How important is that piece of paper?

I read a story in this morning's paper (http://www.spokesmanreview.com/nation_world/story.asp?ID=186733) that blew me away.
Once, on one of the television news magazines, I saw this very articulate lady engaged in an interview. After listening to her, I was impressed with her common sense and thought how lucky they are to have someone like her on their staff. This woman has been the dean of admissions at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She has worked at the school for 28 years but works there no more.

The admissions dean resigned yesterday because of the revelation that some items on her resume---which originally got her the job---are bogus. In fact, administration at the school now suggest that she may not even have a 4-year college degree.

Therein lies a fascinating question. If she has performed well enough for one of the most prestigious colleges in the nation to keep her on staff for 28 years, entrusting her as the most visible conduit for all students who make up the university, why must she go?

Has her performance for nearly three decades at the institution been substandard? Seems like if she was elevated to the much prominence among MIT staff and the MIT presence in the world of elite educational institutions, she must have been doing something right.

Now, before readers get too shocked with my questioning of this decision for her to step down, please remember that integrity ranks right up there with motherhood, horses and nature in my bag of staples. People should tell the truth. People should be honest about their past and take the consequences. People should not mislead. I live by that every day of my life, even though sometimes the truth can be painful.

In addition, I can remember an instance or two when, as a professionals, my colleagues and I doubted the so-called credentials of highly-paid people telling us how to do our jobs. It angered us to think that we were educators who earned our Bachelor's along with continuing education credits throughout our careers----and some people, who were directing us, who took home much higher salaries than ours, could not and would not produce proof of their own college degrees.

We viewed these situations as insulting, especially in education circles where the name of the game is education. After all, it is kinda nice that everyone who's running the game has an education-----it's sorta that level playing-field concept.

Still, I question this situation dealing with the MIT dean. First, I wonder, even after reading the story, if there's much more to the story. If the woman has been derelict in her duties, thus causing someone to research her credentials, how did she last this long----at MIT, no less?

Who hired her in the first place? Who supervised her and reviewed her performance over the years? Who chose her for the position?

If she has been doing a stellar job as admissions dean and someone who had an axe to grind dug up this information to do her in, is she getting a fair shake? I can think of countless examples where people without college degrees have achieved greatness in their field. Correct me if I'm wrong. Does Bill Gates have a degree? Did CBS anchor Walter Cronkite have a degree? Did Peter Jennings?

Nearly every year my sophomores read a story in our literature anthology by Somerset Maugham called "The Verger." A gentleman had worked for years as the verger his church. He was meticulous, dedicated, much-loved and appreciated until one day a new bishop came to the church. Soon, the new bishop learned that his veteran employee could not read. Consequently, he quickly dismissed the verger because certainly a verger who could not read could not adequately perform his duties that he had done for so many years.

Dejected, the verger walked home and uncharacteristically decided to have a smoke. So, he looked for a tobacco store. He could not find one on the street where he was walking, so he went to another street. Still, no tobacco store. This happened on several streets and inspired a new line of work for the verger. He eventually set up one tobacco store after another.

One day when he went to the bank to deposit his all his money, the official asked him to sign a form. When the verger could not read where to sign, the awestruck official said something to the effect of "How have you made it this far? What would you be doing if you could read?"

To which, the tobacco magnate said, "I'd be the verger at St. Albert's church."

Stories like this are rare, but it's obvious they still can and do happen. And, to have occurred at a place like MIT! Seems like there could be a lot of other officials on staff who might be questioning their judgment these days.

Unless, of course, she did her job and did it well.

I hope this receives more attention and more discussion. It will be interesting to learn all the facts and then debate the issue of whether this was a case that deserved some individual attention and some common sense.