Instructor misled LCC on credentials

A Lower Columbia College math instructor resigned this month after officials learned he misled the college about completing a master's degree, according to documents obtained by The Daily News.

The instructor, however, says he made an innocent mistake.

David Liu, a faculty member since September 2001, resigned Dec. 9 after the college discovered the "falsification of information" on the application for employment he submitted in 2001, according to an Oct. 27 letter the college sent Liu.

Liu, a native of China, told school officials he never deliberately lied about his degree, and the college should have caught the error earlier.

"I blame my poor English language skills for not understanding what the college wanted from me. I never intended to mislead anyone ..." Liu wrote to the college on Oct. 28.

The Daily News obtained information about Liu's resignation under the state's open records law. The college released the records Thursday but declined to comment specifically on Liu's resignation, saying the school doesn't discuss "personnel issues."

"Credentials are very important in higher education, and we do take them very seriously at the college," said Janelle Runyon, LCC's spokeswoman.

During the faculty hiring process, the college requests unofficial transcripts and official copies once the applicant is hired, she said. Liu's case is an "isolated incident," Runyon said, and as a result, the college is "tightening up" its hiring process with "checks and balances."

Bill Montecucco, Liu's attorney, declined an interview with his client. Liu did not return Daily News phone calls.

Liu submitted an application for employment to LCC in March 2001 that indicated he had two master's degrees: one from Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore., for teaching and a second for teaching math from Portland State University, according to his application to LCC.

At the time, Liu had earned a master's degree from Pacific University, which he obtained in 1991. He attended Portland State on and off between 1994 and 1998, but he had not yet earned the master's degree in teaching mathematics.

In his letter to LCC, Liu explained that lack of sleep and his limited English skills clouded his understanding of a section in the application marked "degree or credit earned."

"I put down the MST Mathematics (the master's in teaching math) because that was the program I was in for the credit earned ..." Liu wrote. "The heading is confusing and I did not try to confuse anyone. I knew they would have my transcripts.

"I have never intended to show that I had two master's degrees. ... I felt that I was qualified for the job, and I did not falsify my information to get hired."

In the letter he wrote to LCC, Liu said he hadn't completed a research project needed to graduate from Portland State because he had trouble finding professors for a required advising committee.

The college learned of Liu's incomplete credentials after Liu requested several salary increases based on his experience and level of education.

"If I had ever intended to falsify any information, I would have tried to cover it up instead of asking everybody to look at it," Liu wrote.

His salary increased from $45,693 in 2002 to $56,842 in 2004 after requests for re-evaluation of his transcripts on three occasions, according to the college and Liu's letter.

"I am sincerely very sorry that I made this error," he wrote to the college. "I am sorry that Ann Kaneko (the former dean of instructional programs) did not catch this error; I am sorry the personnel director did not catch this error; I am sorry the union representative did not catch this error, and I am sorry that my hiring committee members did not catch this error. It was an honest mistake."

Source:  http://www.tdn.com/articles/2004/12/18/area_news/news03.txt