Former university rectoral candidate fired for plagiarism

Maribel Coco Fernández , a former candidate for rector  of the Specialized University of Las Americas (Udelas) has been dismissed  for “plagiarism.” 

The Academic Council of Udelas, confirmed her  dismissal of through a resolution issued on May 20, for “plagiarizing, appropriating or improperly using  texts, data, papers, materials or information of third parties in the exercise of an academic activity ” .

The document also states that her behavior was “contrary to the ethical principles of the teaching staff” according to the Code of Ethics of the house of higher studies. 

According to the Academic Council, Coco Fernández – has one last legal action that she can present before the Third Chamber of the Administrative Litigation of the Supreme Court of Justice. 

In July 2018, the University Electoral Council of Udelas ordered an investigation into the documents and works presented by Coco Fernández, as requirements for her postulation to the position of rector of the university. 

The Directorate of the Integrated Library System of Udelas analyzed the research work of Coco Fernández with the Ithenticate Professional Plagiarism Prevention software. The report of that direction concluded that “there were abundant texts without quotes” in her  work.

In her defense, Coco Fernández described the process against him as a “campaign” only because he had run as a candidate for the rectory. 

Shee argued that “since I was last year a candidate for rector of the university, I was armed with a file and persecution not to let me participate, and after that they created a disciplinary commission to evaluate a degree, which [later] the University of Panama said that I have everything in order. “