Image Credit AcrossTheAtlantic, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Durham, NH – A former graduate student at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) has accused a university employee of taking credit for a system he spent nearly two years developing, raising serious concerns about academic integrity and the treatment of members of the university community.
The system, now implemented across all four institutions in the University System of New Hampshire, was the result of extensive research and development by the student. The student, who has asked to remain anonymous, collaborated with staff members from several departments to help integrate his solution. “I was happy to help – it was a revolutionary new approach to education, and I saw how it could create great opportunities for me in the future.”
But months later, a UNH employee approached him, requesting a detailed breakdown of his research and methodology. “I was asked to explain my process, how everything functioned, and provide a full walkthrough,” the student recalled. Soon after, the employee told the student his team would be taking over the project, and asked the student to turn over his accounts to UNH. Shortly thereafter, he was informed that he was no longer needed on the project.
When the student, who has a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, asked why he was being removed from the very system he had created, the employee responded with sharp hostility: “What did you think was going to happen?” The student told him directly that receiving recognition for his work was important — not for personal validation, but because of the system’s potential to reshape education and the professional connections it could open for him. The employee replied, “I think I understand,” but ultimately did nothing. Instead, the student was dismissed as unqualified and told he was not “trained in the pedagogical method” or “certified in academic design.” When he pushed back, hoping for a reasonable explanation, the employee demanded to know, “Who’s going to pay for it?” — suggesting that the student should somehow fund his own role at the university level. “It was clear that regardless of what I said, there was never going to be a satisfactory answer.”
“I was really upset,” the student said. “I approached three different people in the administration, and not a single one of them helped me. When I first brought it up, someone explained, ‘Well, we knew this was a possibility,’ as if the situation were completely normal. Not long after, it was even suggested that I ‘take [the employee] out to lunch’ to explain why I should be allowed to remain involved in the project.”
A few weeks after being dismissed as unqualified, the UNH employee presented the student’s work at an international academic event attended by universities from around the world. The system was showcased as a major innovation, drawing interest from institutions looking to adopt similar models.
The case has sparked outrage among students and faculty concerned about the university’s commitment to academic integrity. UNH’s academic integrity policy explicitly requires students to act with integrity and prohibits plagiarism and misrepresentation of work. The policy states that violations can result in suspension or dismissal. However, there appears to be no equivalent accountability for faculty and staff.
UNH has not yet issued an official response regarding the allegations. The situation raises pressing questions about the university’s responsibility to protect student innovations and intellectual property.
“If students are expected to adhere to strict academic integrity standards, the university should hold its employees to the same – if not higher – level of accountability,” the student emphasized. “Otherwise, it sends the message that student work is only valuable until it becomes profitable for someone else.”
For students paying tens of thousands of dollars per year to attend UNH, the case underscores a disturbing reality: without proper safeguards, their work and contributions may be exploited – with little to no recourse.