Dean of the Faculty Lisa Raskin said that, while she knows of nothing like this happening at Amherst, the College has no explicit policies to prevent such a situation from happening here.
"I don't know Professor Ellis personally but know that he is an impressive scholar and was a very well-respected colleague," she said. "People are very complicated. Who can say why Professor Ellis did what he did or whether anyone else would be motivated to do the same?"
Ellis won the Pulitzer Prize in April for his book, "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation."
Students who took his Vietnam War and American Culture class said that Ellis' stories about his experience in Vietnam helped make the material dynamic and meaningful.
"I was extremely surprised when I learned that Professor Ellis lied about serving in Vietnam," said Pete Juran '02. "Still, I think the class was worthwhile and I'm glad I took it."
However, according to the June 18 article in The Globe, Ellis did not serve in Vietnam. The Globe reported, based on interviews and military records, that, while Ellis did serve in the Army for three years, he actually spent that time at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point teaching history.
The article also suggested that Ellis exaggerated his participation in the civil rights and anti-war movements, bringing intense media attention to the case. Ellis later admitted that he had lied to his students about his service in Vietnam.
"I was shocked by The Boston Globe's allegations against Joe Ellis ... And I was surprised and saddened when he admitted subsequently that the most serious of them, fabricating service in Vietnam, was true," said Mount Holyoke President Joanne Creighton in a June 25 statement to the College community.
"I am solely responsible and wish to express my personal regret to all students, faculty, and administrators who have been affected," Ellis said in an Aug. 17 statement to the Mount Holyoke community. "By misrepresenting my military service to students in the course on the Vietnam War, I did something both stupid and wrong ... I am truly sorry for the hurt I have caused."
According to Creighton, Ellis has been suspended without pay for one year and stripped of his endowed chair.
"As you might expect, this has been a difficult issue for Mount Holyoke," said associate director of communications at Mount Holyoke Kevin McCaffrey. "The predominant sense here is that the sanctions that President Creighton imposed were fair and proportionate given the seriousness of the situation."
Ellis said that during his suspension he plans to find time for self-reflection and begin working on a new book.
"I strongly rebuke Professor Ellis for his lie about his military experience in his course entitled 'The Vietnam War and American Culture' as well as with colleagues and others," wrote Creighton in an Aug. 17 letter. "Misleading students is wrong and nothing can excuse it."
However, Creighton added that, even in light of the current situation, it is important to acknowledge that Ellis has served 29 years on the Mount Holyoke faculty.