College president resigns amid dissertation plagiarism claim

GENEVA, N.Y. – An upstate New York college president has resigned amid allegations he plagiarized part of his dissertation.

Hobart and William Smith Colleges announced Friday that Gregory Vincent has resigned as president effective immediately.

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports an anonymous email was sent to several media outlets saying passages of Vincent’s dissertation at the University of Pennsylvania were lifted from other sources.

Vincent hasn’t addressed the allegations directly in his statement on the website of the private liberal arts colleges. He calls the anonymous email “a distraction” and says he wants “to avoid any further stress to the campus community.”

Hobart and William Smith board of trustees chairman Thomas Bozzuto says the board respects Vincent’s decision. College officials are investigating the plagiarism allegations.