Newsletter

April 2001

Provost Owram’s Response To SAFS

Dear Dr. Seligman:

Thank you for your letter of January 18 and your patience while we fulfilled
our obligations under Alberta Freedom of Information and Protection of
Privacy Act.

I will answer your questions in the order in which they were put.

The University of Alberta has not attempted to silence Dr. Pagliaro.
We have asked him, in the name of scholarship integrity, to be clear with
the media as to whether he is offering opinion or presenting the results
of replicable research.

The University did not charge Professor Pagliaro with research conduct
violations. The University received a complaint, actually several complaints,
about Professor Pagliaro’s behaviours. The University is attempting, through
the investigation, to determine the veracity of the complaints. At the
heart of the investigation is the question of whether Dr. Pagliaro presented
his opinions as expert opinion or as the results of this research.

Professor Dixon’s report presented no evidence on the question of Dr.
Pagliaro’s clarity respecting the basis of his comments….expert opinion
or research findings. Dr. Dixon has been asked to determine the evidence
on this point.

I trust these answers will be satisfactory to you.

Yours truly,

Doug Owram

Vice-President (Academic) and Provost