Marilee Jones, former dean of admissions at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, resigned from her position on April 26 after information was presented to the dean of Undergraduate Education which questioned Jones’ academic background after twenty-eight years of work for the Institute.
Further investigation of this matter revealed that Jones did not hold degrees from RPI, Albany Medical College, or Union College as she claimed on her resumé.
When applying to work at MIT in 1979, Jones claimed to hold degrees from these institutions and did not correct her resumé when applying for the position of dean of admissions at MIT.
Although Jones had been a part-time, non-matriculated student at RPI for a period of about one year, she did not graduate and therefore her credentials given to MIT were not truthful. Neither Albany Medical College nor Union College had any record of Jones being a student, matriculated or otherwise.
Jones has been well-known for encouraging students not to stress over perfect scores and college application. This view was exemplified in the book she co-authored with Dr. Kenneth R. Ginsburg, Less Stress, More Success: A New Approach to Guiding Your Teen Through College Admissions and Beyond.
Since her appointment as dean of Admissions in 1997, Jones has received the Institute’s highest honor for administrators, the MIT Excellence Award for Leading Change, and was widely admired on campus.
Some of her accomplishments in the Office of Admission included redesigning the institute’s application form to put less of an emphasis on extracurricular activities and speaking out against the idea of needing perfect SAT scores to get into MIT. According to The New York Times, Jones’ book addresses “not only the pressure to be perfect but also a need to live with integrity.”
In a statement made on April 26, Jones said “I am deeply sorry for this and for disappointing so many in the MIT community and beyond who supported me, believed in me, and who have given me extraordinary opportunities.”
Many in the community were saddened and shocked. In reference to Jones, the chancellor of MIT, Phillip L. Clay, stated “... this is one of those matters where the lack of integrity is sufficient all by itself... This is a very sad situation and for the institution.”
