phone calls and e-mails from long-time friends upset over ongoing plagiarism allegations reportedly lobbied by a shadow group calling themselves Alumni and Faculty Against Corruption at SIU, he said.

The SIU president hesitated on saying too much Monday, since the allegations will be reviewed soon by a panel of senior SIUC faculty and a report will be submitted to the university board of trustees.

"The only thing I can tell you about this is I have been inundated by people, hundreds of people, calling my home, e-mailing, because they are frustrated," Poshard said. "If people want to contact friends in e-mails, my gosh, what can I do? I'm not encouraging you to do anything."

caleb.hale@thesouthern.com / 351-5090