Tory rumor of Malkiel's firing proven false

Following categorical denials by University officials, the Princeton Tory has officially apologized for a post on its blog alleging that Dean of the College Nancy Malkiel’s appointment had not been renewed by the executive committee of the University Board of Trustees.“We recognize how frustrating and insulting it must have been for Dean Malkiel to have heard of this false report, and we cannot apologize enough for this unfortunate incident,” Joel Alicea ’10, current publisher of the Tory, wrote in an explanation on the Tory’s blog.

The author of the original post, Matt Schmitz ’08, did not have the authorization of the conservative student publication’s current leadership to write the post, Alicea said in an interview with The Daily Princetonian.

Alicea succeeded Schmitz as the publisher of the Tory in February.

Schmitz posted on the blog again after it was clear that his information was false, deleting his first statement and replacing it with one saying that “the Tory’s sources, who declined to be named, are now unable to stand by their claim that Dean Malkiel’s employment was not renewed.”

Alicea decided an official explanation to the campus community was also necessary. “Speaking on behalf of the Tory, we do feel sincere regret and apologize with full sincerity,” he said. Alicea also sent an e-mail apology to Malkiel.

Schmitz said in an interview with the ‘Prince’ that he published the original post after being approached by a confidential source.

“They assured me this was absolutely true,” Schmitz said. “The person was absolutely in a position to know, so after talking with them I had full confidence that this story was correct.”

Schmitz described his source as “someone in a position to know who apparently had an interest in playing internal politics” and said it was “too bad that they had to raise student hopes in the process.” He also said he was disappointed that the source spread false rumors, but that he strongly believes he must protect the person’s identity.

“Even after the source violated my trust, it is important to maintain confidentiality,” he said. “I can’t understand why they would spread a false story unless it was to grind their own personal axe. I feel betrayed, and I feel immensely sorry.”

Despite the inaccuracy of Schmitz’s reporting, Alicea maintained that “Matt Schmitz is a superb journalist who we at the Tory know to be meticulous in his research. We’re surprised that his information turned out to be wrong.”

Nevertheless, this incident has prompted Alicea to exercise greater discretion. Alicea said Schmitz’s post “was definitely not something that the Tory reported in any official capacity,” adding, “we are suspending use of the blog until we institute policies that will ensure more oversight, so the stories that are posted are screened more.”

Contributors to the Tory had been permitted to access the blog without authorization from the publication’s editors, Alicea explained. “The blog is open to all of our writers, and sometimes they post things without us having seen them,” he said. “We’re going to change that.”

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University response

Schmitz’s original post alleged that the executive committee of the Board of Trustees reached a decision to deny Malkiel’s reappointment. University Vice President and Secretary Bob Durkee ’69, however, said that he previously had not heard any indication that Malkiel’s tenure as dean of the college was in jeopardy.

He also explained that the blog post’s description of Malkiel’s “contract” being denied was inaccurate.

“There is no contract,” he explained. “None of us [senior administration officials] are on contracts. We all serve at the pleasure of the Board. We all go through a review process every five years.”

The timing of the allegations is also unusual because the Board conducted Malkiel’s review last spring and reappointed her at that time to a fifth five-year term as dean.

The post also said that the decision to terminate Malkiel’s appointment would be announced at yesterday afternoon’s faculty meeting. The meeting, however, ended without any mention of the issue.

“I am still, and will be for the foreseeable future, the dean of the college,” Malkiel said to the ‘Prince’ immediately following the meeting’s adjournment. “I have no idea where these rumors came from. It seems like a lot of silliness over nothing.”

President Tilghman and Durkee also emphatically denied the report in interviews with the ‘Prince’ this afternoon, saying that this was the first time either of them had heard the rumors.

“It’s absolutely, categorically untrue,” Tilghman said. “I don’t know where that rumor started, but let me put it to rest immediately. It is absolutely untrue.”

Durkee expressed similar disbelief when shown the post.

“Literally my first reaction is that it reads like a joke-issue story,” he said. “To my knowledge, there is absolutely no truth to that. I can’t even begin to imagine where anyone would have gotten that idea.”

The rumors surfaced just days before the 21st anniversary of Malkiel’s appointment as dean of the college on March 13, 1987. Next year, Malkiel will become the longest-serving dean of the college in University history.

During her tenure as dean, Malkiel has spearheaded controversial efforts to curb grade inflation and oversaw the creation of the four-year residential colleges. She also launched Major Choices, which encourages students to choose less popular majors, created the writing seminar program and substantially expanded the freshman seminar program.

Malkiel’s policies have not always been popular, and during her two decades in West College, she has often been the standard-bearer for many of the policies most disliked by current students and alumni.

In an interview with the ‘Prince’ in January, Malkiel said she had no immediate plans to retire and that her efforts in the foreseeable future will be spent continuing to implement the policy initiatives she has introduced in the last two decades.

Staff writers Jack Ackerman and Esther Breger contributed reporting to this article.